Despite persistent media headlines about extreme cases of child abuse and neglect, the public remains largely uninformed about the developmental status of children affected by this tragic problem. The research brief draws on available data and recent research to summarize what is known about these outcomes in several critical areasphysical and mental health; cognitive and educational attainment; and social and behavioral development. To put this information into a larger context, the brief sketches out the dimensions and severity of the child maltreatment problem and the demographic characteristics of its victims. Finally, the brief considers the need to develop reliable indicators to assess and monitor the outcomes of children reported as abused or neglected. In particular, the brief suggests that incorporating child well-being indicators into the existing databases of local and state social service agencies may be a feasible and practical way to improve the capacity of these agencies to address the needs of vulnerable children. The use of such indicators could also provide benchmarks to inform public officials and community leaders about the conditions and needs of the populations served by social service agencies, and to monitor their outcomes as programs, policies, and practice guidelines change over time. (HTH)