The article concentrates on the problem of child abuse in the family, which is most usually manifested by physical and psychic violence. Despite the fact that when abusing the child parents usually do not intend to harm them but rather want to make them act in the desired manner, causing pain or distress and exerting physical or psychic violence may have many negative consequences on the child, both direct and distant in time. Based on the conducted empirical research, the article presents the scale of the problem and its consequences, as well as the parents’ opinions included in the study on violence during child growth and its effects on parents’ behaviour in situations related to child upbringing. It also demonstrates the relationship between child abuse and the manifestation of negative behaviours, directly resulting from violence. From among many forms of negative behaviours which may be related to physical or psychic violence, the study concentrated, among others, on aggression, using dependence agents (alcohol, narcotics, cigarettes, steroids and drugs) and escapes from home. The conducted statistical analyses indicate a very close relationship between the two.

The paper presents a review of the most representative and frequently quoted in literature studies which were focused on the relationship between child abuse and disability. Although these studies have been undertaken intensively only since 1990, researchers are sure that the connection between these two phenomena is clear and indeed it is sofisticated. The author of the paper proposes a picture – a kind of systematization of the main directions of research into the subject. The research tendencies that were revealed in the overview done by the author on the basis of the content of the most representative in periodical child abuse literature Child “Abuse and Neglect. The International Journal”, are illustrated with examples of studies and theirs outcomes. This proposition of the systematization may be useful for researchers by inspiring them to undertake their own investigations. In turn, developing empirical and theoretical analyses of the problems concerning child maltreatment, in the context of children’s or parents’ disability, may prove beneficial for intervention practice. The paper is particularly addressed to researchers from countries where the subject has not been studied so far, has been neglected or the field of connections between disability and abuse has not been considered as an important one (eg.to Polish researchers).