Sixty-one female adolescents recruited through a private adolescent family planning clinic, and 183 9th- through 12th-grade adolescents recruited from a private suburban high school were interviewed. The samples were predominantly white and middle to upper income. Perceptions of interpersonal communication skills were analyzed according to gender, clinic versus school, and history of sexual coercion. The adolescents were generally confident that they could assert their own preferences and stand up to others regarding sexual issues, with the exception of the small group of high school males who had experienced sexual coercion. This group (n=20) expressed difficulty in talking to their partners about safer sex, getting their partner(s) to listen to them, or turning down alcohol or drugs prior to having sex. These boys were also more likely to miss classes, have trouble with alcohol, be concerned about the use of alcohol and drugs, and about feeling unpopular. None of the female groups had this profile of communication and emotional problems. The article considers implications for preventive education programming on interpersonal skills and sexuality. Tables, references