A REVIEW OF SEVERAL COMMUNITY-BASED, EARLY INTERVENTION EFFORTS INDICATES THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING DELINQUENCY THAN INSTITUTIONS. OVER A 3-YEAR PERIOD, 247 YOUTHS PARTICIPATED IN PASSPORT FOR ADVENTURE. TEACHERS IN CITY SCHOOLS WERE ASKED TO RECOMMEND STUDENTS FOR THE PROGRAM, AND THE CONSENT OF BOTH YOUTH AND PARENTS WAS REQUIRED FOR PARTICIPATION. PERSONALITY AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOR TESTS WERE ADMINISTERED TO THE FAMILIES SELECTED. EACH CAMPING GROUP CONSISTED OF 12 CHILDREN OF THE SAME SEX AND 3 ADULT COUNSELORS WHO WENT ON 3 SHORT WILDERNESS EXPEDITIONS. PRIMARY THERAPY WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH COOPERATION FOR SURVIVAL, MEAL PREPARATION, AND UTILIZATION OF PEAK EXPERIENCES SUCH AS LONG HIKES OR ROCK CLIMBING. THE CHILD'S FAMILY WAS INVOLVED IN GROUP THERAPY SESSIONS TO LEARN COPING AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS. INFORMATION AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES GAINED FROM THE CAMPING EXPERIENCES WERE SHARED WITH THE CHILD'S SCHOOL. FOR A SHORT-TERM EVALUATION, PARENTS OF 96 BOYS AND 23 GIRLS WERE ASKED TO ASSESS THE CHANGES IN THEIR CHILDREN 6 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. A CONTROL GROUP OF YOUTHS WHO HAD NOT PARTICIPATED BECAUSE OF SPACE LIMITATIONS WAS ALSO SURVEYED. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA INDICATED THAT MOST YOUTHS HAD BENEFITED. AFTER AT LEAST 2 YEARS, 46 BOYS AND 17 GIRLS FROM THE ORIGINAL SAMPLE AND 21 BOYS AND 12 GIRLS FROM THE CONTROL GROUP WERE EVALUATED BY TEACHERS. THIS ANALYSIS SHOWED AN OVERALL POSITIVE EFFECT FOR BOYS AND NO EFFECT FOR GIRLS. DIFFERENCES COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO SEXUAL STEREOTYPING WHICH CONDEMNS INDEPENDENCE AND AGGRESSIVENESS IN FEMALES. FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS SHOULD ISOLATE AND STUDY THE EFFECTS OF CAMPING, FAMILY THERAPY, AND THE SCHOOLS. FOOTNOTES, TABLES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MJM)