Highlights of key findings include: (1) public perception of violent crime is largely a function of medial coverage of crime, especially youth crime; (2) media coverage does not reflect a sufficiently thorough or, in many cases, accurate understanding of youth or youth crime; (3) the public needs to be an informed partner in the conversation about short- and long-term response to crime. The polls show that the public does not favor harsh treatment of most youth, yet asked to support policies based on misleading information; (4) professionals in the juvenile justice system recognize that discussions of crime trends need to have a comprehensive, evidence-based perspective that should be founded on accurate and timely data; (5) communities often need to respond to shorter-term crime trends, and changes in police tactics can be an effective part of that response; and (6) at its core, the comprehensive and evidence-based approach is based on the real stories of the system-involved or at-risk youth themselves. Recommendations that followed include: (1) initiate a campaign for accurate public information; (2) support a media training effort; (3) expand funding for public education; (4) promote healthy families and effective parenting; (5) broaden training for police and probation officers who work with troubled young people; and (6) remember that juvenile justice system-involved youth are adolescents. Public perception of violent crime is largely a function of media coverage of crime, especially youth or youth crime. Media coverage does not reflect a sufficiently thorough or accurate understanding of youth or youth crime. The Annie E. Casey Foundation funded the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) to conduct an assessment of media coverage of youth crime, public perception, actual trends in youth crime, and public policy in three United States cities: Dallas, TX; Washington, DC; and San Mateo, CA. Tables and figures