Twenty-five years ago, writers first drew the nation's attention to the "new morbidities"--problems that were biosocial or developmental in nature and were induced or complicated by social or environmental factors. The American Academy of Pediatrics responded by urging primary care providers to spend more time counseling parents on behavioral issues. Recent violent episodes in schools have renewed concern and prompted child health advocates to ask how well primary care providers are doing in attending to problematic childhood behavior. A review of the literature was conducted to examine the role the primary care provider plays in attending to childhood behavior.