NO EVIDENCE EXISTS THAT JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS EITHER A HEREDITARY OR A PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS, ALTHOUGH PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESSES MAY CONTRIBUTE TO DELINQUENCY. CRIMINAL ACTS COMMONLY COMMITTED BY JUVENILES, EITHER ALONE OR IN GROUPS, ARE THEFT; VANDALISM, WHICH IS THE IMPULSIVE EXPRESSION OF AGGRESSION RESULTING FROM FRUSTRATION; AND VIOLENCE, ESPECIALLY AGAINST HELPLESS INDIVIDUALS. DELINQUENCY IS RARELY A MATTER OF FREE CHOICE AND APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY INADEQUATE SOCIALIZATION IN SCHOOL, FAMILY, OR SOCIETY WHICH CREATES A VICIOUS CIRCLE FOR YOUTHS LABELED DELINQUENT. SUCH JUVENILES FREQUENTLY HAVE NO FAMILIES OR THEY HAVE DISRUPTED FAMILIES ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SOCIAL LADDER. BUT ADOLESCENTS WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF PERSONALITIES FROM 'GOOD FAMILIES' MAY ALSO ENGAGE IN DELINQUENT ACTIVITIES AS AN ACT OF REBELLION, AS A RESPONSE TO A BREAK-DOWN IN FAMILY COMMUNICATIONS, OR IN DISAPPOINTMENT WITH PARENTAL BEHAVIOR. PARENTS OF DELINQUENTS ARE ADVISED TO REMEMBER THAT THE DELINQUENT CHILD BELONGS TO THEM, TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE CHILD'S POSITION RATHER THAN TO MORALIZE, TO MAINTAIN DIALOGUE WITH THE CHILD, TO ADMIT TO THEMSELVES AND OTHERS WHAT HAS HAPPENED, AND TO SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES SUCH AS SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS. BOTH MEDICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL TEAMS AND SPECIAL JUVENILE COURTS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF JUVENILES. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)