QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND DISCUSSION REVIEW DEFINITIONS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, BOTH AS BEHAVIOR WHICH VIOLATES JUVENILE STATUS CODES AND BEHAVIOR WHICH VIOLATES CRIMINAL LAW STATUTES. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS EXAMINED AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM AND AS ONE WHICH CAN OCCUR OFFICIALLY (THE DELINQUENT IS ARRESTED) OR UNOFFICIALLY (THE OFFENSE GOES UNDETECTED). FURTHER ANALYSIS FOCUSES ON SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS IDENTIFIED BY THEORISTS INTERESTED IN EXPLAINING THE PHENOMENA OF DELINQUENCY: SEX, RACE, AGE, SOCIOECONOMIC STANDING, AND ECOLOGICAL FACTORS. THEORIES OF DELINQUENCY THAT ARE EXAMINED TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT, DIFFERENTIAL OPPORTUNITY, THE LOWER CLASS CULTURE, AND LABELING. THE HISTORY OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND METHODS OF HANDLING JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN THE U.S. ARE EXPLORED, WITH MENTION OF LANDMARK DECISIONS IN JUVENILE JUSTICE, THE OPERATIONS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN JUVENILE JUSTICE AGENCIES, AND THE DIFFERENT WAYS THE SYSTEM HANDLES JUVENILE STATUS OFFENDERS AND CRIMINAL LAW OFFENDERS. FINALLY, ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO DIVERSION AND JUVENILE JUSTICE, AND SUCH TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES FOR JUVENILES AS TREATMENT IN THE HOME, IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, AND IN JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS. A FLOWCHART ILLUSTRATES HOW THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM OPERATES, AND NOTES AND TEST QUESTIONS ARE SUPPLIED. (MHP)