Research comparing delinquent and non-delinquent Maori youths in the following areas: upbringing and family; education; employment; living conditions and financial commitments; drinking habits and leisure time activities; moves about the country; and degree of identification with Maoritanga.’ Probation Officers interviewed 126 young Māori men, average age 18.6 years, who had been released on probation (but not parole) for the first time between 30 April 1965 and 30 October 1966. A second group of 81 Māori National Servicemen, average age 21.1 years, were interviewed by Army Education and Welfare Officers at Waiouru Military Camp. The research found no support for the idea frequently advanced that the practice of informal adoption contributes markedly to delinquency amongst Māori. The general conclusion about family life and upbringing affirmed that there was no evidence to support the hypothesis that a high degree of disruption in family background, with departure from traditional/nuclear family structures, is associated with increased likelihood of delinquency.