THE EXAMINATION OF DELINQUENCY CAUSATION CONSTRUCTS OFFENSE TYPES AND A PATH ANALYTICAL APPROACH. THE USE OF TYPOLOGIES AS PROPOSED IN THE STUDY ALLOWS THE DETERMINATION OF THE THEORETICAL FORMULATIONS MOST BENEFICIAL TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DELINQUENCY GENERATING PROCESSES PERTINENT TO VARIOUS TYPES OF BEHAVIOR. THE AUTHOR ASSESSES THE WORTH OF SEVERAL MAJOR THEORIES OF DELINQUENCY, INCLUDING THE MODEL DEVELOPED BY THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND THE SOCIAL CONTROL MODEL DEVELOPED BY HIRSCHI. THESE MODELS ARE EMPIRICALLY TESTED AND A THIRD MODEL IS SYNTHESIZED THAT PROVIDES A MORE COMPLETE EXPLANATION OF VARIOUS KINDS OF DELINQUENCY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)... MSP