There is no easy answer to this question, because many factors are involved. However, child abuse is most likely to occur when parents are struggling with:

• Stress…Pressures from money problems, everyday frustrations, illness or heavy responsibilities.
• A painful childhood…Adults who were mistreated as children may, without meaning to, continue the pattern of abuse with their own children.
• Alcohol or other drugs…can blind a parent to a child’s needs or may reduce inhibitions and tolerance levels so that parents may be more likely to lash out.
• Isolation…Without friends or relatives nearby, parents can feel overwhelmed by the demands of raising a child.
• Inexperience with children or unrealistic expectations…If parents don’t know what to expect from children, they may expect too much. Besides lacking the parenting skills necessary to raise a child, the parents may have no models of successful family relationships from which to learn.
• Immaturity…Very young, insecure parents often can’t understand their child’s behavior and needs.
• Unmet emotional needs…Parents may expect children to take care of them and to satisfy their need for love, protection and self-esteem.