QUESTIONNAIRES WERE MAILED TO 16 HIGH SCHOOLS, 2 4-H CLUBS, AND 4 JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AROUND THE STATE IN 1977. A TOTAL OF 22 LOCATIONS PARTICIPATED: 6 FROM URBAN AREA HIGH SCHOOLS, 6 FROM RURAL AREAS, 5 FROM SUBURBAN AREAS, AND 5 FROM JUVENILE CORRECTIONS INSTITUTIONS. SEVERAL SCHOOLS FROM IRELAND WERE POLLED ALSO FOR AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE. DISCUSSION AMONG YOUTH FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES WAS RECORDED AND ANALYZED USING QUALITATIVE TECHNIQUES. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT BAD REPUTATIONS ARE ACQUIRED BY VIOLATING LAWS AND SOCIAL NORMS ABOUT SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, FRIENDSHIP, APPEARANCE, AND CHEMICAL USE. MALES AND FEMALES AGREED THAT IMPROPER SEXUAL BEHAVIOR WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY THAT FEMALES ACQUIRE BAD REPUTATIONS. HOWEVER, MALES VIEWED LAW VIOLATIONS AS THE MAJOR WAY THEY OBTAIN BAD REPUTATIONS, BUT FEMALES IDENTIFIED IMPROPER SEXUAL CONDUCT AS THE DETERMINANT FOR MALES. TEENAGERS WITH BAD REPUTATIONS ARE SHUNNED, TAUNTED, AND GOSSIPED ABOUT BY BOTH YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS. ALTHOUGH CHANGING A BAD REPUTATION WAS VIEWED AS DIFFICULT, STRATEGIES FOR DOING SO INCLUDE FINDING NEW FRIENDS, CHANGING APPEARANCES, OR MOVING TO A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD. RESPONDENTS VIEWED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS AS EITHER PASSIVE VICTIMS OR ACTIVE CREATORS OF THEIR DELINQUENT LABELS, AND ATTRIBUTED DELINQUENCY TO EXTERNAL OR SOCIAL CAUSES SUCH AS FAMILY MALFUNCTIONING OR PEER INFLUENCE, INTERNAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES SUCH AS POOR IMPULSE CONTROL, OR TO 'GETTING CAUGHT.' ALSO CONSIDERED IN THE SURVEY WERE THE CAUSES OF RECIDIVISM, ATTITUDES TOWARD THE DELINQUENT, AND THE ADVANTAGES OF A BAD REPUTATION. RESPONDENTS CLEARLY FAVORED TREATMENT APPROACHES TO DELINQUENCY--FAMILY COUNSELING, GROUP THERAPY, GROUP HOMES, ETC.--IN CONTRAST TO PUNISHMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS. THEY ALSO STRESSED CLOSE FAMILY TIES AND ADEQUATE DISCIPLINE, BEGINNING EARLY IN LIFE, AS THE PREVENTION MEASURES; HOWEVER, IN REALITY, STUDENTS DID NOT APPEAR TO WANT CLOSE TIES WITH PARENTS AND INDICATED A NEED FOR MORE FREEDOM. APPENDIXES PRESENT THE VIEWS OF IRISH YOUTH, INSTRUCTIONS READ TO PARTICIPANTS, AND THE QUESTIONNAIRE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (WJR)