Three measures are delineated in Swiss juvenile penal law: educational help, accommodation in a suitable family, and commitment to an educational home. Penalties include reprimands, fines, performance, imprisonment, postponement of sanction, and refraining of penalty and measure. The penal position of minors must be described more extensively than the penal position of adults, penal liability for juveniles cannot exceed 12 years, and sanctions for first-time juvenile offenders can be suspended. The article looks at juvenile delinquency in relation to the importance of correctional staff, the role of the community in the personality development of juveniles, aggressive tendencies of juveniles, family violence, and drug abuse. The need for effective juvenile delinquency prevention measures is discussed, and statistics on juvenile offenders and penalties are tabulated. 6 references and 13 tables