Most social scientists assert that Whites and African Americans exist in different economic, political, and social environments and that these contextual differences contribute substantially to group differences in violence and other antisocial outcomes. This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and structural equation modeling to compare a model of violent delinquency among black adolescents to one among white adolescents. Participants were 12,105 students in grades 7-12, who completed an in-school questionnaire. Results indicated that many of the factors leading to violence among black and white teens were the same. However, context led to racial differences in violent delinquency. White adolescent behavior was more sensitive to community characteristics than black adolescent behavior. The results associated with black adolescents could be attributed to exposure to community deprivation. Neighborhood poverty and unemployment levels as well as parents' education and nontraditional family structures had substantial effects on the behavior of both black and white adolescents. Social class offered some protection against adverse outcomes associated with risky behavior, although the strength of this protection was conditioned by race. (Contains 68 references.) (SM)