Since passage of the 1969 Children and Young Persons Act, the cautioning rate has dramatically increased for officially recorded juvenile offenders. The survey covered all juvenile offenders, including those under the age of criminal responsibility, who lived in the area and were detected for offenses between March 1977 and March 1979. In all, 254 different juveniles were included in the study, but because some were handled on separate occasions, the data refer to 293 cases. The survey found that minor offenses predominated, with shoplifting accounting for over one-third of the cases. Only one-sixth of the offenders were female, and approximately three-fifths of the juveniles were first offenders. A total of 7 of the juveniles were under age, 117 were aged 10-13, and 167 were aged 14-16, with 2 apparently over age (17 years old). The study found that the PROS 60 form (the standard reporting form) used by police encourages reporting officers to record their assessments of the juvenile and to include details of the wider family circumstances. It appears that the police decision to recommend a caution is related to both social conditions within the offender's home and the offender's attitude. Implications of these findings are discussed. Figures, tables, and 38 references are provided.