MOST STUDIES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY DRAW UPON DATA FROM RECORDS OF DELINQUENTS' ENCOUNTERS WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, MATCHING THIS REPRESENTATIVE GROUP OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS WITH A REPRESENTATIVE SELECTION, OR CONTROL GROUP, OF NONDELINQUENT JUVENILES. SUCH A GROUP IS KNOWN AS A BIRTH COHORT AND PROVIDES A BROADER BASE FOR THE STUDY OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY THAN IS USUALLY AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS. BY EXAMINING SCHOOL RECORDS, SELECTIVE SERVICE LISTS, AND RECORDS OF THE POLICE, COURTS, AND CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES, THE AUTHORS DETERMINED THAT APPROXIMATELY 65 PERCENT OF THE BOYS HAD NO KNOWN CONTACT WITH SUCH AUTHORITIES. THE OTHER 35 PERCENT WERE CLASSIFIED AS DELINQUENTS AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WERE DIVIDED INTO ONE-TIME, MULTIPLE, AND CHRONIC OFFENDERS. STATISTICAL COMPARISONS WERE MADE BETWEEN THE DELINQUENT AND NON-DELINQUENT GROUPS BY MEANS OF SUCH FACTORS AS NUMBER AND KIND OF OFFENSES, ECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS, RACE, EDUCATION, AND FREQUENCY OF RESIDENTIAL MOVES. THE AUTHORS COMPLEMENT THEIR STATISTICAL ANALYSES WITH A NARRATIVE COMMENTARY. (SNI ABSTRACT)