Several interrelated problems make juvenile delinquency a difficult issue for social policy, including ambiguity of definitions, (e.g., what constitutes delinquent behavior); value dilemmas (i.e., protection of the child from further harm versus protection of the community from youth crime); and resultant measurement problems. Federal policy efforts have emphasized development of an apparatus for coordinating Federal, State, and local programs. Policy debate has centered around two major issues: clarifying the definitional ambiguities, and developing and testing effective strategies for prevention, treatment, and control of delinquency. A conceptual framework is needed to organize information, test prevention strategies, and develop an agenda for further research. One potential policy tool is the Typology of Juvenile Crime Prevention Strategies, based on strategies or conceptually distinct approaches to delinquency prevention. The 11 strategies which comprise the typology include social network development, power enhancement, economic resource, and deterrence. By using this scheme to determine where programs are currently operating, an overall picture of delinquency prevention can be obtained. Such information can provide the basis for future policy decisions and resource allocation, and can clarify the relationship between strategies and their underlying assumptions. Data bases developed at the State level could be used to further effective national program implementation. The paper includes 20 references.