The 60 participants included 10 males and 10 females from each of grades one, four, and seven in a Catholic school in Brooklyn, N.Y. Children were randomly selected from grade rosters. Parental consent forms were obtained for all study participants. The participants were individually interviewed and responded to two vignettes in which friends offered a drink to lead characters. Results indicated that children in all three grades expected parents to respond negatively to drinking. However, significantly more fourth and seventh graders than first graders expected positive peer reactions to drinking and anticipated strongly negative peer reactions to refusing to drink. Moreover, significantly more fourth and seventh than first graders cited social motives for drinking behavior. Combined with other reports of children's expectations about the negative effects of alcohol, the findings suggest that prior to initiating alcohol use themselves, children understand that drinking is a behavior that serves social purposes. Tables and 31 references (Author abstract modified)