Rehabilitative approaches have been central to juvenile justice policies in most countries, but their effectiveness is questionable and they received increasing criticism in the 1960's and the 1970's. The retributive model now dominates the justice system. A more appropriate intervention should serve three interests: those of the community, those of the victim, and those of the offender. Restorative justice accomplishes this goal. It emphasizes the juvenile offender's own responsibility and thus legitimizes the needs of both the victim and society. The seriousness of the offense, the cooperation of those concerned, security issues, and the need for rehabilitation may all place limits on restorative justice. Therefore, this model needs elaboration and experimentation. Although the restorative justice model will never be the only one for addressing juvenile delinquency, it could eventually become dominant. Table and 54 references