Institutional abuse of children was 'discovered' in the 1980s, with concept diffusion in the 1990s. I explain why it emerged as a social problem and what factors triggered a response by authorities that 'something must be done' to address it. Some have argued that the 1980s was a time of a 'moral panic' about child sexual abuse, in particular, that fears of abuse were exaggerated and misdirected. Drawing from 19 major cases in Canada and Australia and those in other countries, I find that a moral panic analysis is not apt in understanding responses to institutional abuse. Although concern with sexual and physical abuse of children was important, additional factors motivated government and church officials to respond; and in some cases, child abuse was secondary to other identified wrongs against children. I identify distinctive types of institutional abuse cases, the 'core' and the 'core-plus' cases, which moved into the public arena for different reasons and in different ways. Implications are drawn for comparative research and theoretical developments in the area.