This study outlines several critical issues confronting junior and senior high school students in Taiwan (Republic of China). Stories from school administrators and teachers depict the qualitative and personal nature of the adolescent experience as seen through the eyes of school personnel. An overview of the social and educational setting in Taiwan around 1990 helps orient readers and put these adolescent anecdotes in a meaningful cultural context. The paper presents these observations as legitimate and relevant rather than idiosyncratic experiences by documenting their occurrence through empirical research and cultural observations. Although culturally specific (uniquely Chinese) adolescent experiences were found, the overall results indicate that adolescents in Taiwan also confront many of the social, physical, familial, and psychological difficulties often associated with becoming an adult in other industrialized societies. In summary, educators, counselors, and policy makers around the world need to share insights, work to improve understanding of adolescent stress reactions, and explore successful intervention strategies. (Contains 31 references.) (Author/JDM)