THE BOOK, WHICH IS INTENDED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN POLICE AND DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT PROFESSIONALS, OFFERS INFORMATION PERTINENT TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEGAL AND BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. THE CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE FAMILY STRUCTURE AND ON CHILDREN ARE DISCUSSED. PROBLEMS IN CLASSIFYING JUVENILE OFFENDERS ARE EXPLAINED, AND A SYSTEM OF CLASSIFICATION CLOSELY FOLLOWING THE MEDICAL MODEL IS DESCRIBED. DIFFERING THEORIES REGARDING THE CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY ARE REVIEWED, AS ARE MAJOR TENETS OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MULTIPLE-PROBLEM FAMILY AND THE EFFECTS OF FAMILY PROBLEMS ON JUVENILES ARE DISCUSSED. OTHER CHAPTERS DEAL WITH DELINQUENCY IN AFFLUENT AND SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES, CAMPUS VIOLENCE AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM, RACE, DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND JUVENILE SEX OFFENDERS. THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS CONSIDERED, AS ARE THE RELIABILITY OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY STATISTICS AND THE PREVENTION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. A PROFESSIONAL POLICE APPROACH TO DEALING WITH JUVENILE OFFENDERS IS OUTLINED, AND DUE PROCESS CONCERNS RELATING TO JUVENILES ARE REVIEWED. LEGAL DEFINITIONS RELEVANT TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE JUVENILE'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE LAW ARE PRESENTED. THE PHILOSOPHY AND PROCEDURES OF THE JUVENILE COURT ARE DESCRIBED, AND JUVENILE COURT CONCEPTS ARE CONTRASTED WITH ACTUAL PRACTICES. THE PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED, AS ARE APPROACHES TO TREATING JUVENILE OFFENDERS. APPENDED DOCUMENTATION INCLUDES MATERIALS ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF JUVENILES, RELEVANT STANDARDS DEVELOPED BY THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS AND GOALS, AND A COPY OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT OF 1974. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. FOR AN INSTRUCTOR'S GUIDE KEYED TO THE TEXT, SEE NCJ-49719. (LKM)