The youths were described by their social workers as troubled and troublesome. Their family situations were highly disrupted: fewer than one in six had families in which both their natural parents were living together. Seven out of 10 had been excluded from school or were frequent truants; 6 out of 10 had some involvement in delinquency; sizeable proportions had been violent to adults, violent to other children, run away from care, run away from their own homes, and put themselves or others at risk through sexual behavior; and more than one-third had attempted to commit suicide or to harm themselves. For approximately one-third, the purposes of the placement were essentially short-term. The youths were interviewed in the residential home in which they were living. The interview focused on the youth's happiness and whether anyone had tried to bully or sexually harass them. The study found that fellow residents, rather than staff, were the main sources of physical and sexual abuse. Both bullying and sexual harassment (actual and attempted) were strongly associated with the widespread misery reported by many residents. 2 tables and 12 references