THE STUDY SAMPLE CONSISTED OF ALL PROBATION OFFICERS HIRED BY A METROPOLITAN JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT DURING 1971 AND 1972 AND INCLUDED 26 MEN WITH A MEAN AGE OF 27 YEARS AND 7 WOMEN WITH A MEAN AGE OF 29 YEARS. ALL SUBJECTS HELD BACCALAUREATE DEGREES, PREDOMINANTLY IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. INSTRUMENTS USED TO EVALUATE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS WERE THE LAFORGE AND SUCZEK INTERPERSONAL CHECK LIST AND THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY. THESE INSTRUMENTS ARE TWO COMPONENTS OF LEARY'S INTERPERSONAL DIAGNOSIS OF PERSONALITY TECHNIQUE. THE LEARY SYSTEM IS AN OBJECTIVE MULTILEVEL ASSESSMENT OF PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR IN WHICH SETS OF BEHAVIORS ARE PLOTTED IN A DUAL COORDINATE SYSTEM CONSISTING OF A DOMINANCE/SUBMISSION AXIS AND AN AFFILIATION/DISAFFILIATION AXIS THAT CATEGORIZE BEHAVIOR AT EACH LEVEL. THE COORDINATE SYSTEM IS DIVIDED INTO OCTANTS, WITH EACH RELATING TO A SET OF INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIORS OR STYLES. THESE OCTANTS ARE LABELED AS FOLLOWS: RESPONSIBILITY, POWER, COMPETITION, AGGRESSION, REBELLION, SELF-EFFACEMENT, DOCILITY, AND COOPERATION. PROBATION OFFICERS, BASED ON MEASURED LEVELS OF BEHAVIOR WITHIN OCTANTS, ARE DESCRIBED AS COOPERATIVE, HYPERRESPONSIBLE, AND NURTURANT. THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES THIS WAY, AND OTHERS PERCEIVE THEM IN THIS WAY, ALTHOUGH THEIR SELF-PERCEPTION IS SOMEWHAT MORE AUTHORATIVE AND COMPETITIVE. THE UNDERLYING MOTIVE OF THEIR INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR IS HYPERRESPONSIBLE AND CONTROLLING. THE DATA SUGGEST THAT PROBATION OFFICERS WILL PERSIST IN EXPRESSING GIVING BEHAVIORS IN RELATING TO DELINQUENTS. SINCE MOST DELINQUENTS EXPRESS OPPOSITIONAL, REJECTING, AND UNCONVENTIONAL BEHAVIORS, AND PROBATION OFFICERS WOULD BE EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN THEIR 'GIVING' STANCE DESPITE ITS NEGATIVE RECEPTION BY THEIR CLIENTS, IT MAY BE EXPECTED THAT A POOR THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN OFFICER AND CLIENT. A SIZEABLE PROPORTION OF THE PROBATION OFFICERS REVEALED BOTH DESIRES TO EXPRESS AND INHIBITIONS IN EXPRESSING BEHAVIORS WHICH ARE CULTURALLY UNCONVENTIONAL OR DEVIANT. THESE PARTICULAR BEHAVIORS ARE THOSE MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH DELINQUENT, ASOCIAL, OR CRIMINAL INDIVIDUALS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICERS DO NOT HAVE A BROAD REPERTOIRE OF BEHAVIORS WITH WHICH TO RELATE TO DELINQUENTS. SUCH OFFICERS CHARACTERISTICALLY HAVE UNCONVENTIONAL AND REBELLIOUS FEELINGS TOWARD THE BUREAUCRATIC STRUCTURE IN WHICH THEY FUNCTION. THE HYPOTHESIS THAT JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICERS MAY UNWITTINGLY REINFORCE DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH DELINQUENT ADOLESCENTS TO ACHIEVE VARIOUS EXPRESSIONS OF THEIR UNCONVENTIONAL FEELINGS AND BEHAVIORS IS SUPPORTED. METHODS FOR HELPING OFFICERS GAIN INSIGHT INTO THEIR PERSONALITY AND EFFECT ON CLIENTS ARE SUGGESTED, AND SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)