THE STUDY IS BASED ON COMPARISONS BETWEEN GROUPS OF JUVENILES WHO HAVE ACQUIRED THE PUBLIC LABEL 'DELINQUENT' (I.E., PLACED ON PROBATION) AND OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD NO SUCH EXPERIENCE. SEVERAL COMPARISONS OF THE PERFORMANCES OF THESE TWO GROUPS WERE MADE TO TEST THE THEORY THAT SUCH LABELLING GENERATES SPECIAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL DIFFICULTIES FOR THE STIGMATIZED PERSONS. FINDINGS WERE NOT ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THEORETICAL CLAIMS, AND THE AUTHORS, CONSEQUENTLY, SUGGEST FURTHER RESEARCH. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...KAP