SOCIOPATHS ARE DEFINED AS INDIVIDUALS WHOSE BEHAVIOR IS ASOCIAL OR ANTISOCIAL AND WHO MANIFEST THE FOLLOWING FIVE TRAITS: INABILITY TO LEARN FROM PAST EXPERIENCE, SUPERFICIALITY OF AFFECT, IRRESPONSIBILITY, LACK OF CONSCIENCE, AND IMPULSIVENESS. SOCIOPATHS DO NOT SUFFER FROM MENTAL RETARDATION AND DO NOT HAVE ORGANIC BRAIN SYNDROMES, PSYCHOSES, NEUROSES, OR SITUATIONAL MALADJUSTMENTS. DILANTIN, ANTIANDROGENS, AND VARIOUS NARCOLEPTIC DRUGS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SOME SOCIOPATHS. BEHAVIORAL THERAPY ALSO HOLDS PROMISE, AND EXPERIMENTS ARE BEING CONDUCTED IN AVERSIVE CONDITIONING AND EXTINCTION OF THE ORIENTING REFLEX SINCE IMPAIRMENT OF BOTH THESE CONDITIONS INTERFERES WITH NORMAL LEARNING. BECAUSE INDIVIDUAL THERAPY ALONE CANNOT REINFORCE NORMAL LIVING PATTERNS AND OVERCOME THE LACK OF SOCIALIZATION FUNCTIONS IN ADOLESCENT SOCIOPATHS, AN APPROACH IS RECOMMENDED THAT FOCUSES ON THE PREVENTION OF INCARCERATION; THE PREVENTION OF REJECTION BY PARENTS, PEERS, AND TEACHERS; THE ACTIVE TREATMENT OF HYPERKINESIS AND SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES; THE UTILIZATION OF SPONSORS; AND MULTIPLE THERAPIST (FAMILY, GROUP, AND INDIVIDUAL) PROGRAMS. THIS APPROACH IS BASED ON MILIEU THERAPY. BOTH PREVENTIVE AND ACTIVE COMPONENTS ARE INCORPORATED TO HELP KEEP ADOLESCENT SOCIOPATHS FULLY OCCUPIED IN CONSTRUCTIVE ACTIVITIES AND COMPANIONSHIP IN ORDER TO REINFORCE NORMAL LIVING PATTERNS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)