Considerable attention has been paid to the question of whether altruism increases with age through the years of childhood and early adolescence. The relationship between age and helping was examined for 128 boys and 128 girls in the first experiment. A second sample of an additional 256 participants was then studied to investigate factors which may inhibit helping behaviors. Results were consistent with earlier findings of a curvilinear relationship between age and helping, with 4th and 10th graders helping significantly more than 1st and 7th graders. More help was given to a toddler than to an age-peer and to a person whose injury appeared serious. Results from the second sample suggested that helping by younger children was inhibited by fear of possible inadequacy, while helping by adolescents was inhibited by fear of disapproval or sensitivity to possible embarrassment felt by potential recipients. Helping was inhibited least under the conditions of high recipient dependency (very young victim, serious injury). (Author/JAC)