For the past 2 decades, the trend in juvenile justice has been toward more punitive policies and laws, based on the implicit belief that children are aware of and wholly responsible for their behaviors and therefore deserve the punitive responses they receive. However, the actions of people and institutions who surround children have vital roles in their development. Therefore, families appear to be a crucial, potentially productive point of intervention at which to reduce the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. Although family interventions will not eliminate juvenile delinquency, recent advances in knowledge and findings about successful programs suggest several strategies with the potential for reducing juvenile delinquency. Four of these strategies represent early interventions in children¦s lives with the potential for lifelong educational, social, and behavioral effects; the first deals directly with delinquents and their families. These programs entail an ecological view of children and family life. They recognize that families are the first and among the most important institutions affecting children's development, but the interaction between parents and children takes place in a broader social and cultural environment that includes schools, workplaces, community organizations, child care facilities, and health care systems. 122 references