U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

JUVENILE JUSTICE 

STATISTICS

NATIONAL REPORT SERIES BULLETIN

Caren Harp, Administrator April 2019

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

53%

57%

43%

46%

44%

44%

47%

48%

Youth 

arrests 

Delinquency 

cases 

Petitioned 

status cases 

Youth in 

placement 

–60% –50% –40% –30% –20% –10% 0% 

Percent change 2006–2015

Female Male 

29%

27%

28%

27%

43%

43%

15%

15%

Youth 

arrests 

Delinquency 

cases 

Petitioned 

status cases 

Youth in 

placement 

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 

Female proportion 

2015 2006 

Girls in the Juvenile Justice System 

Samantha Ehrmann, Nina Hyland, and Charles Puzzanchera 

Highlights 

This bulletin presents statistics on girls in the juvenile justice system from three national data 

collections, covering their involvement from arrest through residential placement. It also provides 

an analysis of trends and case processing in addition to characteristics of the youth studied and 

their offenses. 

n Arrests involving girls decreased by more

than half (53%) between 2006 and 2015,

reaching their lowest point in three decades.

n Delinquency cases and petitioned status

cases involving girls also reached their

lowest points since the early 1990s,

decreasing 43% and 44%, respectively,

from 2006 through 2015.

n After falling 47% since 2006, the number of

females in placement in 2015 was at its

lowest level since at least 1997.

n Since 2006, the proportion of females

remained relatively constant for arrests,

delinquency cases, petitioned status cases,

and youth in placement.

n Larceny-theft, simple assault, and disorderly

conduct accounted for 50% of arrests and

56% of delinquency cases involving girls in

2015. Truancy offenses accounted for more

than half (55%) of petitioned status offense

cases involving females.

n In 2015, delinquency cases involving

girls were less likely to be petitioned,

adjudicated, or result in out-of-home

placement than cases involving boys.

In recent years, the involvement of girls 

in the juvenile justice system declined 

at a rate similar to that for boys 

As a result, the proportion of females 

at various stages of the juvenile 

justice system has changed very 

little since the mid-2000s 

Access OJJDP publications online at ojjdp.gov
2 National Report Series Bulletin 

 

 

 

 

 

A Message From OJJDP 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 

supported the statistical analyses 

reported in this bulletin to help the 

field better understand the nature of 

girls’ offending and how the justice 

system handles cases involving girls. 

The authors drew upon three national 

data collections—the Federal Bureau 

of Investigation’s Uniform Crime 

Reporting Program and OJJDP’s 

National Juvenile Court Data 

Archive and Census of Juveniles in 

Residential Placement—to create a 

statistical portrait of girls in the 

juvenile justice system, including 

trends in the demographics of this 

population, the offenses they 

committed, and how they move 

through the system. 

Both genders’ involvement in the 

juvenile justice system has declined 

at similar rates over the past decade. 

However, focusing on the overall 

trend may obscure important details. 

For example, although girls 

accounted for less than one-third of 

youth arrests in 2015, they made up 

a relatively large share for certain 

types of offenses, such as larcenytheft and liquor law violations. 

Additionally, 2015 data reveal that 

the offense profiles of petitioned 

status offense and delinquency cases 

involving younger girls differ from 

those of older girls. 

The examination of these types of 

trends and characteristics of girls in 

the juvenile justice system is critical 

to assessing needs, identifying 

potential service gaps, and directing 

interventions for this population. 

OJJDP prepared this bulletin to 

help states, communities, and tribal 

jurisdictions understand the national 

trends and consider how they may 

use their own data to identify and 

target effective and cost-efficient 

strategies for girls. 

Caren Harp 

Administrator 

The latest data highlight trends and 

characteristics of girls in the juvenile 

justice system and the system’s 

response to them 

Boys have always accounted for the 

majority of youth involved in the 

juvenile justice system. Consequently, 

advancements in policy and practice 

tended to focus on males. As the number of 

female youth entering the juvenile justice 

system grew throughout the 1990s, 

policymakers and researchers shifted their 

attention to girls to better understand the 

reasons behind this increase.1 

In 2004, the Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) established 

the Girls Study Group to examine what 

influences delinquent behavior among 

girls and how the juvenile justice system 

should respond. The group disseminated 

knowledge acquired from literature 

1Zahn, M.A., Hawkins, S.R., Chiancone, J., and 

Whitworth, A. 2008. The Girls Study Group—Charting 

the Way to Delinquency Prevention for Girls. Girls 

Study Group series. Washington, DC: U.S. Department 

of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Available 

at www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/223434.pdf. 

reviews, studies, and assessments through 

its bulletin series Understanding and 

Responding to Girls’ Delinquency. 

Today, OJJDP provides funds to support 

comprehensive, community-based services 

for girls in an effort to reduce violence and 

victimization and to promote public safety. 

