The 1990 population census of Papua New Guinea revealed a total population of 3,608,000, 16 percent of which were living in urban areas. Since its independence in 1975, the country's economy has developed slowly, but its population growth has been rapid. Its fast population growth and rapid urbanization, a small industrial sector, and high unemployment rates have created an unbalanced situation in which law-and-order problems are alarming. In addition to high rates of theft, robbery, and rape, the national police statistics show high rates of tribal fights, which include death, injury, and damages. Public and private concerns with and approaches to the crime problem are not supported by a large body of systematic evidence that can provide a rational basis for understanding the current context of crime and provide the basis for crime prevention strategies as well as the development and management of the criminal justice system. 4 tables