Participants completed self-report instruments and semistructured interviews. Much of the information obtained was verified with records kept by the Department of Youth Services. The study results suggest that among male adolescent offenders, exposure to malevolent environmental factors and traumatic life events is common, and rates of PTSD are high. These results in concert with those of other studies (e.g., Burton et al., 1994; Steiner et al., 1997) suggest that exposure to potentially traumatic events and PTSD are important assessment targets in youth rehabilitative settings. The assessment methodology in this study was well tolerated by the study participants, and they specifically indicated little discomfort with disclosing exposure to adverse life experiences, either on surveys or during the interview. Accordingly, similar methods might be applied for clinical purposes. 2 tables, 1 note, and 48 references