If you walk into any American high school, you are likely to be confronted by a plethora of clothes, smells, and attitudes.. or, in other words, cliques. The following is a guide to the stereotypes of these cliques as portayed in films, on television and in the media.

The 'Preps'

• Music - Anything played on the secular radio stations and MTV.

• Clothes - Mini-versions of what adults wear, but the skirts are shorter on the girls and the pants baggier on the guys.

• Attitude - A very definite 'I'm better than you, no matter what' vibe comes across when talking to these college-headed teens. They tend to be intelligent¹ and they always look like they are going to a movie premiere in Los Angeles.

• Hang-outs - Class lounges, gym and locker areas.

The 'Goths'

• Music - Generally hard-core or techno, with some punk mixed in there. Favourite bands are Bauhaus, Dead Can Dance, The Sisters of Mercy, Nine Inch Nails etc.

• Clothes - Uniformly black, lots of silver jewellery, big boots.

• Attitude - Morbid, tending to the over-romantic, and extremely intelligent, completely against the stereotype.

• Hang-outs - Some out-of-the-way classroom where they can speak without being heard.

Skaters

• Music - Anything that the 'Preps' are listening to, but none of the boy-bands or Divas.

• Clothes - Baggy, sagging pants, t-shirts with logos and big shoes.

• Attitude - Cocky but not generally very intelligent. All are convinced that Skaters will someday, or quite possibly already are, ruling the world. Extremely respectful of women. This clique tends to mesh a lot with the 'Preps'.

• Hang-outs - In front of the building where they can hacky-sack and ditch easily.

Freaks

• Music - Punk, Hard core, some metal.

• Clothes - Extremely bright and flashy, generally baggy pants and tight shirts, big shoes.

• Attitude - Easily the most accepting of all the cliques, but if you get on their bad side, watch out. They run in groups and can be very dangerous.

• Hang-outs - Cafeteria, where they can be part of the action.