The hypothesis that abused children develop a life style of overt expression of aggression and depression was examined in a study of 56 physically abused first grade children who were placed in foster care due to parental physical abuse. As no test instrument existed, the Childhood Social Functioning Inventory was developed, pretested, and used to perform a multiple stepwise regression analysis of the association among overt aggressive behaviors, learned aggressive patterns of coping, depressive process, and social situation. Other factors considered included the child's behavior, verbal expression, stability of foster home placement, and academic performance. Among characteristics of the Ss were that 55% of the Ss were repeating first grade, all had fractures within the previous 4 years, and 53% were described as coming from middle class homes. Among findings was that the Ss coped with stress in school situations as their parents had coped with stress with them. This self defeating behavior served to further support Ss' already low self image. The Ss responded to parental figures (teachers and foster mothers) with a pattern of simultaneous aggression and depression because of earlier experiences of rejection, thus setting in motion a new pattern for rejection by parental love objects. (PHR)