THE SOCIALIST COUNTRIES COMPARED INCLUDE HUNGARY, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, POLAND, AND THE U.S.S.R.; THE WESTERN COUNTRIES INCLUDE AUSTRIA, THE NETHERLANDS, SWEDEN, THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE GERMAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC, JAPAN, AND THE UNITED STATES. THERE IS AN INDICATION THAT THE GROWTH OF DELINQUENCY IS NOT OF NECESSITY A CONCOMITANT PHENOMENON OF DEVELOPMENT. WHILE FOR THE WESTERN COUNTRIES THE HIGH RATES OF DELINQUENCY AND THE RAPIDLY GROWING TREND OF DELINQUENCY ARE CHARACTERISTIC, IN THE SOCIALIST COUNTRIES EVEN THE RELATIVELY LOWER RATES OF DELINQUENCY AS A WHOLE TEND TO DECREASE. THE DIVERGENT TENDENCIES IN THE FORM OF DELINQUENCY INDICATE THAT IT IS THE CHARACTER OF DEVELOPMENT AND OF CHANGE THAT MATTERS RATHER THAN THE RATE OF DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, I.E., THE SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN WHICH PROGRESS TAKES PLACE AND WHETHER ADHERENCE TO A PLAN OR SPONTANEITY IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE TREND OF PROGRESS. THE AUTHOR SURVEYS POTENTIALLY CRIMINOGENIC PHENOMENA OF TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING URBANIZATION, INDUSTRIALIZATION, POPULATION INCREASE, DOMESTIC MIGRATION, AND SOCIAL INSECURITY. HE SUGGESTS THAT, IN SOCIALIST COUNTRIES, NO DIRECT CONNECTION MAY BE OBSERVED BETWEEN THE GROWTH OF DELINQUENCY ON ONE HAND AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH IT ON THE OTHER. THE AUTHOR FURTHER CONCLUDES THAT IT IS THE CHARACTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND OF THE CHANGES ACCOMPANYING IT, I.E., THE QUALITY OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEM, WHICH IS OF SIGNIFICANCE. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT NECESSARILY ENTAIL THE GROWTH OF DELINQUENCY, PROVIDED THAT THE OBJECTIVE CONDITIONS BROUGHT ABOUT BY DEVELOPMENT ARE ACCOMPANIED BY APPROPRIATE MEASURES OF SOCIAL POLICY AND WITHIN THESE MEASURES BY ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, HEALTH, AND EDUCATIONAL LEGISLATION WHICH WILL NEUTRALIZE THE OTHERWISE CRIMINOGENIC EFFECTS OF DEVELOPMENT. MEASURES COMING WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THESE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN THE ELIMINATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT, THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE STANDARD OF LIFE, THE EXTENSION OF SOCIAL INSURANCE, HOUSING POLICY, YOUTH PROGRAMS, AND MATERNITY, INFANT, AND JUVENILE AID, AMONG OTHERS. -- IN ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN.