Comparison of abusive and nonabusive families with conduct-disordered children.

This study set out to define the relative contribution of psychological, sociological, and parent-child interactional variables in 19 abusive and 21 nonabusive families with conduct disordered children. Low family income and mother's report of having been abused as a child were found to be the most potent variables discriminating abusive from nonabusive families. Implications of the study findings are considered.