IN RECENT YEARS SEVERAL SOCIOLOGISTS HAVE CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF THESE STUDIES IS THAT MOST PEOPLE FEEL SAFE IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT FEAR OF CRIME IS ONLY LOOSELY RELATED TO VICTIMIZATION. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT SINCE PEOPLE FEAR CRIME AWAY FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THAT CRIME, THEN THESE PEOPLE MAY BE REACTING TO THE THREAT OF CRIME AS IT IS PRESENTED IN THE MASS MEDIA. THE RESEARCH DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF TELEVISION (TV) VIOLENCE ON THE PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME AND THE REACTIONS TO PERCEIVED CRIME. FOUR HYPOTHESES WERE FORMULATED TO GUIDE THIS RESEARCH: (1) EXPOSURE TO TELEVISION VIOLENCE IS POSITIVELY RELATED TO THE PERCEPTION OF CRIME; (2) EXPOSURE TO TELEVISION VIOLENCE IS POSITIVELY RELATED TO DEFENSIVE REACTIONS TO CRIME; (3) THOSE RESPONDENTS WITH GREATER AMOUNTS OF EXPOSURE TO TELEVISION VIOLENCE WILL REACT MORE DEFENSIVELY AGAINST CRIME AND WILL PERCEIVE MORE CRIME; AND (4) THOSE RESPONDENTS WHO PERCEIVE THE VIOLENCE ON TV AS EFFECTIVE MEANS TO A GOAL WILL PERCEIVE MORE CRIME AND REACT MORE DEFENSIVELY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THAT CRIME. THE DATA WERE COLLECTED IN JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN A MARYLAND COUNTY CHOSEN BECAUSE IT INCLUDES AREAS WHICH ARE QUITE RURAL, MIDDLE CLASS AND BLUE COLLAR SUBURBS, AND SOME AREAS WHICH APPROXIMATE CONDITIONS IN THE INNER CITY. BASED ON THE DATA COLLECTED, THERE APPEARS TO BE LITTLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TELEVISION VIOLENCE AS OBJECTIVELY MEASURED ON FAVORITE SHOWS AND EITHER PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME OR REACTIONS TO CRIME. IF PEOPLE PERCEIVE A GREAT DEAL OF CRIME AND ARE AFRAID OF CRIME, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT HAVE EXPERIENCED IT DIRECTLY, THEIR PERCEPTIONS AND FEARS APPEAR TO EMANATE FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN SPECIFIC TELEVISION PROGRAMS. TELEVISION APPEARS TO PLAY ONLY A SMALL PART IN EXPLAINING PERCEPTIONS OF AND REACTIONS TO CRIME AMONG THE ADOLESCENT RESPONDENTS. THIS FINDING IS CONSISTENT WITH RECENT DATA WHICH INDICATE THAT ONLY WEAK RELATIONSHIPS EXIST BETWEEN TELEVISION VIOLENCE AND SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. DETAILS REGARDING METHODOLOGY, REQUISITE TABULAR DATA, AND SELECTED REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)