These issues include assessments of racial and ethnic disparity in processing and sanction; cross-cultural examination of rates of offending among whites, black Americans, Hispanics, Asian- Americans, and Native Americans; and multicultural system response and treatment alternatives that would allow the juvenile justice system to better meet the needs of minority youth. The conflict/labeling perspective explains how the criminal justice system would view the behaviors of persons in marginally less powerful positions in society (i.e., racial and ethnic minorities) as deviant, and how these persons are subsequently more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system. 2 tables and 90 references