The family environment variables are dimensions of the Family Environment Scale (Moos, 1974). The subjects reported a fairly good reliability on the scale (Cronbach's alpha = .753). The data collection for the present study represents 198 youths: 68 official chronic delinquents and 130 official nondelinquents. A discriminant analysis was used to determine which of the demographic and family environment variables had the most predictive power in discriminating between the groups. The general analysis indicated that ten of the variables explained 49 percent of the variance between the chronic delinquent and nondelinquent groups. Personal growth was found to have the most discriminating power, followed by number of siblings, race, sex, and system maintenance. (Author abstract)