The Physical Abuse of Adolescents

The literature on adolescent abuse suggests that it may differ from child abuse. Issues raised in the literature focus on severity, provoking behavior by the adolescents, and community norms for discipline as crucial issues. There are several models of the dynamics of adolescent abuse in the literature. These issues and theoretical models are examined by reviewing twenty‐five cases of adolescent abuse from a public welfare office in a large midwestern city. Implications of the findings for reporting injuries and planning interventions are discussed.