DATA CONCERNING THE CRIMINAL ACTIONS AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF 1,000 SUBJECTS RANDOMLY CHOSEN FROM THE 5,000 JUVENILES WITH COURT FILES WERE OBTAINED ONLY FROM THOSE FILES AND NOT FROM TESTS OR INTERVIEWS. AS EXPECTED, ANY REASONABLE ENGAGEMENT IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR STARTS WELL AFTER THE 10TH YEAR. WHEREAS JUVENILES UP TO AGE 14 SHOW AN INCREASING INCIDENCE RATE, THERE IS A CHANGE IN THIS TREND DURING THE AGES OF 15 TO 17, WITH OFFENSE RATES STABILIZING BY THE LATER YEARS. ALTHOUGH IN 1967, YOUTHS OF AGE 17 COMMITTED 2 1/2 TIMES AS MANY CRIMES AS YOUTHS OF 14, BY 1975 THE RATES BETWEEN 14 AND 17 HAD LEVELED OFF. THERE EXISTS NO OFFICIALLY KNOWN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BEHAVIOR OF VIENNESE MALE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS ACCORDING TO THEIR AGE CLASSES. REMARKABLY, THE MAXIMUM ENGAGEMENT IN CRIMINAL ACTS TAKES PLACE AROUND AGES 14 AND 15, AND NOT AT THE ADULT AGES. HOWEVER, THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIMES DOES INCREASE WITH ADULTHOOD. MOST JUVENILE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR CONCERNS CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY AND DOES NOT GENERALLY INVOLVE MUCH PHYSICAL OR INTELLECTUAL EFFORT BY THE OFFENDERS. AGGRESSIVE CRIME AGAINST PERSONS AND PROPERTY IS NOT SEEN TO BE COMMITTED AS FREQUENTLY AS SUGGESTED BY THE OFFENDER STATISTICS. DISCREPANCIES IN THE STATISTICS MAY BE TRACED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF COUNTING ONLY ONCE IN RECORDS ANY PERSON WHO COMMITS MORE THAN ONE CRIME AND THEN REGISTERING THE MOST SERIOUS OFFENSE IN CASES OF MULTIPLE OFFENSES. JUVENILE SENTENCING RARELY INVOLVES IMPRISONMENT. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)