Toward a treatment-relevant typology of child abuse families

Six types of physical maltreatment of children emerged during a 12-year period of a specialized physical abuse protective services program in Dallas, Texas. Criteria for identification of each type and recommendations for case management and treatment are presented in this paper. The typology is a broad framework; overlapping may occur in some instances. It is used as a means of differentiating between milder and more severe forms of physical child abuse.