THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INTERAGENCY DIFFERENCES IN REGARD TO PROGRAMMATIC AREAS, IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENDES IN BELIEFS ABOUT DELINQUENCY CAUSATION AMONG VARIOUS AGENCY PERSONNEL IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM OF ONE ENTIRE STATE. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT, IN GENERAL, PRACTITIONERS IN THE FIELD REGARD DELINQUENCY AS DEVELOPING FROM A MULTIPLICITY OF CAUSES. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG AGENCIES, IN TERMS OF FREQUENCY OF MENTIONING, WERE FOUND FOR FIVE OF SEVENTEEN CAUSES OF DELINQNUENCY. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG TYPES OF AGENCIES OCCURRED ON THE FOLLOWING CAUSES: LACK OF PARENTAL SUPERVISION; MISCELLANEOUS HOME AND FAMILY INFLUENCES; SCHOOL-RELATED FACTORS; EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL FACTORS; AND POVERTY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT DIFFERENCES AMONG AGENCIES IN THEIR BELIEFS CONCERNING THE CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY MAY WELL BE AN IMPORTANT BUT OFTEN OVERLOOKED ASPECT OF THE JEVENILE JUSTICE PLANNING PROCESS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)