THE RESEARCH IS BASED ON STEPWISE MULTIDISCRIMINANT FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF DATA BASED ON SOCIAL HISTORIES, PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, AND PHYSICAL AND NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF OVER TWO HUNDRED TEST SUBJECTS LIVING IN SLUM AREAS OF PUERTO RICO. WHILE CORRELATION OF INDIVIDUAL VARIABLES TO DELINQUENCY WAS NOT FOUND TO BE STRONG, RETROSPECTIVE ERROR FREE CLASSIFICATION OF ALL SUBJECTS AS DELINQUENT OR NON-DELINQUENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE USE OF 13 VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT DELINQUENCY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS A SUSTAINED COURSE OF ACTION, OR WAY OF LIFE, IN WHICH A YOUNG PERSON SEEKS TO COPE WITH A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT THAT CRITICALLY OVERTAXES HIS RESOURCES. BASED ON THEIR FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED FOR PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND FURTHER RESEARCH.