Based on French and international studies from the 1960's to the present, the article synthesizes three observations which most studies agree on. First, the public image of the police is negative; it is most negative, however, among juveniles and ethnic minorities. Second, the public, including juveniles, expresses a great demand for police protection; however, police service--because of its emphasis on repression rather than protection--does not satisfy that demand. Third, police/juvenile relations are trapped in a vicious circle: The police cannot function effectively without public support, but the public does not support the police because of the negative police image. Several explanations exist for the negative attitudes of juveniles toward the police ranging from the rebellion against all forms of authority to the social class conflict between juveniles and police. Despite widespread disagreement on ways of rendering the police more effective, research now agrees that juveniles are more deterred by the probability of being arrested than by the severity of the punishment. 67 references