This monograph is an effort to develop a series of models for diverting children and youth away from juvenile courts, so that their problems which otherwise would be dealt with in a context of delinquency and official action will be defined and handled by other means. It is premised on the idea that an excessive number of children are being processed by and unnecessarily referred to juvenile courts, that the harm done by contacts with these courts far outweighs any benefits gained, and that the contacts often exacerbate the problem of delinquency. The approach to delinquency should be one of control rather than one of treatment and prevention. Models designed to divert problem children from juvenile courts include: (1) the school model, which, besides the family, is a major socializing agency in society and therefore, a prime institutional focus for defining and channeling child and youth problems, (2) the welfare model, which completely replaces or functions in lieu of a juvenile court, (3) the law enforcement model, which consists of specialized organization, practices, and techniques used to adjust problems of juveniles without court action, and (4) the community organization model, which brings the other three models together. Each of the models is described in the monograph. (SB)