The manual was written by the National Council of Jewish Women to provide guidelines for volunteer legislative action and community service for individuals in the area of child abuse and neglect. After an overview which details some of the causes of child abuse, information on child abuse and neglect legislation in each state is presented. Guidelines for organizing a study group are reviewed, and an outline for a four session program is reported. The basics of launching a public information campaign including ideas for planning a general information meeting and professional awareness meetings (for health care professionals, law enforcement officials, educators, and social work professionals) are discussed. Two surveys are provided which (1) explore the extent and nature of hospital, law enforcement, prosecutor, and state agency involvement in child abuse and neglect cases and (2) identify the services available for abused and neglected children and their families in a given community. Also explained are the nature and value of a crisis hotline, family support programs such as Parents Anonymous, and monitoring and advocacy groups. Appended are a selected bibliography on child abuse and neglect, an annotated list of films on child abuse, a glossary of terms, and addresses of groups to write to for additional information on the subject. (PHR)