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In the juvenile institution discussed in this paper, 15 youths are committed to sexual exploitation of weaker inmates. These "booty bandits" are older, black youths from the ghetto who avoid emotional involvement with their victims and merely use them for their own physical release. Indignant about their own exploitation at the hands of "white society," they quickly become sexual exploiters in this institution, usually exploiting passive whites. Stages in their "career" include defining sexual exploitation as acceptable, learning the appropriate technique, exploiting sexually passive inmates, and terminating or reducing sexual exploitation in order to be released. Interpersonal and organizational variables are involved in successful sexual exploitation. The social class background of the victim appears to be the most important interpersonal variable. The organizational characteristics affecting sexual exploitation include the nature of staff supervision, types of inmates placed in the cottage, the black subculture of the institution, and the power that youth leaders have over inmates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]