The circumstances which give rise to or "trigger" an abuse incident have been given relatively little systematic attention. In analyzing the case records of all families (N=328) charged with child abuse over a ten-year period in a two-county area of Pennsylvania, all instances of family conflict were identified and the circumstances surrounding…

A study was made of the repetition of child abuse. (This repetition is sometimes referred to as recurrence or recidivism). The central feature of the research strategy was a followup on a group of families cited for abuse, conducted to determine the degree to which abuse had recurred or had been discontinued and to assess the conditions associated…