Since January 2020, Elsevier has created a free COVID-19 resource center with information in English and Mandarin. The center is hosted on Elsevier Connect, and the company grants permission for free access to its research in PubMed Central and other repositories. The article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parental stress and child abuse potential. It examines how stressors related to the pandemic, such as financial strain, social isolation, and changes in family dynamics, affect parents' mental health and their children's well-being. The study involved 183 parents of children under 18 in the western United States. Results show that higher levels of stress and anxiety are associated with increased parental stress and child abuse potential. Conversely, higher levels of parental support and perceived control are linked to lower stress and abuse potential. The study also highlights racial and ethnic differences in stressors but not in mental health or protective factors. The findings suggest that providing parental support and increasing perceived control may be effective interventions to reduce stress and abuse potential during the pandemic. The study also notes that the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly for minority groups. Protective factors such as perceived control and parental support were found to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on stress and abuse potential. The study underscores the importance of addressing both individual and systemic factors to reduce the impact of the pandemic on families.Since January 2020, Elsevier has created a free COVID-19 resource center with information in English and Mandarin. The center is hosted on Elsevier Connect, and the company grants permission for free access to its research in PubMed Central and other repositories. The article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parental stress and child abuse potential. It examines how stressors related to the pandemic, such as financial strain, social isolation, and changes in family dynamics, affect parents' mental health and their children's well-being. The study involved 183 parents of children under 18 in the western United States. Results show that higher levels of stress and anxiety are associated with increased parental stress and child abuse potential. Conversely, higher levels of parental support and perceived control are linked to lower stress and abuse potential. The study also highlights racial and ethnic differences in stressors but not in mental health or protective factors. The findings suggest that providing parental support and increasing perceived control may be effective interventions to reduce stress and abuse potential during the pandemic. The study also notes that the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly for minority groups. Protective factors such as perceived control and parental support were found to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on stress and abuse potential. The study underscores the importance of addressing both individual and systemic factors to reduce the impact of the pandemic on families.