Although defective or nonexistent intrafamily communication is only one dimension of systematic research into the profile of the criminogenic families of juvenile delinquents, it is important enough to be investigated separately from other factors. The lack of communication between the young offender, his mother, his father, and his siblings, as well as the time periods during which communication blocks develop in an asymmetric and irregular fashion must be the focus of the investigation. Communication is described as a process involving a transmitter and a receiver coding and decoding messages at various levels of complexity. The communication conceptualized in this paper consists of verbal and nonverbal communication, or a combination of these. The linkages between communication in different cultures, and the ethology of communication as a necessary condition of human survival are briefly outlined. The esthetic dimension of effective communication (humor) is also mentioned.