THE SAMPLE IN THIS STUDY CONSISTED OF 149 JUVENILES REFERRED O UPSTATE COUNTY, NEW YORK, FAMILY COURT BY MEANS OF COMPLAINTS OR PETITIONS FROM APRIL 1 TO OCTOBER 15, 1975. THE GOAL OF THE RESEARCH WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG FOUR SETS OF FACTORS: (1) CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPLAINANTS (2) TYPE OF REFERRAL; (3) CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JUVENILE AT ISSUE, INCLUDING THE BEHAVIOR OR STATUS WHICH LED TO THE REFERRAL; AND (4) DISPOSITION OF THE CASE. ONLY THE JUVENILE OFFENDER POPULATION WAS CONSIDERED, I.E., THOSE JUVENILES WHO HAVE COMMITTED ACTS WHICH, IF PERFORMED BY ADULTS, WOULD CONSTITUTE CRIMINAL OFFENSES, AS OPPOSED TO JUVENILE STATUS OFFENDERS. THE FAMILY COURT PROCESS IS DESCRIBED, AND PREVIOUS RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN THE AREA OF FAMILY COURT INTAKE IS SUMMARIZED. DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM INTERVIEWS AND A REVIEW OF THE JUVENILES' RECORDS. SUMMARIES OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD DATA OF THE JUVENILES WITH REGARD TO DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES, FAMILY, EDUCATION, AND PAST AND PRESENT DELINQUENCY, AS WELL AS INTERVIEW DATA FAMILY, SCHOOL, FRIENDS SELF-DESCRIPTION AND FUTURE ORIENTATION) ARE REPORTED. THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG RECORD AND INTERVIEW DATA ARE EXAMINED. IT WAS FOUND THAT FAMILY AND SCHOOL VARIABLES WERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DETERMINANTS OF HANDLING AND PLACEMENT AT INTAKE OR COURT. YOUNGSTERS ARE HANDLED ACCORDING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE SUPPORT SYSTEMS RATHER THAN ACCORDING TO PRESENT OR PAST OFFENSE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. THE RECORD DATA FORM AND THE INTERVIEW DATA COLLECTION FORM ARE REPRODUCED IN APPENDIXES, AND EXCERPTS FROM INTERVIEWS WITH JUVENILE OFFENDERS ARE GIVEN. (VDA)