THE SAMPLE FOR THE STUDY INCLUDED A LARGE GROUP OF JUVENILES FROM UNDERPRIVILEGED AREAS IN AND AROUND PHILADELPHIA, PA. THERE WERE 536 SUBJECTS, 61 PERCENT BLACK AND 39 PERCENT WHITE. ALL WERE MALES BETWEEN 15 AND 18 YEARS OF AGE AND WERE SELECTED FROM THREE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. POLICE AND COURT RECORDS WERE SCORED FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF A VARIETY OF VIOLENT AND LIFE-THREATENING OFFENSES, INCLUDING RAPE, ATTEMPTED RAPE, ASSAULTIVE HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, ASSAULT AND BATTERY, CARRYING CONCEALED AND DEADLY WEAPONS, ROBBERY, VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM FIREARMS ACT, HOMICIDE, AND ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE. THE DELINQUENCY CHECK LIST WAS EMPLOYED TO OBTAIN SELF-REP0RTED DATA ON VIOLENT ACTS. IN COMPARING PROFILES OF YOUTH IDENTIFIED AS VIOLENT OFFENDERS, CRITERION VARIABLES WERE THE FREQUENCY OF ALL VIOLENT OFFENSES ON OFFICIAL POLICE AND COURT RECORDS AND THE TOTAL SCALED SELF-REPORTED SCORE OF 11 VIOLENCE ITEMS FROM THE DELINQUENCY CHECK LIST. STEPWISE MULTIPLE REGRESSIONS WERE COMPUTED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TWO PROFILES. IN BOTH PROFILES, THERE WAS MARKED SIMILARITY IN EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS INFAMILY DISTURBANCES AND FAMILY SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION. YOUTH MORE PRONE TOWARD VIOLENT ACTS WERE LESS CONSTRUCTIVELY INVOLVED WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND TENDED TO SEEK LOYALTIES WITH THE STREET GANG. YOUTH ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, AS COMPARED WITH OFFENDERS NOT PROCESSED, WERE MORE INCLINED TO AVOID CONSTRUCTIVE INFLUENCES IN FAMILY ACTIVITIES AND MAINTENANCE AND TO DISRUPT THE FAMILY BY LYING, STEALING, MAKING MESSES, DESERTING THE FAMILY, AND STARTING FIGHTS AND ARGUMENTS. ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING FINDINGS CONCERNING THOSE ARRESTED FOR VIOLENT CRIME WAS THE GREATER PROPORTION OF BLACK YOUTH IN COMPARISON WITH WHITE YOUTH. WHEREAS THERE WERE NO RACIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OFFENDERS AND NONOFFENDERS FOR SELF-REPORTED VIOLENCE, RACE CAME UP AS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENTIATING THE OFFICIAL VIOLENT OFFENDER FROM THE YOUTH WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL RECORD OF VIOLENCE. THE PROFILE OF THE SELF-REPORTED VIOLENT OFFENDER WAS DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT OF THE OFFICIALLY-IDENTIFIED VIOLENT OFFENDER BY MORE OPEN AND DIRECT DEFIANCE AGAINST PARENTS. THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING VIOLENCE AND SELECTIVITY IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS STRESSED. SUPPORTING DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. AN APPENDIX CONTAINS PROCEDURAL INFORMATION ON VARIABLES OF THE STUDY.