Data were obtained from a representative self-report study that involved a random sample of 1,586 13- to 17-year-olds who resided in Bielefeld and Munster, two towns of comparable social structure. Standardized interviews were conducted in both cities from autumn 1986 to spring 1987. The study found that the risk of detection by the police and subsequent formal processing in the juvenile justice system was related to the frequency and types of offenses committed as well as environmental and personal characteristics of the juvenile. Juveniles with poor educational achievement and those of lower socioeconomic status were more likely to have police contact and be processed by the juvenile justice system. The study found that the vast majority of offenses were detected by informal social control agents (parents and teachers/supervisors) and were informally processed by these agents. The study concludes that even serious juvenile offenders could be diverted to informal social controls without significantly threatening public safety, given the low percentage of serious offenders processed formally. 7 tables and 35 references