THE ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIES FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE OFFICIAL 'LABELING' (OR CLASSIFICATION) AND CASE DISPOSITION DECISIONS AND LOCATES INFORMATION GAPS IN RESEARCH WHICH COULD HAVE SYSTEMWIDE POLICY IMPLICATIONS. A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A SYSTEMWIDE CASE DECISION SURVEY CONDUCTED IN SEVEN SELECTED JURISDICTIONS TO HELP DETERMINE WHY JUVENILES ARE LABELED AS DELINQUENT, INCORRIGIBLE, DEPENDENT, OR ABUSED, AND TO SINGLE OUT SOME OF THE POSSIBLE CONTROLLING FACTORS THAT COULD AFFECT THE DISPOSITION CHOICE IN PROCESSING JUVENILE CASES. IN ADDITION, A COMPOSITE DECISION MODEL WAS CREATED WHICH OUTLINES THE STRUCTURE AND PROCESS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. FINDINGS SHOW THAT OFFICIALS IN EVERY SYSTEM COMPONENT HAVE ALMOST UNLIMITED DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY IN DECIDING WHAT 'LABEL' IS ASSIGNED TO JUVENILE CASES AND WHAT PROCESSING DISPOSITIONS WILL BE FOLLOWED IN HANDLING JUVENILE REFERRALS. PROSECUTORS, WHOSE DECISIONS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE WAY THE SYSTEM HANDLES JUVENILES, ARE RECEIVING AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY. MANY JURISDICTIONS ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO IMPLEMENT FULLY THE FEDERAL DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION GUIDELINES. MOREOVER, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE ISSUE OF OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENTS IS AN IMPORTANT BUT NEGLECTED AREA IN THE CASE DECISION PROCESS. THE FINDINGS ALSO SHOW THAT THE REFERRAL INCIDENT IS A PRIORITY FOR OFFICIALS WHEN CLASSIFYING AND DISPOSING OF A JUVENILE CASE AT ANY LEVEL OF THE SYSTEM. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON POLICY GUIDELINES, INTERAGENCY COOPERATION, PROSECUTORS' DECISIONS, INFORMAL AGENCY PRACTICES, LOCAL JUDICIAL POLICIES AND ORIENTATION, COURT INTAKE FUNCTIONS, AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENTS, INCREASED DIVERSION ALTERNATIVES, PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT, INCORRIGIBLE AND STATUS OFFENDERS, AND INCONSISTENT LABELING. DIAGRAMS FLOW CHARTS, AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED, AS IS A COMPENDIUM OF RESEARCH FINDINGS ON INFLUENTIAL FACTORS FOR THE PROCESSING OF JUVENILES IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. APPENDIXES CONTAIN THE JUVENILE CASE DECISION SURVEY PACKET, SOURCE AND BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES, AND NAMES OF PERSONNEL FROM THE NATIONAL JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM ASSESSMENT CENTER.