THREE HIGH-RISK GROUPS OF CHILDREN - I.E., CHILDREN MOST LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM A SERIOUS PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS IN ADULTHOOD -- ARE IDENTIFIED: THE OFFSPRING OF SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL PARENTS, PARTICULARLY SCHIZOPHRENICS, PSYCHOPATHS, AND ALCOHOLICS; CHILDREN WITH LOW IQ (INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT) OR WHO FOR OTHER REASONS, FAIL EARLY IN SCHOOL; AND ANTISOCIAL CHILDREN. EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH-RISK GROUPS IS CITED. IT IS NOTED THAT ANTISOCIAL CHILDREN ARE THE MOST COMMON GROUP OF PSYCHIATRICALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN AND THAT, EXCEPT FOR CHILDHOOD PSYCHOSES, ANTISOCIAL CHILDREN APPEAR TO HAVE THE WORST PROGNOSIS OF ANY GROUP WITH CHILDHOOD PSYCHIATRIC DISTURBANCE. A STUDY OF URBAN DELINQUENT BOYS INDICATING THAT SCHOOL FAILURE ITSELF IS NOT CAUSALLY RELATED TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IS CITED. THE STUDY FOUND THAT DELINQUENT BOYS AND THEIR NONDELINQUENT SIBLINGS EXPERIENCED SCHOOL FAILURE TO THE SAME DEGREE. THE TESTIMONY ALSO TOUCHES ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DELINQUENCY AND INSUFFICIENT PARENTING. THREE STAGES TO BE INVESTIGATED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN ARE IDENTIFIED: AGE 4-6, WHEN ANTISOCIAL SYMPTOMS OR THEIR PRECURSORS APPEAR; AGE 7-11, WHEN INSUFFICIENT PARENTING MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE PERSISTENCE OF THE ANTISOCIAL SYMPTOMS; AND AGE 11, WHEN STIGMITIZATION OCCURS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESEARCH ARE OFFERED, AND QUESTIONS BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS REGARDING DELINQUENCY, DELINQUENCY FACTORS, TREATMENT, AND RESEARCH NEEDS ARE ANSWERED. -- IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH (LKM)