THE SAMPLE FOR THE INVESTIGATION INCLUDED ALL JUVENILES WHO WERE ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT DURING A 2-YEAR PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1, 1972 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1973. A TOTAL OF 472 CASES WERE INCLUDED. TYPES OF OFFENSES ENCOMPASSED LARCENY, UNDISCIPLINED OFFENSES, MULTIPLE OFFENSES, BREAKING AND ENTERING, ASSAULT, DRUG OFFENSES, UNDESIGNATED OFFENSES, AND HOMICIDE. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT NONLEGAL SOCIAL VARIABLES MOST OFTEN EMPLOYED IN JUVENILE COURT STUDIES (AGE, SEX, RACE, AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS) WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO DISPOSITION. JUVENILES WHO WERE OLDER, FEMALE, BLACK, AND FROM LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC FAMILIES WERE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE MORE SEVERE SANCTIONS. CONTINGENCY TABLE ANALYSIS AND CHI-SQUARE TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO THE DATA INDICATED THAT BLACKS AND LOWER-STATUS JUVENILES WERE OVERREPRESENTED IN THE JUVENILE COURT BUT THAT THERE WAS NO BIAS TOWARD EITHER OF THESE SOCIAL VARIABLES. AGE WAS RELATED TO DISPOSITION; OLDER JUVENILES WERE MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE HARSHER DISPOSITIONS THAN YOUNGER JUVENILES. CONTROLLING FOR LEGAL VARIABLES EXPLAINED THIS RELATIONSHIP AND, CONSEQUENTLY, THERE WAS NO BIAS BASED ON AGE. SEX WAS RELATED TO DISPOSITION AND THE RELATIONSHIP REMAINED WHEN LEGAL VARIABLES WERE USED AS CONTROLS. FEMALES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE INSTITUTIONALIZED THAN MALES, EVEN WHEN OFFENSE SERIOUSNESS AND RECIDIVISM WERE CONSIDERED. THE AVAILABILITY OF A SOCIAL STUDY FOR A TRIAL WAS MORE LIKELY TO RESULT IN AN INSTITUTIONAL DISPOSITION. APPENDIXES CONTAIN THE DATA COLLECTION FORM, SUPPORTING DATA, AND PROCEDURAL INFORMATION. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DEP)