USING DATA CONTAINED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD WELFARE, PERCENTAGES WERE CALCULATED FOR EACH YEAR FROM 1959 TO 1970 OF SENTENCES MADE BY CHILDREN'S COURTS IN NEW SOUTH WALES FOR SIX CATEGORIES OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES COMMITTED BY MALE JUVENILES. ADDITIONALLY, PERCENTAGES OF DIFFERENT SENTENCES FOR FIVE AGE GROUPS OF MALE JUVENILE OFFENDERS WERE CALCULATED FOR EACH YEAR FROM 1964 TO 1970. IT WAS FOUND THAT DURING THE 12 YEAR PERIOD, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE USE OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION, SUSPENDED INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND, TO A SMALLER EXTENT, PROBATION, AND A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE USE OF FINES AND ADMONISHMENTS FOR MOST TYPES OF OFFENSES. DURING THE 7 YEAR PERIOD, THERE WAS A DECREASING USE OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION AND SUSPENDED INSTITUTIONALIZATION WITH THE 8-15 AND 12-17 YEAR-OLD GROUPS AND AN INCREASING USE OF ADMONISHMENTS WITH THE 14-15 AGE GROUP. IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUAL DETERRENCE, THE RESULTS OF PROBATION WERE FOUND TO BE SUPERIOR TO THOSE ACHIEVED BY INSTITUTIONALIZATION FOR ALL OFFENDERS, EXCEPT FOR THOSE CHARGED WITH 'TAKING AND USING MOTOR VEHICLES.' IN MEASURING THE EFFECT OF CHANGING SENTENCING TRENDS ON GENERAL DETERRENCE, NO SPECIFIC CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL SENTENCES AND THE RATES OF SPECIFIC OFFENSES, OTHER THAN A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN AN INCREASING USE OF 'ADMONISHED AND DISCHARGED' AND AN INCREASE IN RATES OF 'ASSAULT OR MALICIOUS DAMAGE.' CHANGES IN SENTENCING ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE TREND TOWARD MORE PERMISSIVENESS IN SOCIAL VALUES AMONG INFLUENTIAL IDEOLOGICAL AND PRESSURE GROUPS. (RCB)