A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE FOUND THAT MANY RESEARCHERS HAVE CONCLUDED THAT DELINQUENT GIRLS COME FROM BROKEN HOMES MORE THAN DELINQUENT BOYS. HOWEVER, NONE OF THESE STUDIES TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE DELINQUENT ACTS FOR WHICH MALES AND FEMALES ARE COMMONLY APPREHENDED. THIS STUDY OF 1,103 JUVENILES PROCESSED BY THE FAMILY COURT IN NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE, BETWEEN JULY 1, 1968, AND JANUARY 31, 1969, EXAMINED THE MARITAL STATE OF PARENTS AND RELATED IT TO THE TYPE OF OFFENSE. THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 103 WHITE FEMALES, 97 BLACK FEMALES, 559 WHITE MALES, AND 344 BLACKS MALES. IT WAS FOUND THAT IN THE OVERALL SAMPLE, FEMALES CAME FROM BROKEN HOMES SLIGHTLY MORE OFTEN THAN MALES (58.3 PERCENT VERSUS 45.9 PERCENT). MOST OF THIS DIFFERENCE OCCURRED AMONG YOUTHS CHARGED WITH UNGOVERNABILITY AND RUNNING AWAY. WHEN OFFENSES AGAINST PERSONS ARE EXAMINED, 50 PERCENT OF MALES AND 52 PERCENT OF FEMALES SO CHARGED CAME FROM BROKEN HOMES. FOR PROPERTY OFFENSES THE FIGURES WERE 49.1 PERCENT AND 46.3 PERCENT, RESPECTIVELY. THE MAJORITY OF GIRLS CHARGED WITH STATUS OFFENSES WERE BROUGHT TO THE COURT BY THE FAMILY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THIS REFLECTS A DOUBLE STANDARD OF BEHAVIOR. AMONG BLACK JUVENILES THIS DISPARITY FOR STATUS OFFENSES DID NOT OCCUR. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THIS REPRESENTS A VERY REAL CULTURAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATIONS FOR GIRLS IN BLCAK AND WHITE FAMILIES. IT IS ARGUED THAT THE FACT THAT BLACK FEMALES ACCOUNT FOR 41 PERCENT OF THE UNGOVERNABILITY AND RUNNING AWAY REFERRALS, AS COMPARED TO 24 PERCENT FOR WHITE FEMALES, SUGGESTS THAT FOR BLACKS GIRLS THESE CHARGES ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE SEXUAL IN NATURE. EXTENSIVE TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (GLR)