Previous research has shown that child-abusing parents cannot be characterized by race, social class, religion, education, or occupation. However, they have several psychological elements in common. They tend to be immature, dependent, socially isolated, impulse ridden, rigid, and self-centered. In addition, they often feel rejected and angry. Abused children often share such behavioral characteristics as being either fearful or fearless of adult authority and either aggressive and destructive or passive and withdrawn. Furthermore, they are often hungry for affection, have school problems, and develop into hostile and violent adults. The paper theorizes that insofar as relationships exist between child abuse and delinquency, they are best explained in terms of the impact of abuse on the child's normal development. The paper demonstrates how the occurrence of abuse during each of the five stages of childhood development (infancy, toddlerhood, early school age, middle school age, and adolescence) can result ultimately in delinquent behavior. Selected research findings are used to illustrate the heuristic value of the proposed theoretical perspective. Research questions which would examine pertinent relationships are presented. A total of 22 references are supplied. (Author abstract modified)