ABSTRACT
Societal support for physical punishment both by parents and by educators made it easy to overlook excesses of "discipline". The role of the school in prevention of child maltreatment, in contrast to its role in identification, has been ambiguous. There are mixed reactions in most communities to the idea that provision of education for parenthood is part of the school's responsibility for turning children into competent adults. The mandate for school responsibility for education of handicapped children was made quite clear and specific in Public Law 94-142, although, to be sure, controversy flourishes as to the specific requirements. Educators and others who work directly with children have an excellent opportunity and a grave responsibility to identify and properly report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. The educators' concern for the maltreatment of handicapped children can be regarded both as a "mainstreaming" issue and a special issue.
