FORMULATED OUT OF THE BELIEF THAT THE EXERCISE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATTRIBUTE OF EMPATHY IS IMPORTANT IN HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND IN THE EXERCISE OF RESPONSIBILITY, THE PROGRAM ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPATHY IN DISTURBED ADOLESCENTS. IT EMPHASIZED THAT THE SELECTION CRITERIA FOR SCREENING ADOLESCENTS WHO ENTERED THE PROGRAM WAS CRUCIAL TO THE OUTCOME. THE MEASURE OF EMPATHY USED IN THIS EXPERIMENT (DESCRIBED IN THE ARTICLE), WAS TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO ITS POPULATION AND PROVED AN EFFECTIVE PREDICTOR OF CHILDCARE ABILITY. WITH PROPER SELECTION, ORIENTATION, AND PAIRING, THE MORE SERIOUSLY DISTURBED ADOLESCENTS DEVELOPED INTO SOME OF THE MOST DEDICATED AND ETHUSIASTIC CHILDCARE WORKERS. HIGH 'PERCEIVED SIMILARITY' BETWEEN ADOLESCENT AND CHILD WAS FREQUENTLY FOUND TO EXIST AT MORE SUBTLE AND COMPLEX DIMENSIONS THAN RACE OR NEIGHBORHOOD. THE VALUE OF THE CROSS-AGE CHILDCARE PROGRAM IN REDUCING DISRUPTIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR AND DELINQUENT ACTS ON AND AROUND SCHOOL GROUNDS WAS FOUND TO BE EXCEPTIONAL. APPARENTLY, DEVIANT BEHAVIOR THAT IS REACTIVE OR SITUATIONAL IS BELIEVED DETERRED BY OFFERING MEANINGFUL WORK THAT BUILDS ON SOME POSITIVE SKILL OR ATTRIBUTE POSSESSED BY THE OFFENDER. (RCB)