Data for the study came from a telephone survey of 387 residents in a southern rural county. Respondents were willing to support rehabilitation of juveniles, but there was strong support for punishment. A major portion of county residents considered gangs a very serious problem. Residents were divided on the purpose of criminal penalties for juveniles and whether to waive juveniles to adult courts. Opinions on what to do about crime varied according to race, age, marital status, education, income, and philosophy of punishment. Therefore, the majority of the dissent in the community was not about the presence of a problem, but about how to deal with the problem. The study demonstrates the ability of rural communities to conduct research associated with criminal justice issues. However, it recommends that future research should explore other variables and factors that may influence public opinions and should address methods of data collection and analysis. Tables, references