The amount and type of peer interaction occurring in four racially mixed eighth grade classrooms were studied. Observational data were collected on the peer-directed behaviors of 69 white children and 32 black children weekly during one semester. The race and sex of the person to whom each behavior was directed were recorded as were the affective tone (positive, negative, neutral) and the focus (task oriented, ambiguous, social) of the behavior. Findings indicated that children interacted more with peers of their own sex then with peers of the other sex. Children also tended to interact more with peers of their own race. Girls demonstrated strong own-race preferences while boys interacted cross-racially at approximately the same rate that would be expected if race were not a factor in interactant choice. Analysis of the data on the affective tone of the interactions suggested that negative behaviors were very rare. No differences in the tone or the focus of interracial or intraracial interactions of the children were found. (Author/MK)