This report is drawn from a larger longitudinal investigation of adolescent social development in familial and peer contexts. The full sample included 184 seventh and eighth graders (86 male and 98 female; Age: M = 13.35, SD = 0.64) and their parents. The sample was racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse: 107 adolescents (58%) identified themselves as Caucasian, 53 (29%) as African American, 15 (8%) as of mixed race/ethnicity and 9 (5%) as being from other minority groups. Adolescents' parents reported a median family income in the $40,000 - $59,999 range. Adolescents were originally recruited from the 7th and 8th grades at a public middle school drawing from suburban and urban populations in the Southeastern United States. Students were recruited via an initial mailing to all parents of students in the school along with follow-up contact efforts at school lunches. Adolescents who indicated they were interested in the study were contacted by telephone. Of all students eligible for participation, 63% agreed to participate either as target participants or as peers providing collateral information. Interviews took place in private offices within a university academic building.
