1992 Juvenile Arrests -- FBI Uniform Crime Reports Data.

Law enforcement agencies in 1992 made 2.3 million
arrests of persons below the age of 18.
According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, these
juveniles were responsible for 16% of all arrests in 1992. 
Juveniles were involved in 15% of murder arrests, 16% of
forcible rape, 26% of robbery, 15% of aggravated assault, 34% of
burglary, 44% of motor vehicle theft, 23% of weapon, and 23%
of drug law violation arrests.

Thirty-six percent of juvenile arrests involved a youth below the
age of 15.  These young juveniles were involved in 11% of all
juvenile murder arrests, 38% of forcible rape, 28% of robbery,
32% of aggravated assault, 41% of burglary, 45% of larceny-thefts, 
29% of motor vehicle theft, 45% of runaway, 30% of
weapon, and 15% of drug law violation arrests.

In 1992 females were involved in 23% of all juvenile arrests. 
Females were charged in 6% of juvenile murder arrests, 7% of
weapon, 9% of robbery, 11% of drug, 12% of motor vehicle theft,
14% of DUI, 16% of aggravated assault, 27% of curfew violation,
29% of liquor law violation, 29% of larceny-theft, 52% of
prostitution, and 57% of runaway arrests.

In 1992, 80% of the U.S. population below the age of 18 was
white, 15% was black, 1% was Native American, and 3% was
Asian/Pacific Islanders.  Overall, whites were involved 70% of all
juvenile arrests in 1992, blacks in 27%, Native Americans in 1%,
and Asian/Pacific Islanders in 2%.  More specifically, white
juveniles were involved in 41% of murder arrests, 52% of
forcible rape, 38% of robbery, 56% of aggravated assault, 75% of
burglary, 73% of larceny-theft, 58% of motor vehicle theft, 92%
of DUI, 92% of liquor law violation, 62% of weapon, and 52% of
drug arrests.

While this fact sheet uses the term juvenile in its common
connotation to mean all persons below the age of 18, States vary
in their legal classification of a juvenile.  In Illinois and Texas, for
example, a juvenile is legally defined as all persons below the age
of 17.  Using each State's legal definition, the FBI reported that
62% of legally-defined juveniles arrested in 1992 were referred
to juvenile court, 5% to a criminal or adult court, 2% to a welfare
agency, and 1% to another police agency.  The remaining 30% of
arrested juveniles were handled within the police department and
released.

Juvenile arrests grew at a greater rate than adult arrests
Between 1988 and 1992, the total number of juvenile arrests
increased by 11%, compared to a 6% increase for adults.   To
monitor the characteristics of violent crime in the U.S., the FBI's
Uniform Crime Reporting Program created the Violent Crime
Index.  This index is a combination of four offenses murder,
forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.  Based on this
index, the juvenile arrests for a violent crime between 1988 and
1992 increased by 47%, while adult violent crime arrests
increased by 19%.  There were substantial differences in each of
the four components of the Violent Crime Index.  

Over the five-year period from 1988 to 1992, the number of juvenile murder
arrests increased by 51%, compared to a 9% increase in the
number of adult arrests for murder.  The number of juvenile
arrests for forcible rape increased by 17%, while adult arrests
increased by only 3%.  Juvenile robbery arrests increased by 50%
compared to a 13% increase for adults, while the juvenile
increase in aggravated assault arrests was more than double the
adult increase (49% versus 23%). 

The juvenile increase was greater than the adult increase in other
crime categories:  weapon law violations (66% versus 13%),
motor vehicle theft (12% versus -5%), simple assault (49% versus
26%), and disorderly conduct (24% versus 1%).  Between 1988
and 1992 the number of juvenile arrests for running away
increased by 13%.




