ONE TEAM OF RESEARCHERS STUDYING A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 2,143 FAMILIES FOUND THAT CHILD ABUSE IS A DRAMATIC ASPECT OF A MUCH BROADER PATTERN OF VIOLENCE THAT CHARACTERIZES THE AMERICAN FAMILY TODAY. THE STUDY REVEALED A SUPRISING RANGE AND SEVERITY OF PARENTAL VIOLENCE TOWARD CHILDREN. FOR EXAMPLE, 20 PERCENT OF THE PARENTS HAD HIT A CHILD WITH AN OBJECT AND OVER 4 PERCENT INDICATED THEY HAD BEATEN UP THEIR CHILD. NEARLY 3 PERCENT OF ABUSING PARENTS USED A KNIFE OR GUN ON THEIR CHILD. EACH YEAR OVER ONE AND A HALF MILLION AMERICAN CHILDREN FROM AGES 3 TO 17 ARE ATTACKED BY THEIR PARENTS. STUDIES SHOW THAT ABUSED CHILDREN SUFFER IMPAIRED INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING, AS WELL AS PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS THAT SCAR NOT ONLY THEM BUT ALSO THEIR FUTURE CHILDREN. PSYCHOSOCIAL DWARFISM IS OFTEN A DIRECT OUTCOME OF SEVERE AND MALIGNANT CHILD ABUSE. IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT, THE YOUNG BODY STOPS GROWING NORMALLY AND THE RESULT IS A CHILD STUNTED IN BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL GROWTH, WITH LOW IQ, AN INABILITY TO HANDLE LANGUAGE, LOW SENSE OF SELF-ESTEEM, AND CONFUSED SEXUAL IDENTIFICATION. PERHAPS THE MOST MALIGNANT OUTCOME OF CHILD ABUSE, HOWEVER, IS THE SEED OF VIOLENCE IT SOWS IN THE HEART AND MIND OF THE YOUNG VICTIM. IN FACT, THE MOST OVERRIDING CHARACTERISTIC OF ADULTS WHO VIOLATE THEIR CHILDREN IS A BACKGROUND OF ABUSE IN THEIR OWN CHILDHOODS. STUDIES ALSO INDICATE THAT LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT, PREMATURE INFANTS SEEM TO INVITE VIOLENCE, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THEY ARE SEPARATED FROM MOTHERS AT THE START OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP. PROGRAMS THAT OFFER HOPE FOR DEALING WITH CHILD ABUSE INCLUDE PARENT GROUPS, HOME SUPPORT PROGRAMS, HOTLINE TELEPHONE SERVICE, CRISIS NURSERIES AND DROPOFF CENTERS, CHILD CARE INSTRUCTION, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. ULTIMATELY, HOWEVER, THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT ABUSE LIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUES FOR ANTICIPATING THE ABUSE AND PREVENTING IT. A RESEARCH TEAM IN DENVER STATES THAT FAMILIES IDENTIFIED AS BEING IN NEED OF EXTRA SERVICES MUST HAVE ACCESS TO INTENSIVE, CONTINUOUS INTERVENTIONS TO PREDICT AND PREVENT ABUSE. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (MJW)