This article deals with issues of psychological aid to juvenile delinquents, provides data on the study of social characteristics and personalities of adolescents placed in the Center for temporary detention of juvenile delinquents (CTDJD). A group of adolescents with delinquent behavior requires close attention of all services involved in prevention of neglect and delinquency among the minors. Psycho-prophylactic work with adolescents shall be aimed at shifting social and personal values from negative to positive, at restoring self-esteem and self-respect. The article describes the results of empirical research aimed at studying the social characteristics of delinquent adolescents with account of the living environment and the type of committed offenses; shows the relationship of adolescents' tendency to deviating behavior with their personal characteristics. It was established that juvenile delinquents have high levels of neuroticism and psychopathization tending to impulsive behavior, aggressive attitude to the social environment; the number of juvenile delinquents residing in orphanages and two-parent families increased; property offences account for a higher percentage of juvenile delinquents. The conclusion was made that the study of social characteristics and personalities of adolescents allowed one to build an individual trajectory of preventive and corrective work, as well as to optimize psychological aid for adolescents in CTDJD. (c) 2018 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org. UK