Various personal observations and experiences of a former director of the Office of Child Development and chief of the Children's Bureau are recounted in an informal discussion of punishment and child abuse. Several brief arguments focusing on the negative effects of punishment are offered, and contributions of the Children's Bureau to action supporting abused and neglected children are described. It is pointed out that efforts made by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect are being translated into practical staff-training sequences for persons working in Head Start and day care centers under the aegis of the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF). Particularly, a self-instructional text about abuse and neglect, intended for Head Start personnel, has been published. In addition, ACYF's efforts in parent education are being updated and refined to reflect the current state of the art and science about the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Concluding remarks point out that even though the United States Supreme Court ruled that corporal punishment may be used in American schools under certain well-controlled conditions, presently an enlightened break from the historical tradition of corporal punishment in the schools is occurring. (RH)