The study was prompted by recognition that clinicians and researchers believe that a significant proportion of adolescents in treatment for chemical dependency have a history of sexual abuse, physical abuse, or both. However, few studies document the proportion of adolescents with histories of physical abuse in this population. Estimates of sexual abuse vary from 22 percent to 71 percent for females and from approximately 7 percent to 28 percent for males. Study participants were 389 adolescents who completed treatment at a midwestern agency that specialized in treating chemically dependent adolescents. The intake interviews did not routinely ask questions concerning abuse; data in the clinical records resulted from professionally documented indications of abuse or from observations during intake and treatment. Twenty-four percent of the males had a history of abuse, mostly physical abuse, while 54.1 percent of the females had a history of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or both. Results indicated different profiles for males and females. Results also suggested the importance of focusing on a combination of characteristics and not on a single variable as an indicator of the likelihood of a history of abuse. Findings also indicated that data routinely collected by community-based treatment centers can be used to sensitize clinicians to characteristics that suggest the need for additional inquiry or screening for a history of abuse. Tables and 18 references (Author abstract modified)