A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 532 YOUNG BLACK MALES AND THEIR PARENTS IN PHILADELPHIA, PA., FOUND THAT MANY OF THE YOUTHS AND PARENTS REGARDED CRIME AND VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOLS AND ON THE STREETS AROUND THE SCHOOLS AS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THESE FEARS WERE MOST PREVALENT AMONG LOWER-CLASS FAMILIES. RELOCATION TO SAFER AREAS OR SCHOOLS, BANDING TOGETHER TO OPPOSE THREATS TO PERSONAL SAFETY, TRUANCY, AND DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL WERE AMONG APPROACHES TAKEN BY YOUTHS AND PARENTS TO ALLEVIATE THEIR FEARS. AN ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY DATA ON VICTIMIZATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF 26 CITIES FOUND THAT 270,000 PERSONAL VICTIMIZATIONS--8 PERCENT OF ALL SUCH VICTIMIZATIONS IN THE CITIES SURVEYED--TOOK PLACE IN THE SCHOOLS. MOST IN-SCHOOL CRIMES INVOLVED EITHER PETTY THEFT OR MINOR ASSAULT, FEW INVOLVED WEAPONS AND/OR OFFENDER-VICTIM PHYSICAL CONTACT, AND FEW (INCLUDING THOSE IN WHICH TEACHERS WERE VICTIMS) WERE REPORTED TO THE POLICE. A REEXAMINATION OF DATA FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION'S SAFE SCHOOL STUDY REPORT TO CONGRESS FOUND THE FOLLOWING STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH FEAR OF CRIME: POOR GRADES AND READING ABILITY, NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AND FELLOW STUDENTS, POOR SOCIAL INTERACTION, AND LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE. AN ONGOING STUDY OF THE EXTENT AND CAUSES OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AMONG A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF YOUTHS INCLUDES A SMALL COMPONENT ON VICTIMIZATION AND SHOULD PRODUCE NATIONAL ESTIMATES OF VICTIMIZATION RATES AND OF THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG VICTIMS. (LKM)