The book studies the properties of families of juvenile delinquents, whose role in the shaping of the members’ inadaptive behavior is viewed in circular terms. In the theoretical section, the author focuses on the history of sanctioning maladjusted behavior of children, presenting and discussing definitions and theories of the causes of this phenomenon. In the empirical section, the author presents the results of her research of family situations of juvenile delinquents, illustrated by selected case analyses from the standpoint of systemic family approach.