A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LAWS IN ENGLAND, FRANCE, SWEDEN, THE NETHERLANDS, AND WEST GERMANY SHOWS THAT IN FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, AND WEST GERMANY, COURTS INTERVENE IN FAMILY AFFAIRS ONLY FOR INSTANCES EQUATED WITH NEGLECT AND DEPENDENCY PROCEEDINGS IN THE UNITED STATES. GREAT BRITAIN AND SWEDEN HAVE CATEGORIES MORE COMPARABLE TO STATUS OFFENSES. ONLY THE NETHERLANDS HAS A WELL-ORGANIZED ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PERSONS INVOLVED IN UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOR. IN THE PERIOD MAY 1970 TO JULY 1971, THIS PROGRAM RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 11,000 REQUESTS FOR HELP, MOST OF WHICH INVOLVED PROBLEMS OF ALIENS. REQUESTS COME VOLUNTARILY AND COURTS GENERALLY SUGGEST, RATHER THAN INSIST, THAT A JUVENILE SEEK HELP. WHILE THE UNITED STATES IS MAKING GREATER EFFORTS TO SEPARATE STATUS OFFENDERS FROM CRIMINAL OFFENDERS IN THE JUVENILE COURT SYSTEM, EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE TENDING TO BLUR THIS DISTINCTION ON THE THEORY THAT IT IS LESS STIGMATIZING FOR BOTH YOUNG CRIMINAL AND YOUNG STATUS OFFENDERS IF ALL CASES WERE HANDLED AS THOUGH THEY WERE SIMPLE DEPENDENCY AND NEGLECT.