BOYS ADJUDICATED FOR DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR WERE ADMINISTERED A QUESTIONNAIRE WITH A SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL MEASURE OF SELF-CONCEPT SEVERAL TIMES DURING THEIR STAY. A CONTROL GROUP WAS GIVEN THIS QUESTIONNAIRE ONCE. AS A GROUP, THE BOYS AT ADMISSION HAD MUCH MORE NEGATIVE FEELINGS ABOUT THEMSELVES THAN DID THE BOYS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, WHEN THE MEAN OF THE PRETEST GROUP WAS COMPARED WITH THE MEAN OF THE POSTTEST GROUP (WHICH WAS MORE POSITIVE IN SELF-CONCEPT THAN THE CONTROL GROUP), THE DELINQUENT BOYS WERE FOUND TO HAVE A MUCH MORE POSITIVE SELF-CONCEPT AT THE COMPLETION OF THEIR STAY. THIS SHIFT IN SELF-EVALUATION WAS SAID TO BE CONCOMITANT WITH A SHIFT IN HOW THE BOYS PERCEIVED THAT SIGNIFICANT OTHERS (MOTHER, FRIENDS, AND TEACHERS) EVALUATED THEM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)