NOTING THAT THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS CHARACTERIZED BY TENSION, CONTROVERSY, AND CHANGE, THE AUTHORS FIRST PROVIDE AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DIVERGENT THEORIES PHILOSPHIES VALUES, ATTITUDES, AND HISTORICAL EVENTS WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE OPERATION OF MODERN JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS. THE NATURE OF DELINQUENCY, THE TRAITS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, THE CAUSES OF DELINQUENT BEHAVOR, AND THE HISTORICAL REASONS FOR ESTABLISMENT OF A SYSTEM OF JUVENILE JUSTICE ARE ALL EXAMINED. THE AUTHORS THEN TURN TO A DETAILED CONSIDERATION OF THE ACTORS AND PROCESSES OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTE. FIVE PROCESSES OR STAGES ARE CONSIDERED IN TURN: IDENTIFICATION; POLICE DECISION MAKING; DETENTION; JUVENILE COURT PHILOSOPHY AND PROCEDURES; AND DISPOSITIONS. THROUGHTOUT THESE DISCUSSIONS, ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON THE RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE AT EACH STATE, THE NATURE OF COMMUNITY ACTORS INVOLVED, SYSTEMIC FACTORS WHICH CONDITION THEIR OPERATION, AND THE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUNGSTERS WHO ARE OR ARE NOT MADE A PART OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SUBSYSTEM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)