THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF ALL CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 7 AND 16 WHO HAD BEEN REFERRED FOR EVALUATION TO EITHER THE NEW HAVEN COURT CLINIC (90 BOYS AND 46 GIRLS) OR A CHILD GUIDANCE CLINIC (58 BOYS AND 24 GIRLS). THE COURT CLINIC CHILDREN WERE SOMEWHAT YOUNGER AND HAD COMMITTED MORE OFFENSES, BUT WERE OTHERWISE DEMOGRAPHICALLY SIMILAR TO THE JUVENILE COURT POPULATION AS A WHOLE. AN ANALYSIS OF SYMPTOMS SHOWED THAT BOTH THE COURT CLINIC AND THE GUIDANCE CLINIC GROUPS HAD SIMILAR DISTRIBUTIONS OF ORGANIC AND PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS. HOWEVER, NEUROTIC SYMPTOMS, CHARACTER PROBLEMS, AND ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS WERE MORE COMMON AMONG THE CHILD GUIDANCE CHILDREN. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PROPORTION OF PARENTS WHO HAD RECEIVED PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT OR IN THE TYPE OF TREATMENT RECEIVED (INPATIENT OR OUTPATIENT). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN SOCIAL CLASS WITH 86 PERCENT OF THE COURT FAMILIES, BUT ONLY 74 PERCENT OF THE GUIDANCE CLINIC FAMILIES, IN THE LOWER FOUR CLASSES. FAMILY STRUCTURE ALSO DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH 51 PERCENT OF THE GUIDANCE CHILDREN, BUT ONLY 37 PERCENT OF THE COURT CHILDREN, COMING FROM INTACT HOMES. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS THE PRESENCE OF A BIOLOGICAL MOTHER IN THE HOME; 17 PERCENT OF THE DELINQUENTS WERE MOTHERLESS, COMPARED WITH 4 PERCENT OF THE CLINIC CHILDREN. THIS SUGGESTS THAT FATHERS MAY NOT TAKE ON AN EFFECTIVE MOTHERING ROLE AND THAT STEPMOTHERS OR ADOPTED MOTHERS DO NOT MARSHAL THE SAME RESOURCES TO PROTECT THE CHILD FROM COURT INVOLVEMENT. THE STUDY INCLUDES DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS, TABLES, AND REFERENCES. (GLR)