The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following facts about child abuse and makes recommendations about how to prevent abuse:

• Most child abuse occurs within the family, often by parents or relatives who themselves were abused as children.

• Neglect and mistreatment of children is more common in families living in poverty and among parents who are teenagers or are drug or alcohol abusers.

• While there has been a recent increase in child abuse outside the home, it is still true that children are most often abused by a caretaker or someone they know, not a stranger.

• Parental feelings of isolation, stress and frustration are the major reasons for mistreatment of children within the family.

• Parents need support and as much information as possible in order to rear their children responsibly. They need to be taught how to cope with their own feelings of frustration and anger without venting them on children.

• They also need the companionship of other adults who will listen and help during times of crisis. Support groups through local community organizations are often helpful first steps to diminish some of the isolation or frustration they may feel.

• Personal involvement in your child's activities and supervision is the best way to prevent physical and sexual abuse outside the home.

• Any school or day-care program you select for a child should allow unrestricted and unannounced parental visits without prearrangement.

• Parents should be allowed to help in the classroom on a volunteer basis and be informed about selection or changes of staff members.

• Parents should pay careful attention to their child's reports about — and reactions to — his experiences at school. Always investigate if your child tells you he's been mistreated or if he experiences a sudden unexplained change in behavior.

Source: Excerpted from "Caring for Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5," Bantam Books, American Academy of Pediatrics.