IN A TRAINING SCHOOL IN THE MIDDLE WEST OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONCEPT OF THE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY WAS INTRODUCED IN THE TREATMENT OF JUVENILES. DURING THE ADJUSTMENT PHASE, A NUMBER OF ANTITHERAPEUTIC MODES OF GROUP BEHAVIOR WERE OBSERVED IN ONE OF THE COTTAGES. WHILE SOME OF THESE BEHAVIORAL MODES CAN BE FOUND IN ANY PSYCHIATRIC UNIT, OTHERS SEEM TO BE TYPICAL OF THE WORK WITH JUVENILES AND WITH DELINQUENT JUVENILES IN PARTICULAR. THE ANTITHERAPEUTIC BEHAVIORS FOUND BY THE AUTHOR WERE: ABSENCE OF THERAPEUTIC NORMS; THE ASSIGNMENT OF IRRESPONSIBILITY; ANTITHERAPEUTIC LEADERSHIP; THE PATHOGENIC MILIEU; SECRETIVENESS; THE GENERATION PROBLEM; AND SOCIAL UNJUSTICE. FOR EACH OF THESE TYPES OF BEHAVIOR, THE AUTHOR FIRST PROVIDES A GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE BEHAVIOR AND THEN PRESENTS CASE EXAMPLES OF THAT BEHAVIOR FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF THE TOPEKA YOUTH CENTER. THE AUTHOR STATES THAT ALTHOUGH THE OBSERVATIONS FOR THIS PAPER WERE MADE DURING THE PHASE OF ADJUSTMENT TO A NEW FORM OF TREATMENT, THEY CAN PROBABLY BE LOOKED AT AS TYPICAL OF THE SITUATION IN TRAINING INSTITUTIONS AT LARGE. THE MOST DIFFICULT SOURCE OF RESISTANCE TO THE THERAPEUTIC TASK WAS FOUND TO BE SOCIAL TENSIONS WITHIN THE INSTITUTION IN GENERAL AND THE SITUATION OF THE LOWER ECHELONS OF STAFF IN THE INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM IN PARTICULAR. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...DMC