THIS PRELIMINARY REPORT ADDRESSES (1) THE LINKAGE BETWEEN CHILD ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND DELINQUENCY; (2) THE LEGAL PROCESSING ISSUES; AND (3) THE ISSUE OF COMMINGLING ABUSED AND NEGLECTED JUVENILES WITH OTHER JUVENILES IN NEED OF SERVICE. FIRST, THREE LEVELS OF LINKAGE ARE CONSIDERED--THE LINK WHICH EMERGES FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE HANDLING OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES AND JUVENILES WHO ARE OFFICIALLY LABELED DELINQUENTS, THE CAUSAL LINKAGE BETWEEN HAVING BEEN ABUSED OR NEGLECTED AND SUBSEQUENTLY BECOMING DELINQUENT, AND THE LINKAGE WHICH RESULTS FROM THE ADJUDICATION OF ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN AS DELINQUENTS OR STATUS OFFENDERS. TOGETHER, THESE PERSPECTIVES STRONGLY SUGGEST A SIGNIFICANT INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILD ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND DELINQUENCY THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING POLICY AND ACTION PROGRAMS. SECONDLY, THE LACK OF A COHESIVE NATIONAL POLICY TOWARD JUSTICE SYSTEM HANDLING OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT HAS HAD NEGATIVE IMPACTS IN SUCH AREAS AS REPORTING AND RECORDKEEPING LAWS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERVENTION RESPONSES TO PARENTAL OR GUARDIAN ABUSE OR NEGLECT, AND JUVENILE JUSTICE INTERVENTION TO PROTECT YOUNGSTERS. THE STATE'S ROLE IS ALSO AMBIGUOUS IN REFERENCE TO CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ISSUES. THIRD, FROM A POLICY AND PROGRAM PERSPECTIVE, THE ISSUE OF COMMINGLING SUGGESTS THAT THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN ARE IDENTIFIED AND DEALT WITH ON THE BASIS OF SERVICE NEEDS RATHER THAN SYMPTOMATIC BEHAVIOR AND THAT ADEQUATE RESOURCES FOR APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT ALTERNATIVES EXIST. FEDERAL PROGRAMS SHOULD CONSIDER FURTHER COORDINATION OF FEDERAL EFFORTS FOR FAMILIES IN CRISIS, FURTHER EXPANSION AND UPGRADING OF STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL POLICYMAKING, AND MORE ATTENTION TO THE COMPLEXITY AND INTERRELATION OF CHILD ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND DELINQUENCY PROBLEMS. TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND EXTENSIVE REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH PAPERS ON THE MAJOR ISSUES ADDRESSED IN THE REPORT.