Recent research indicates that public information campaigns and promotional programs can have an impact on the extent to which citizens involve themselves in crime prevention. Subgroups such as the elderly may especially benefit from efforts more carefully tailored to their own needs and circumstances. The design of successful programs requires taking into account not only existing audience awareness, but knowledge of basic communication planning principles as well. Previous research on source, message, and channel factors in influencing audiences provides a substantial resource for campaign planners intent upon matching messages to particular audiences. Elements such as source credibility, fear appeals, use of humor, elements of message design, and channel information capacities have all been the subject of considerable research, and many of the findings have implications for media message design. Formative research can also present profiles of the mass and interpersonal communication patterns of specific target groups, and can address their motives for communicating and the kinds of gratifications they seek from doing so. Local neighborhood group campaigns should be integrated with more generalized media campaigns. Group participation may have particular benefits for the elderly in fighting crime. (Author/ABL)