This manual provides an overview of the law relating to juvenile proceedings, focusing primarily on arrest and detention procedures, which are a major concern of police officers who work with juveniles. The manual does not provide specific instruction in state law but does describe federal Constitutional rulings that affect treatment of juveniles. The purpose of this manual is to alert the police officer to differences between juvenile delinquency proceedings and the adult criminal system. The case method is used to highlight areas of concern to the officer dealing with juveniles. The manual assumes that the police officer is familiar with basic principles of adult criminal procedure. The manual should assist the officer in protecting the juveniles' safety and well-being, and assisting in the eventual rehabilitation of the child involved; protecting the safety of the public by ensuring that adjudications obtained are not subject to Constitutional challenge; and protecting the officer and the department from civil liability resulting from inadvertent violations of children's Constitutional rights. The manual is divided into three chapters which deal with: (1) arrest, interrogation, search and detention; (2) probable cause, adjudication, and disposition; and (3) liability for violations of civil rights, including unauthorized searches, placement decisions, and supervisory liability. (ABL)