In addition to other factors, the precursors to delinquent behavior lie in a violent and abused childhood past. A study carried out at Yale, comparing extremely violent and less violent incarcerated juvenile delinquents, found that 98 percent of the more violent group suffered from minor neurological impairments. Significantly higher proportions demonstrated paranoid and depressive symptoms and had histories of being physically abused and exposed to violence. Seventy-eight percent of the more violent children were known to have witnessed extreme violence directed against others, mostly in their own homes. It was concluded that this violent group interprets every personal encounter as a 'threat in which they had to protect themselves.' This psychic trauma is a negative event of such magnitude that even a capable person would have difficulty coping. The accumulation of repeated psychic traumatization during the formative years makes one highly vulnerable to the two main post-traumatic psychodynamic manifestations, overreaction and repetition-compulsion. Three case reports are presented to illustrate the psychodynamics involved. A model is presented as a possible means of breaking the vicious circle of psychic traumata-post-traumatic dynamics-imprisonment-retraumatization-renewed delinquent behavior. The model includes psychiatric treatment, reports by therapist and probation officer to be considered in court decisions, and use of psychiatric hospitalization where there is a temporary element of dangerousness. For a short-term therapeutic approach to recidivist delinquent behavior a trauma-oriented method of psychotherapy developed by the author is suggested. 6 references. (Author abstract modified)