Ninety-two delinquent and nondelinquent African American and Hispanic adolescent females (ages 13 to 17) from Los Angeles County were interviewed to determine the likelihood of male friendship selection. Using both qualitative and quantitative measures, the group's demographic backgrounds, friendship selection, and quality were compared. Additionally, delinquent girls completed measures examining their self-perceptions and feelings of loneliness. Results indicate that delinquent girls are significantly more likely than nondelinquent girls to identify males as their closest friends. Age of friend, perceived advantages of the friendship, and involvement in delinquent and similar activities are related to male friendship selection. The results also reveal that delinquent girls with male friends do not differ from the female-friend groups on quantitative measures of friendship quality. Finally, among the delinquent population only, no differences between friendship groups exist for feelings of loneliness, competence, and self-worth.

Using 2 segregation indices--an exposure index previously used in cafeteria studies and an entropy index used for the first time, to our knowledge, in this study--we examined racial segregation in seating patterns among ethnically diverse middle school students in their school cafeteria over a 2-week period. Given the representation of groups in the cafeteria each day, results indicated the expected amount of contact between Asian and White students, but more limited contact between Asian and Latino students and between White and Latino students. Latino students, who were in the numerical majority in the sample, appeared least likely to contribute to overall segregation in the cafeteria. Implications for using the cafeteria methodology to examine intergroup relations were discussed.

Though past research studies show a relationship between trauma exposure and delinquency, none examine the relationship between trauma and perceptions of delinquent decision making among adolescent female offenders. Such an understanding is important because for females, physical or sexual abuse tends to start earlier and last longer than it does for males. As a result, adolescent females are more likely to have a higher prevalence of mental health or emotional disturbances, which may contribute to poor decision making and subsequent delinquency. Two-hundred and thirteen detained adolescent female offenders were administered a quantitative measure of decision making and the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2 (MAYSI-2). Results show that trauma is a predictor of delinquent decision making among adolescent female offenders. The impact of trauma on decision making was mediated by indicators of mental health or emotional disturbance such as anger, substance abuse, depression, somatic complaints, and suicidal ideation. Implications for identification and treatment are discussed.

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