STATISTICS INDICATE THAT 2 OR 3 BOYS IN 100 AND 2 OR 3 GIRLS IN 1,000 APPEAR EACH YEAR BEFORE A CHILDREN'S JUDGE. IN 1976, 3,477 CHILDREN WERE BROUGHT TO TRIAL, THE SAME NUMBER AS THE PRECEDING YEAR OR TWENTY YEARS AGO. BUT THOSE IN THE EDUCATION FIELD FEEL THAT THERE IS MORE DELINQUENCY AMONG CHILDREN THAN EVER BEFORE. SHOPLIFTING IN DEPARTMENT STORES, STEALING FROM OLD LADIES, AND DESTROYING CANDY MACHINES WERE PROBLEMS UNKNOWN UP TO FIVE YEARS AGO. THE CHILDREN ARE MORE AWARE OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD AND BECOME INDEPENDENT AT AN EARLIER AGE. THE LAW CONSIDERS MINORS UNDER 13 NOT YET LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS SO THAT THEY CANNOT BE JAILED. AT WORST, THEY COULD BE PLACED IN A 'HOME', GIVEN CONDITIONAL FREEDOM, OR ELSE WARNED BY THE JUDGE. AFTER COMMITING A CRIME DELINQUENTS ARE BROUGHT TO THE POLICE STATION BUT NOT NECESSARILY PROSECUTED, AS HALF OF THE CASES SHOW. MOST ARE JUST SENT BACK TO THEIR PARENTS. OFTEN EDUCATIONAL FAILURES ARE AT THE ROOTS OF THIS DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, BUT CERTAIN CHILDREN ARE AGGRESSIVE AND EVEN CRUEL. JUVENILE POLICE DIVISION AND TEACHERS ARE OFFICIALLY IN CHARGE OF PREVENTING THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR, BUT OFTEN PARENTS SETTLE MINOR DISPUTES AMONG THEMSELVES SO THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL NEVER BE LABELED 'DELINQUENTS.' --IN FRENCH. (INL)