A sample of 2,453 children was studied through record sources and teacher interviews provided information about low-peer-status children that was assessed in relation to subsequent delinquency for both sexes and young adult criminality for males. A multivariate design evaluated the joint effects of social class, a measure of family disturbance, and childhood problem behavior factors as antecedents of delinquency. Social class and family disturbance were associated with aggression but did not have significant direct effects on delinquency. Dispositional status, reflecting severity, was the best indicator of which delinquent males would have adult criminal records. A causal model is presented. 6 tables and 21 references. (Author abstract modified)