Matched groups of male and female delinquents and nondelinquents are studied to test a theory that the greater rate of male delinquency is due to the different sex role objectives for boys and girls. This paper presents evidence supporting the predictions that delinquent girls will (1) more often come from broken homes, (2) more often come from homes with family tensions, and (3) will lack grooming skills more than nondelinquents or than delinquent boys. All these relational handicaps are found most commonly among the delinquent girls.