The past 15 years have witnessed a significant shift in the way developmental scientists view their roles and responsibilities. Economic, social, political, and disciplinary factors have converged to foster increased attention to the social and applied relevance of the developmental data base (Fisher & Lerner, 1994; Fisher et al., 1993; Horowitz & O’Brien, 1989). In particular, developmental scientists are being called upon to generate knowledge about many of the societal problems jeopardizing the development of adaptive and productive life skills during the critical years of adolescence (Dougherty, 1993; Jessor, 1993; Lerner, 1993; Zaslow & Takanishi, 1993). Scholars engaged in research on developmental processes in adolescence have begun to shift the focus of their work from the laboratory to the streets in response to societal demands for knowledge and techniques that can help stem the tide of psychological risk associated with urban poverty, violence, and despair. Concern about the current risk-opportunity imbalance (Takanishi, 1993) in the lives of urban adolescents has risen with increases in the number of teenagers: living in poverty, abusing drugs and alcohol, becoming victimized by or engaged in violence, manifesting

depressive symptomology, and engaging in high-risk sexual activities and other health compromising behaviors (Chase-Lansdale & Brooks-Gunn, 1994; Children’s Safety Network, 1991; Cicchetti & Toth, 1993; Gans & Blyth, 1990; Jessor, 1992; Petersen et al., 1993; Richters & Martinez, 1993; Sum & Fogg, 1991; Takanishi, 1993).