While juvenile crime in general has not substantially increased, juvenile responsibility for homicide has risen dramatically and creative strategies must be developed to deal with this problem. The principal strategy of choice, as illustrated by the Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, has been to place more juveniles in adult court. This has been done by lowering the age of juvenile court jurisdiction, dropping the age for mandatory or discretionary transfer to criminal courts, increasing the range of offenses warranting placement in the adult system, and giving prosecutors more power and discretion to file cases involving juveniles directly in adult criminal courts. Although very few studies have examined the trend toward greater adult treatment of juveniles and associated effects on juveniles, some studies have shown minority youth are transferred in disproportionately higher numbers, particularly in jurisdictions with great judicial discretion. Other studies have demonstrated that in some jurisdictions juveniles waived for trial as adults rarely end up with lengthy sentences in criminal courts and may even experience relatively high acquittal or dismissal rates. Studies have also indicated that juveniles in the adult system recidivate more often than youth retained in the juvenile justice system. At the same time, little attention has been paid to the quality of legal representation for juveniles involved in the transfer process. The report concludes that primary strategies for addressing serious, violent, and chronic juvenile crime should be based on a commitment to effective delinquency prevention programs and the development of treatment programs within the juvenile justice system and that transfer or waiver may be appropriate for certain juveniles who cannot be dealt with effectively in the juvenile justice system. Specific recommendations on processing and treating juvenile offenders and preventing juvenile delinquency are offered. Additional information is appended on juvenile waiver to adult courts by State. 154 references and 6 figures