IN 1976, ABOUT 24,000 CHILDREN WERE UNDER THE CARE OF THE DUTCH CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM, INCLUDING CHILDREN UNDER GUARDIANSHIP (THOSE WHOSE PARENTS HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF THEIR PARENTAL RIGHTS), CHILDREN UNDER SUPERVISION OF A FAMILY-GUARDIAN (THOSE WHO ARE THREATENED WITH MORAL OR PHYSICAL DANGER), AND JUVENILE OFFENDERS (WHO HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF A CRIMINAL OFFENSE). INSTITUTIONS ACTIVE IN HELPING TO PREVENT DELINQUENCY ARE THE REGULAR PUBLIC SCHOOLS; BOARDING SCHOOLS TO WHICH CHILDREN WITH SCHOOL AND FAMILY PROBLEMS ARE REFERRED BY VARIOUS SOCIAL AGENCIES; THE CHILDREN'S POLICE, WHO HANDLE JUVENILE PENAL CASES, DETECT MISSING AND RUNAWAY CHILDREN, AND HANDLE JUVENILE CIVIL CASES; AND THE 'ALTERNATIVE' SOCIAL AGENCIES THAT OPERATE ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT NOTHING IS DONE WITHOUT THE CLIENT'S CONSENT AND FULL COOPERATION. OFFICIAL INTERVENTION BY THE CHILD CARE AND PROTECTION SYSTEM CAN TAKE THE FORM OF POLICE REFERRAL TO THE JUVENILE COURT OR TO THE COUNCILS FOR CHILD PROTECTION. THE COUNCILS ACT, AMONG OTHER DUTIES, AS A LAST RESORT TO RESOLVE A JUVENILE'S PROBLEM BEFORE IT BECOMES A COURT CASE. ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF ALL CASES TREATED BY THE COUNCILS RESULTS IN A MEASURE ORDERED BY THE JUDGE. COURT INTERVENTION CAN OCCUR EITHER AS A CIVIL OR AS A PENAL MEASURE, DEPENDING UPON THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. INSTITUTIONAL PLACEMENT HAS BEEN DROPPING SINCE 1960, AND THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEASURES, INCLUDING AMBULATORY CARE, SEMI-RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT, AND SOME HALFWAY HOUSES, HAS INCREASED. THE FEW EVALUATION STUDIES PERFORMED ON INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT OUTCOMES POINT TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT LONG-TERM POSITIVE EFFECTS OF SUCH TREATMENT. THUS, ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TREATMENT ARE BEING TRIED, INCLUDING TREATMENT IN THE JUVENILE'S OWN ENVIRONMENT. REFORMERS OF THE DUTCH SYSTEM WANT TO GUARANTEE LEGALLY THE AUTONOMY OF MINORS 12 YEARS AND OLDER, SINCE AWARENESS OF A MINOR'S RIGHTS AS AN INDIVIDUAL SEEMS ALMOST NONEXISTENT. TABLES AND REFERENCE NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (PRG)