The purpose of the international symposium on Violence Toward Children was to lay foundations, identify priorities and put forward guidelines for further research and action designed to reduce the level and frequency of violent acts perpetrated on children. This document presents an edited account of the major questions addressed. The main thesis of the introductory report is that all violent behavior toward children lies on one continuum. After the introductory study, six general topics are considered: violence within the family, violent aspects of the child development process, sexual abuse, child-to-child violence, and legislation on violence toward children. Individual reports within the general categories discuss (1) an escalation model of violence in childrearing, (2) the relationship of physical punishment to child abuse, (3) programs in the Netherlands for the remediation of child abuse and maltreatment of children, (4) flagrant and subtle kinds of violence facing British children as they develop, (5) sexual abuse, (6) findings of studies of bullying among school boys in Sweden, (7) attitudes toward acts of political violence against children, and (8) the motivation for and the content of the Swedish legislation prohibiting the use of physical and other degrading punishment by parents and guardians on children. Discussion related to the symposium presentations is included. (Author/RH)