THIS PAPER EXAMINES A REPUTED TREATMENT SETTING TO IDENTIFY THE KINDS OF CONSTRAINTS THAT CAN LIMIT THE GIVING AND RECEIVING OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND THUS RENDER THE INTENDED THERAPY INEFFECTIVE. THE SETTING EXAMINED WAS THE 'BOYS' HEARINGS' IN A SCOTTISH LIST D RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL FOR 13 TO 16 YEAR-OLD BOYS, SUCH SCHOOLS BEING THE SCOTTISH EQUIVALENT OF THE ENGLISH COMMUNITY HOMES AND SCHOOLS WHICH WERE FORMERLY TERMED APPROVED SCHOOLS. THE BOYS' HEARING IS THE FORMAL MEANS FOR DEALING WITH INSTANCES OF TROUBLE INVOLVING BOYS BOTH IN THE SCHOOL AND WHILE ON HOME LEAVE. THE HEARING PURPORTS TO BE A MEANS FOR HELPING THE BOYS INDIVIDUALLY TO DEAL WITH PARTICULAR PROBLEM BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN SIMPLY DEAL OUT STANDARDIZED PUNISHMENTS IN ACCORD WITH THE SEVERITY OF THE BEHAVIOR. A HEARING IS USUALLY MADE UP OF THE FOLLOWING PERSONS: APPROXIMATELY FIVE STAFF, ONE OF WHOM CHAIRS THE MEETING; FIVE BOYS SERVING ON THE PANEL; BOYS WAITING TO HAVE THEIR CASES HEARD; AND THE BOY OR BOYS WHOSE CASE IS BEING HEARD. THE HEARING, CLAIMING TO BE BASED ON A TREATMENT MODEL, PROCEEDS IN THE FOLLOWING STAGES: (1) ESTABLISHING THE FACTS OF THE INCIDENT CONSIDERED, (2) DETERMINING AN EXPLANATION FOR THE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, AND (3) ARRIVING AT A FINDING. CRITICISM OF THE PROCEDURE IS BASED ON THE FACT THAT APPEARANCE BEFORE THE HEARING IS BASED ON A STAFF MEMBER'S PERCEPTION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A DEVIANT INCIDENT ALTHOUGH THE OFFENDER MAY PERCEIVE HIS ACTION TO BE A NORMAL PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR FREQUENTLY ENGAGED IN BY HIS PEER GROUP. SUCH VARYING PERCEPTIONS OF THE INCIDENT ARE BELIEVED TO THWART ANY EFFECTIVE CONSENSUS TREATMENT OF THE BEHAVIOR. THE EXPLANATION OF THE REASONS UNDERLYING THE BEHAVIOR IS LIKEWISE A SUBJECTIVE ENDEAVOR OF THE ACTOR AND THOSE CONSIDERING THE ACT, THUS LEADING TO A CLOUDED DIAGNOSIS. ALTHOUGH THE THIRD STAGE OF ARRIVING AT A FINDING CAN BE REACHED THROUGH A GENUINE CONSENSUS IN THE FIRST TWO STAGES, REALISTIC AND EFFECTIVE HELP MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE ROOT DIFFICULTIES LIE IN THE BOY'S FAMILY, NEIGHBORHOOD, OR ASPECTS OF AN ENVIRONMENT DIFFICULT TO ALTER. IT IS CONCLUDED THEREFORE THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND STRUCTURE OF THE HEARING HAVE TOO MANY CONSTRAINTS TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL TREATMENT FOR DEVIANT BEHAVIOR. (RCB)