There is little published research on public opinion regarding juvenile justice issues. The current research tests a model predicting punitiveness toward young offenders based upon a theoretical framework and the research literature concerned with adult criminal justice topics. Predictor variables include fear of crime, conservative values, victimization experience, and demographic factors. The data derive from the 1993 Winnipeg Area Study, using a random telephone survey methodology to interview respondents from 499 households. The results revealed that respondents were quite punitive in their responses, but that this was not based upon experiences of actual victimization. The theoretical model received only partial support since neither fear nor the background variables had consistent net effects on punitiveness, but as predicted, those with more conservative social values were consistently more punitive. The role of the media in constructing youth crime into a social issue is discussed and suggestions for future research are given. (abstract from http://www.questia.com)