AVAILABLE DATA SHOW THAT MORE THAN HALF OF ALL THE SERIOUS CRIMES IN THE U.S. ARE COMMITTED BY YOUTHS FROM 10 TO 17 YEARS OLD. OFFICIAL TREATMENT POLICIES CONCENTRATE ON TEENAGE UNEMPLOYMENT, RACISM, POOR SCHOOLS, POVERTY, AND DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION, WHILE LITTLE IS SAID ABOUT INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. THERE IS A GENERAL NEED FOR SOCIETY AND PSYCHIATRISTS TO ADDRESS RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS TO THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING DELINQUENT ACTS, SUMMARIZED FROM THE THEORIES OF FREUD AND FROM LATER WORKS DEMONSTRATE USE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST DATA TO PREDICT LIKELIHOOD OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AND IDENTIFY FOUR STATISTICALLY MEANINGFUL SUBTYPES OF DELINQUENCY. FUTURE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC STUDIES OF DELINQUENCY MUST EVALUATE DELINQUENTS WHO ARE TREATED AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT, AND MUST COMPARE FAMILY AND INDIVIDUAL THERAPY AND INSTITUTIONAL AND DEINSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMS. WORKING WITH ADOLESCENTS AND DELINQUENTS MUST BECOME PART OF THE CORE TRAINING OF PSYCHIATRISTS; THE PROFESSION MUST LEAD IN DEVELOPING DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND SPEARHEAD TRAINING OF OTHER PROFESSIONS IN A PSYCHODYNAMIC APPRECIATION OF THE DELINQUENT. COMMITMENT LAWS MUST BE REVISED SO THAT DISORDERED DEVELOPMENT AND THE NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION, NOT DEMONSTRATED VIOLENCE, BECOME THE CRITERIA FOR COMMITMENT TO A PSYCHIATRIC PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR TEENAGERS. THERAPY OF THE DELINQUENT AND THE BEHAVIORALLY DISORDERED ADOLESCENT IN A CLINICAL, NOT A LEGAL ISSUE. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MRK)