Primary delinquency prevention involves programs designed to reduce the incidence of new cases of delinquency. Although the causes of delinquency have been identified, efforts to reduce delinquency significantly by addressing these problems have been largely ineffective. Reasons for this are that efforts to counter delinquency are mostly reactive, delinquency programs often fail to target delinquency factors directly, adequate evaluations of prevention programs are seldom conducted, and failure to address adequately the ultimate causes of delinquency. The two family intervention programs assessed pertain to improvement in parenting skills to reduce child abuse. These strategies generally fail to reduce delinquency significantly because long-term positive effects are difficult to sustain, and the number of high-risk families impacted is relatively small. The other two programs critiqued involved preschool intervention with high-risk children and improved teaching strategies with a sample of seventh graders. Although such programs can be effective in a limited way, they do not impact the larger social and institutional conditions that inevitably undermine attempts to upgrade education. 19 references.