THE METHODOLOGIES AND THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS OF THE CHICAGO SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY OF DEVIANCE WERE APPLIED TO A DETAILED INVESTIGATION OF VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE CITY OF GENOA TO ESTABLISH CORRELATIONS BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS AND JUVENILE CRIME RATES. A SAMPLING OF 1,032 CASES TRIED IN THE LOCAL JUVENILE COURTS FROM 1967 TO 1973 WAS SURVEYED AND THE RESULTS WERE TABULATED ACCORDING TO SUCH DESCRIPTIVE VARIABLES AS PERSONAL DATA, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF THE FAMILIES, PLACE OF RESIDENCE IN THE CITY, AND ETHNIC CONCENTRATIONS IN EACH CITY SECTION. AMONG THE SURVEY'S GOALS WAS THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE CRIMINOGENIC FACTORS WHICH TURN CERTAIN PARTS OF A CITY INTO NATURAL CRIME AREAS. THE FINDING BY THE CHICAGO SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY THAT THE HIGHEST CRIME INCIDENCE OCCURS IN THE INNER CITY AND DECREASES TOWARD THE SUBURBS WAS VALIDATED. AN EXCEPTION TO THE LONG-ACCEPTED THEORY THAT THERE IS A CONSTANT CORRELATION BETWEEN LOW INCOME AND HIGH CRIME RATES WAS FOUND IN A GENOA QUARTER, WHOSE RESIDENTS HAD GENERALLY MODEST INCOMES BUT REPRESENTED A STABLE SEGMENT OF THE LOCAL POPULATION. THE HIGHEST JUVENILE CRIME RATE WAS REVEALED IN A TRANSIENT CENTER FOR NEWLY ARRIVED IMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTHERN ITALY, WHERE INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES WITHOUT MONEY AND LOCAL CONNECTIONS WERE SCREENED AND GIVEN TEMPORARY SHELTER BY THE MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES. THESE NEW RESIDENTS TENDED TO CONGREGATE IN QUARTERS WITH COMPLEX ACCULTURATION PROBLEMS, THE BREAKING DOWN OF TRADITIONAL FAMILY STRUCTURES, AND THE LOSS OF RESPECTED AND ADMIRED PARENTAL MODELS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO FOLLOW, COMBINED WITH PRESSURES ON THE LATTER TO ACQUIRE MATERIAL GOODS AND STATUS SYMBOLS, BEYOND THEIR REACH BY ILLEGAL, EVEN CRIMINAL, MEANS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. --IN ITALIAN. (LGR)