The samples were assessed with the Coping Scale for Children and Youth, the Temperament and Character Inventory, and the EMBU questionnaire on parental rearing. The data show the prevalence of avoidant coping styles in delinquents. There were also significant differences between delinquents and nondelinquents in both personality traits and parental rearing. Delinquents scored higher on "Novelty Seeking" and "Harm Avoidance," whereas the levels of "Reward Dependence" and "Persistence" were almost the same. Regarding character traits, delinquent adolescents scored lower in "Self-Directedness" and "Cooperativeness" and higher in "Self-Transcendence," compared with noncriminal adolescents. Delinquents also scored higher on most aspects of negative parental rearing practices (with the exception of "Paternal Emotional Warmth"). A comparison of coping styles in delinquents who committed violent compared to nonviolent crimes showed no significant differences. Findings are discussed in the context of the interactive nature of relations between personality and parental rearing in the development of coping styles. 5 tables and 37 references