The opening paper presents an overview of the incidence of family violence, factors that correlate with it, and clinical intervention and social policy to address it. Another paper focuses on the political and economic context of child abuse. An analysis of forms of child abuse distinguishes between the nature and treatment of sexual abuse and physical abuse. A paper on child sexual abuse reviews the nature and extent of research knowledge and its practical implications for dealing with various forms of sexual abuse. A series of papers focusing on the identification of child abuse discusses the assessment of incest, children's somatic manifestations of family dysfunction and violence, and the pediatric assessment and differential diagnosis of child abuse. Papers on child abuse reporting address psychiatric issues and the physician's role in reporting as well as the unintended consequences of child abuse reporting. Other research papers report on the relationship between child obesity and abuse, the relationship between child abuse and parricide, and cultural and ethnic influences affecting black families. Separate papers are devoted to the police response to family violence, causes of abuse of the elderly, and family support systems in the Puerto Rican community. Also discussed are legal and ethical issues in family violence. Chapter bibliographies and a subject index are provided. For individual papers, see NCJ 98987-89.