Evidence exists that four factors are causally related to abuse and neglect: aberrant childhood nurture of the parent, early problems in the establishment of the bonding relationship between the parent and child, generally aggressive tendencies in the parents' relationships during their past history, and high levels of stress. However, it is not known why some individuals abuse their children and others do not. The complexity of abuse and neglect probably means that no one successful intervention method exists. In designing prevention strategies for particular communities, the most likely causes of child maltreatment in the specific community should be considered. Few evaluation studies exist. Nevertheless, it appears that programs providing early and extended contact between mother and baby after birth, broader types of perinatal support and parent education, and behavior modification programs can all help prevent child maltreatment. However, the available evidence on the provision of psychotherapy is not so hopeful. The available data provide a starting point for dealing with the problem. Notes and 39 references are supplied.