One of the most important stress resistance resources emerging from research in adults has been the hardy personality (Kobasa, 1979). Identification of such a personality characteristic in young adults would provide some understanding of how some individuals emerge from a period of instability and change with the skills that help them adapt in a variety of social situations. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the effects of stress and hardiness in an adolescent population. Following a factor analytic approach, a reliable hardiness scale for adolescents was constructed and administered to a sample of inner city youth (ages 11-16, N=223). Empirical support for looking at hardiness as a stress resistance resource was found. Hardiness acted as a buffer, moderating the effects of stress for drug use, and was directly influential in the prediction of aberrant behavior (rebelliousness, socially deviant attitudes, and repression) and affective reactions (depression and family discord). However, gender was also identified as an important variable for predicting behavioral adjustment. The negative relationship between sex and behavioral adjustment indicated a tendency for males to report more socially deviant attitudes, rebelliousness, and repression than females. It was determined that social desirability, age, and sex should be important considerations when interpreting research findings or developing support programs for adolescents. (RJM)