While the traditional social structure has been centered around the institutions of family, community, and cultural bonds, the country is currently passing through a socio-economic transition that is changing all those relationships. However, the family remains the most effective instrument of care, control, and stability for children; government housing, education, and industrial policies are geared toward protecting the integrity of the family unit. As juvenile delinquency increases, the authority for the management of socially deviant children is becoming more centralized and more dependent upon strict law enforcement measures. India's constitution and supporting legislation have resulted in the development of a system for the prevention and control of delinquency within an overall framework of social welfare. The Juvenile Justice Act lays out a comprehensive scheme for the care, protection, treatment, and rehabilitation of neglected and delinquent juveniles and for the adjudication of certain matters relating to delinquents. This progressive legislation has restructured the juvenile correctional system, relying on the family and community to deal with errant youths within the mainstream of social life. 1 table