THE CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ACT OF 1974 ESTABLISHED THE NATIONAL CENTER ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AND PROVIDED FUNDS FOR IMPROVING AND STRENGTHENING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND TREAT CHILD ABUSE. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTER ARE DIRECTED TOWARD TWO GOALS: TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ABOUT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, AND TO APPLY THAT KNOWLEDGE TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND PREVENTION AND TREATMENT EFFORTS. ITS EFFORTS ARE BASED ON THE PHILOSOPHY THAT CHILD ABUSE IS A SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM WITH ITS ROOTS IN SOCIAL ORGANIZATION. THE CENTER HAS FUNDED VARIOUS RESEARCH PROJECTS TO STUDY SUCH TOPICS AS THE RELATIONSHIP OF DRUG AND ALCHOHOL USE TO CHILD ABUSE, TREATMENT TECHNIQUES, LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE ON BOTH THE CHILD AND THE PARENTS, AND THE EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS. IT HAS ALSO SPONSORED A STUDY OF THE NATIONAL INCIDENCE OF THE PROBLEM; DEMONSTRATION TREATMENT PROJECTS; INNOVATIVE PROJECTS TO TEST PROTECTIVE STRATEGIES AIMED AT INDIAN, MILITARY, AND MIGRANT FAMILIES-AT-RISK; AND TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT SERVICE DELIVERY PROGRAMS. GRANTS HAVE ALSO BEEN GIVEN TO STATES TO DEVELOP CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. EFFORTS AT CORRECTION OF THE PROBLEM HAVE ENCOUNTERED MANY PROBLEMS RELATED TO CONFLICTING VIEWPOINTS ABOUT THE CAUSES OF CHILD ABUSE. THE QUESTIONS MUST BE CONSIDERED OF WHETHER A SEARCH FOR CAUSALITY CAN BE FRUITFUL IN THIS AREA AND WHETHER SUCH KNOWLEDGE CAN BE APPLIED WITHOUT BROAD-BASED PUBLIC SUPPORT. THE INADEQUACY OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES IN THE FACE OF SUCH A LARGE AND GROWING PROBLEM AND THE PROBLEM OF HOW TO COORDINATE EFFECTIVELY THE BROAD RANGE OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES AVAILABLE ARE CRITICAL ISSUES. ONE OF THE GREATEST PROBLEMS IS THAT OF DEFINITION. THE DILEMMA OVER GENERAL AND SOMEWHAT VAGUE DEFINITIONS VERSUS SPECIFIC AND THEREFORE POTENTIALLY OVERNARROW DEFINITIONS IS A MAJOR ONE. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DRAW A LINE BETWEEN CHILD-REARING PRACTICES WITH WHICH MOST PEOPLE DISAGREE AND THOSE WHICH ARE SO HARMFUL AS TO JUSTIFY SOCIAL INTERVENTION. ANOTHER PROBLEM OF DEFINITION CONCERNS THE QUESTION OF INTENT TO DO HARM VERSUS ACTUAL HARM INFLICTED. CULTURAL ISSUES MUST ALSO BE CONSIDERED. CHILD PROTECTIVE PROFESSIONALS SHOULD NOT ALLOW POVERTY OR CULTURAL DIFFERENCES TO IMPROPERLY AFFECT THEIR DECISIONS. THE AUTHOR URGES HONEST DIAGNOSIS OF THE WEAKNESSES THROUGHOUT THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO RATIONALLY FOCUS WHATEVER LIMITED RESOURCES EXIST. (VDA)