Arrests of Persons Under Age 18, 1992                  
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                Estimated
                                Juvenile
                                 Female
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                Number of
                               Proportion 
                              Proportion of
                             Percent Change
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                 Offense
                                 Arrests
                             of All Arrests
                            Juvenile Arrests
                                1991-1992
                                1988-1992
                                1983-1992
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                  Total
                                2,296,000
                                   16%
                                   23%
                                   3%
                                   11%
                                   17%
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                           Crime Index totala
                                 839,400
                                   29
                                   21
                                    1
                                   12
                                   16
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                          Violent Crime Indexb
                                 129,600
                                   18
                                   13
                                    5
                                   47
                                   57
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                          Property Crime Indexc
                                 709,800
                                   33
                                   23
                                    0
                                    8
                                   11
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                 Murder
                                  3,300
                                   15
                                    6
                                    0
                                   51
                                   128
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                              Forcible rape
                                  6,300
                                   16
                                    2
                                    2
                                   17
                                   25
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                 Robbery
                                 45,700
                                   26
                                    9
                                    1
                                   50
                                   22
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                           Aggravated assault
                                 74,400
                                   15
                                   16
                                    8
                                   49
                                   95
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                Burglary
                                 144,500
                                   34
                                    9
                                   -1
                                    1
                                   -20
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                              Larceny-theft
                                 468,200
                                   31
                                   29
                                    0
                                    8
                                   13
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                           Motor vehicle theft
                                 87,500
                                   44
                                   12
                                   -4
                                   12
                                   120
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                  Arson
                                  9,700
                                   49
                                   11
                                    8
                                   25
                                   26
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                             Other assaults
                                 169,400
                                   16
                                   24
                                    9
                                   49
                                   106
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                       Forgery and counterfeiting
                                  8,400
                                    8
                                   35
                                   -3
                                    5
                                    9
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                  Fraud
                                 18,400
                                    4
                                   26
                                   10
                                   -2
                                   -41
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                              Embezzlement
                                   800
                                    6
                                   45
                                    3
                                   -38
                                   35
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                             Stolen property
                                 42,900
                                   27
                                   11
                                   -4
                                    6
                                   39
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                Vandalism
                                 145,300
                                   45
                                    9
                                    5
                                   28
                                   34
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                 Weapons
                                 54,200
                                   23
                                    7
                                   16
                                   66
                                   117
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                          Prostitution and vice
                                  1,200
                                    1
                                   52
                                   -8
                                   -27
                                   -54
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                            Other sex offense
                                 19,700
                                   18
                                    7
                                   10
                                   28
                                   41
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                          Drug abuse violations
                                 85,700
                                    8
                                   11
                                   14
                                   -10
                                    7
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                Gambling
                                  1,200
                                    7
                                    7
                                   15
                                   52
                                   25
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                   Offenses against family & children
                                  5,100
                                    5
                                   35
                                   27
                                   53
                                   212
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                       Driving under the inflence
                                 14,700
                                    1
                                   14
                                   -19
                                   -37
                                   -52
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                               Liquor laws
                                 119,200
                                   22
                                   29
                                   -12
                                   -24
                                   -12
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                Drunkness
                                 18,900
                                    2
                                   16
                                   -14
                                   -26
                                   -47
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                           Disorderly conduct
                                 136,500
                                   18
                                   22
                                    6
                                   24
                                   35
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                Vagrancy
                                  4,100
                                   12
                                   15
                                   57
                                   38
                                   36
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                   All other offenses (except traffic)
                                 338,500
                                   10
                                   21
                                    6
                                   11
                                    3
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                           Curfew & loitering
                                 91,100
                                   100
                                   27
                                    1
                                   -5
                                    9
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                Runaways
                                 181,300
                                   100
                                   57
                                    4
                                   13
                                   31
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
a. Crime Index is the combination of the Violent Crime Index and the 
   Property Crime Index.
b. Violent Crime Index is the combination of the offenses of murder, 
   forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
c. Property Crime Index is the combination of the offenses of burglary, 
   larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
  
         Data Source:  FBI, Crime in the United States 1992.
                                    

                                   
This fact sheet was prepared by Howard N. Snyder, National Center for
Juvenile Justice.  Data were taken from the FBI's Crime in the U.S. 1992. 
The material was developed for the forthcoming National Report on
Juvenile Offending and Victimization, a product of the Juvenile Justice
Statistics and Systems Development Program funded by OJJDP through
grant #90-JN-CX-K003.  Barbara Allen-Hagen, Social Science Analyst
in OJJDP's Research and Program Development Division, served as
Program Monitor.
                                                                  FS 94??