IT IS ARGUED THAT 'CRIME,' 'MENTAL ILLNESS,' AND 'POLITICAL DISSENT' ARE LABELS FOR VARIOUS FORMS OF SOCIAL DEVIANCE. THE TERMS ARE SO OFTEN CONFUSED THAT THEY HAVE ONLY LIMITED SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL UTILITY. YET THEIR USE AFFECTS EVERYDAY JUDGMENTS IN BOTH THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. THE USE OF SUCH VAGUE TERMS CAN AGGRAVATE INJUSTICE DUE TO THE SUBSTANTIAL INFLUENCE ACCORDED TO SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL OPINION BY POLICE, LAWYERS, JUDGES, AND POLITICIAN. THUS THE PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE DISMISSED AS A THEORETICAL ONE. RESEARCH EVIDENCE AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION SUPPORTING THIS VIEW ARE CITED. A LESS AMBIGUOUS MODEL OF SOCIAL DEVIANCE, BASED ON CONCEPTS OF THREAT TO THE COMMUNITY AND DANGER, IS PROPOSED. THE MAJOR POSTULATES OF THE PROPOSED MODEL ARE THE FOLLOWING: (1) HUMAN BEINGS ARE ORGANIZED INTO COMMUNITIES OF VARYING SIZES AND VARYING DEGREES OF COMPLEXITY; (2) IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, EACH COMMUNITY DEVELOPS STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION; AND (3) AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF SURVIVAL STRATEGY IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIFFERING ROLES FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, WITH SOME ROLES AND SOME PEOPLE HAVING MORE POWER THAN OTHERS. COROLLARIES OF THE MODEL ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) A SITUATION, GROUP, OR PERSON IS LABELED DANGEROUS WHEN PERCEIVED AS A THREAT TO THE WELL-BEING OR EXISTENCE OF THE COMMUNITY; (2) EXTERNAL DANGERS ARE THOSE THAT STEM FROM FORCES OTHER THAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS; AND (3) INTERNAL DANGERS ARE THOSE CAUSED BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROPOSED MODEL ARE DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)