The analysis focused on the nature and prevalence of juvenile delinquency; juvenile crime trends; juvenile delinquency factors; race, gender, and class bias in the juvenile justice system; and the impacts of deterrence, punishment, and prevention strategies. It also considered current practices of the juvenile justice system, including the implementation of constitutional safeguards; adjudication, detention, and waiver practices; the role of community and institutional settings; the probability that delinquency or criminal activities decrease with age; and other issues. The panel concluded that most juveniles break laws through actions such as shoplifting or minor vandalism, but only a small proportion commits serious crimes. A surge in serious juvenile crime rates began in the late 1980’s through the early 1990’s; the juvenile arrest rate began rapidly decreasing in 1994 and by 1999 was back to the rate of the late 1980’s. Approaches that appear successful in reducing juvenile delinquency include multiple components for parents, juveniles, and the setting (school or community) and target multiple behaviors. These programs appeared to be more beneficial than narrowly focused programs. In addition, differences in behavior cannot explain all the minority overrepresentation at all stages of juvenile processing. The panel recommended a reduction in the use of secure detention and secure confinement through the development of community-based alternatives, the evaluation of all publicly funded intervention programs, and discontinuation of funding for programs with limited effectiveness. Additional recommendations included the development of treatments that did not group aggressive or antisocial youth together, additional drug treatment programs, further research, and improved data collection. Figures, tables, footnotes, index, appended methodological information and workshop agendas, and approximately 800 references