The public duties of families and children, the role of the juvenile court, and political factors influencing juvenile justice are discussed. Justifications for court jurisdiction in status offenses and in regulating the standards of care and discipline of children are considered. Past and future trends in delinquency and child abuse are reviewed. Also considered are policy issues in handling status offenders, violent and chronic juvenile delinquents, and dangerous juvenile offenders. Alternatives to juvenile courts are considered, including police diversion practices. Court organizational structure is discussed with reference to fragmentation in the handling of various juvenile and family matters, and the roles of participants in various juvenile and family proceedings are delineated. A community diversion program also is described. Standards for classifying and/or evaluating juvenile dispositions, detention, and correctional programs are proposed. Finally, the importance of dispositional alternatives to the success of juvenile corrections is discussed. Chapter notes, figures, tables, and references and subject and name indexes.