TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC EXTENT OF THE USE OF JUVENILES IN THE SELLING OF ILLEGAL DRUGS IN HARLEM, AN INVESTIGATION WAS MADE WHICH CONCENTRATED ON THE AREA OF NEW YORK CITY FROM 116TH STREET TO 8TH AVENUE. IT BECAME EVIDENT DURING THE INVESTIGATION THAT A YOUNGER TYPE OF OFFENDER WAS PARTICIPATING IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY TO A SIGNIFICANT DEGREE. THE STREET-LEVEL DEALERS OF SMALL AMOUNTS OF NARCOTICS, USULLY LESS THAN ONE QUARTER OF AN OUNCE, ARE REFERRED TO AS THE 'QUARTERKIDS.' THESE JUVENILES USUALLY ARE NOT ADDICTS; THEY DEAL IN DRUGS FOR THE MONEY AND ADHERE TO A CODE OF LOYALTY WITHIN THEIR SOCIAL GROUP, SHARING THE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS AND VALUES OF THE DELINQUENT SUBCULTURE WHICH THEY FORM. THE SOCIOLOGIC THEORY OF DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION IS USED TO EXPLAIN WHY THE YOUTHS ARE INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. THE PRESENCE OF A DISTINCT SUBCULTURE OF YOUNG DRUG DEALERS WITHIN THE WIDER GROUP OF OFFENDERS HAS ITS ORIGIN IN THE DISPARITY IN PUNISHMENT FOR ADULTS AND JUVENILES; THE USE OF JUVENILES IN THE MARKETING PHASE OF THE DRUG INDUSTRY IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE 'ADAPTIVE MODE OF INNOVATION.' THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE ILLEGAL OCCUPATION ARE DESCRIBED INCLUDING THE 'CAPTAIN' WHO SUPERVISES THE DISTRIBUTION OF DRUG CONSIGNMENTS, THE 'HOLDERS' WHO SERVICE LIMITED NUMBERS OF CUSTOMERS, AND THE 'SPOTTERS' WHO WARN OF POLICE SURVEILLANCE. THERE IS FIERCE COMPETITION BETWEEN GROUPS OF DEALERS, EXEMPLIFIED BY AN INCREASED HOMICIDE RATE WITHIN THE AREA STUDIED. FURTHER DISCUSSION CONCERNS THE USE OF BRAND NAMES OF DRUGS ASSIGNED BY THE COMPETITIVE DEALERS AND THE CASE STUDY OF AN INDIVIDUAL QUARTERKID WHO EVENTUALLY WAS MURDERED. THE USE OF FEMALE DEALERS AND THE ATTITUDES OF THE OFFENDERS ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (TWK).