CLASS ISSUES IN THE STUDY OF DELINQUENCY ARE DISCUSSED. THE BASIC PREMISES OF A LEISURE DECISIONMAKING PERSPECTIVE ON DELINQUENCY ARE INTRODUCED, AND FACTORS THAT CAN INFLUENCE THE LEISURE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS--FAMILY, SCHOOL, PEERS--ARE IDENTIFIED. THE METHODS AND FINDINGS OF A SELF-REPORT SURVEY OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AMONG 748 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, 852 SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADERS, AND 1,250 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN AN UPPER-INCOME SUBURB OF CHICAGO, ILL., ARE REPORTED. THE LEISURE DECISIONMAKING FRAMEWORK IS USED TO ANALYZE AGE AND SEX PATTERNS IN OVERALL DELINQUENCY, AS WELL AS PATTERNS OF VANDALISM, SHOPLIFTING, AND DRUG USE. PATTERNS OF SERIOUS DELINQUENCY (BREAKING AND ENTERING, AUTO AND BICYCLE THEFT, ETC.) AND NONCRIMINAL DEVIANCE (FIGHTING, CHEATING, TRUANCY, RUNNING AWAY) ARE ALSO EXPLORED. AMONG THE FINDINGS IS THAT PEERS AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, SCHOOL EXPERIENCES INFLUENCE INVOLVEMENT IN DELINQUENCY, WHILE FAMILY VARIABLES (BROKEN HOMES, WORKING MOTHERS, PERMISSIVENESS) DO NOT. THE ADVANTAGES OF THE LEISURE PERSPECTIVE IN EXPLAINING MIDDLE-CLASS DELINQUENCY ARE POINTED OUT, INCLUDING ITS FOCUS ON POTENTIALLY DELINQUENT ENVIRONMENTS RATHER THAN ON INNATELY DELINQUENT INDIVIDUALS, AND ITS ASSUMPTION THAT ADOLESCENTS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN DELINQUENCY ARE NOT RADICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE WHO HAVE NOT. THE LEISURE FRAMEWORK IS COMPARED TO OTHER THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTS OF DELINQUENCY, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE FRAMEWORK TO STUDIES OF LOWER-CLASS DELINQUENCY IS CONSIDERED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY, SUPPORTING DATA, AND STUDY INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)