[Critical evaluation of the research on the etiology of violence towards children].

This article is a critique of research concerning physical abuse and negligence towards children. Without systematically reviewing the literature on the subject, the author identifies the various determining factors of violence underlined by the three principal models--psychological, sociological and ecological--and profiles their contribution and limitations in building an etiology of violence. The author reveals that little research has been carried out based on an original gathering of data, that methodology lacks a certain rigour and that noticeable differences exist in the definition of variables. In light of this, the author suggests that identifiable risk factors be dealt with by using greater circumspection. The author also argues for the need of a systemic analysis of the determining factors of violence.