The exploratory study described the etiology of child abuse and neglect among Mexican American migrants and provided a brief assessment of services rendered to clients. The frequencies of specific traits and behaviors were tallied to trace some generalized social situations and trends. Data were obtained primarily from 140 files, most of which contained detailed logs and extensive narratives on the life experiences of Mexican American migrant families. Another 53 "emergency," preventive-type short cases were included. A total of 193 cases, written from 1975 to 1978, were examined. Data were categorized as demographic variables; definite situations (e.g., home environment, whether the nuclear family had the support of the extended family); and specific behaviors (e.g., severity of child abuse/neglect). The services were categorized as preventive, supplemental, and substitutive. Analysis was based on the adequacy of services actually provided. Findings included that: child abuse and neglect seemed to be more the result of social deprivation than the result of psychological deprivation; among migrants, it was likely that most neglect occurred during the in-stream season and most abuse when the nuclear family traveled alone; and traditional, "stationary" services geared to serve a sedentary population, were not generally useful to transient people. (NQA)