Study data came from 83 youths in a semirural county. One group was interviewed after their arrest but prior to their first court hearing; another group was interviewed shortly after their dispositional court hearing; and a third group, the quasi-control group of youths who had reported committing a felony but had not been caught, was interviewed within 45 days of the felony. The third group was referred by friends. The youths who had been arrested and adjudicated became more seriously delinquent than their peers who had committed a recent felonious act but were not caught. Youths at various depths of penetration into the juvenile justice system did not differ in their perceptions of having been labeled delinquent or bad, however. Juvenile justice processing accounted for about 7 percent of the variance in subsequent delinquent behavior. The crime-producing effect of official action was most significant at the point of arrest, since the arrested youths reported about as much delinquent behavior in the period prior to their adjudication as did the adjudicated group. Further research should focus on the reasons that contact with the juvenile justice system tends to increase the delinquent behavior of apprehended youth. Data tables and a list of 26 references are supplied.