Testimony by behavioral specialists who have had professional experience in dealing with offenders in a correctional context is consistent in documenting that a high percentage of offenders, particularly those who are violent and those who commit sexual offenses, suffered physical and/or sexual abuse as children. The nature of the causal connection is hypothesized to include poor impulse control as a result of head injuries, the modeling of aggressive parental behaviors, and the displacement of anger and rage onto others. The importance of identifying child abuse in its early stages is emphasized, with attention to public education on the signs and symptoms of child abuse and reporting procedures. Professionals who work with children, notably teachers, are considered particularly important in the early identification of child abuse situations. Much of the testimony focuses on violent acts committed by child abuse victims against their parent abusers, and the appendix contains statements by delinquent youth regarding feelings and experiences associated with their parents.