IN 1976, THE MOST FREQUENTLY COMMITTED AND COSTLY ANTISOCIAL ACTS COMMITTED BY SUBURBAN YOUTH HAVE BEEN THE MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (MDP) IS DESCRIBED AS A WILLFUL ACT, COMMITTED WITH MALICE AND WHICH MAY BE CONSIDERED A FELONY, WHEN COST OF DAMAGES AMOUNT TO OVER $100 OR A MISDEMEANOR, WHEN THE COST OF DAMAGES IS $100 OR LESS. SPECIFIC CHARGES IN THE MDP STATUTE, INVOLVING JUVENILES, ARE: (1) DESTROYING OR INJURYING ANIMALS OR PERSONAL PROPERTY OF OTHERS; (2) BREAKING DOWN OR DAMAGING ANOTHER'S HOUSE, BARN, BUILDING, FENCE, OPENING GATES, TREES, BOUNDARY MARKERS, GUIDEPOSTS, LIGHT BULBS, TELEPHONE POLES, BILLBOARDS, POSTERS, TOMBS, AND/OR MEMORIALS; (3) MALICIOUS ANNOYING BY WRITING; (4) DESTROYING LIBRARY BOOKS; (5) DESTROYING SHIPS, VESSELS, OR BOATS; AND (6) THROWING STONES OR MISSILES AT TRAINS. DATA COLLECTED IN A STUDY OF COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST YOUNG OFFENDERS IN 1975 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING FACTS: (1) INVESTIGATIVE LEADS WERE LACKING SINCE MOST OFFENSES ARE UNWITNESSED; (2) MOST APPREHENDED OFFENDERS WERE WHITE MALES; (3) GROUP ACTIVITY WAS GENERALLY PREDOMINANT; (4) CARS WERE OFTEN USED IN THE PERPETRATION OF THE ACT; (5) MULTIPLE ACTS WERE USUALLY COMMITTED; (6) JUVENILE OFFENDERS HAVE DEVELOPED A SPECIAL 'SLANGUAGE' DESCRIBING THEIR ACTIVITIES; (7) MOST OF THOSE ARRESTED COULD NOT EXPLAIN THEIR BEHAVIOR; (8) OFFENSES WERE GENERALLY COMMITTED ON WEEKENDS; (9) MOST ACTS WERE PERPETRATED BETWEEN 8:00 P.M. AND 2:00 A.M.; (10) DAMAGES RAN AS HIGH AS $1000; AND (11) TYPES OF PROPERTY DESTROYED, DESTRUCTION, ACTUAL DAMAGES, AND WEAPONS USED VARIED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT SOME TEENAGE HOSTILITY AND EXPRESSION OF UNCONTROLLED AGGRESSION REFLECT AN EPIDEMIC OF YOUTHFUL DESTRUCTIVENESS. THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS, AND THE CAUSAL FACTORS OF INVOLVEMENT MUST BE DETERMINED. (JCP)