Research has revealed the various 

adversities many girls face as well as their 

unique responses to trauma that place 

them at risk for entering the system. This 

statistical bulletin presents a national 

portrait of girls involved with the juvenile 

justice system as assessed through three 

national data collections: the Federal 

Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Uniform 

Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, OJJDP’s 

National Juvenile Court Data Archive, and 

OJJDP’s Census of Juveniles in Residential 

Placement. The bulletin examines recent 

trends of girls involved in the system and 

addresses their demographics, the offenses 

that led to their involvement, and how they 

move through the system. 
April 2019 3 

 

Females accounted for a small proportion of youth arrests for violent 

offenses in 2015 

Most serious offense 

Female youth 

arrests, 2015 

Female 

proportion 

Percent change 

2006–2015 

Total* 269,900 29% –53%

 Violent Crime Index† – – –

 Murder 100 6 –30

 Rape† – – –

 Robbery 2,000 11 –40

 Aggravated assault 7,300 26 –48

 Property Crime Index 70,700 34 –45

 Burglary 4,800 13 –48

 Larceny-theft 63,000 40 –44

 Motor vehicle theft 2,600 18 –55

 Arson 400 16 –61

Simple assault 48,200 37 –42

Fraud 1,500 33 –41

Stolen property 1,700 16 –45

Vandalism 7,000 17 –55

Weapons violations 2,100 11 –56

Prostitution and 

 commercialized vice 400 76 –61

Sex offenses† – – –

Drug abuse violations 21,100 21 –33

Offenses against child and family 1,300 37 –39

Driving under the influence 1,600 25 –65

Liquor law violations 17,200 40 –66

Drunkenness 1,600 29 –62

Disorderly conduct 25,100 35 –64

All other offenses except traffic 46,200 28 –55

Curfew 12,700 28 –73

Runaway NA NA NA

•n	 Females accounted for 26% of youth arrests for aggravated assault and 40% of arrests

for larceny-theft. 

•n	 Across offenses, arrests involving females declined 30% or more since 2006.

*Includes offenses not shown.

†Beginning in 2013, the FBI broadened the definition of rape, removing the phrase “forcible” from the

offense name and description. Law enforcement agencies may submit data on rape arrests based on

either the new or legacy definition of rape. Due to differences in agency reporting practices, national

estimates for the offenses of “rape” and “sex offenses” are no longer available. Additionally, estimates

for the Violent Crime Index (which included “forcible rape”) are not shown.

NA = National estimates for runaway arrests are no longer available.

Arrests of girls accounted for less than one-third of all 

youth arrests 

In 2015, law enforcement agencies in the 

United States made an estimated 921,600 

arrests of persons younger than age 18. Girls 

accounted for 269,900 of those arrests, or 

less than one-third; however, their 

involvement varied by offense. 

Females accounted for a relatively large 

share of youth arrests2 involving larceny-theft 

(40%), liquor law violations (40%), simple 

assault (37%), and disorderly conduct (35%). 

In comparison, females accounted for a small 

share of murder (6%) and robbery (11%) 

arrests. While the male proportion of youth 

arrests exceeded the female proportion 

across most offenses, arrests for prostitutionrelated offenses were an exception. Of the 

600 estimated youth arrests for prostitutionrelated offenses, more than three-fourths 

(76%) involved girls. 

2In the arrest section of this bulletin (pages 3–5), 

“youth” refers to persons younger than age 18. In 

2015, this definition was at odds with the legal 

definition of youth involved in the justice system 

where 16- and 17-year-olds in some states are 

defined as adults. 

About the data 

Findings in the arrest section of this 

bulletin are from data that local law 

enforcement agencies across the 

country report to the Federal Bureau of 

Investigation’s (FBI’s) Uniform Crime 

Reporting (UCR) Program. These 

statistics report the number of arrests 

that law enforcement agencies made in 

a given year—not the number of youth 

arrested nor the number of crimes 

committed. Under the UCR Program, the 

FBI requires law enforcement agencies 

to classify an arrest by the most serious 

offense charged in that arrest. More 

information on arrest data is available in 

the “Data Sources” section of this 

bulletin (p. 23). 
4 National Report Series Bulletin 

 

Number of youth arrests 

800,000 100% 

700,000 

600,000 

80% 

500,000 

400,000 

300,000 

60% 

40% 

200,000 

100,000 

0 

1980 83 86 89 92 95 98 

Year 

01 04 07 10 13 

20% 

0% 

15 

Females 

Female proportion 

In 2015, arrests involving girls reached the lowest level 

since at least 1980 

Half of arrests involving 

girls in 2015 were for 

larceny-theft, simple 

assault, or disorderly 

conduct offenses 

Among arrests involving girls, larceny-theft 

was the most common offense, accounting 

for about one-fourth (23%) of their arrests in 

2015. Simple assault accounted for nearly 

one-fifth (18%) of arrests involving girls, 

while disorderly conduct accounted for 9%. 

In contrast, more serious violent offenses 

(murder, robbery, and aggravated assault) 

accounted for 3% of arrests of girls. 

In comparison, larceny-theft (14%), drug 

abuse violations (12%), and simple assault 

(13%) were the most common offenses for 

arrests involving boys. While these offenses 

accounted for 39% of arrests involving boys, 

the three most common offenses for girls 

accounted for half of their arrests. Across 

most other offenses, the offense profiles for 

females and males were about the same. For 

example, stolen property offenses, driving 

under the influence, and drunkenness each 

accounted for 1% of arrests for boys and 

girls, and aggravated assault accounted for 

3% for both. 

Arrests involving girls 

declined more than 50% 

since 2006 

Overall, arrests involving youth peaked in 

1996 at nearly 2.7 million. By 2015, the 

number of arrests involving youth reached its 

lowest point in three decades, 65% less than 

the 1996 peak. Between 1996 and 2015, 

arrests declined substantially for males 

(68%) and females (56%), but the patterns of 

decline were different. 

Arrests of male youth decreased gradually 

from their peak through the mid-2000s and 

then fell more sharply through 2015 (down 

Arrest trends differed between girls and boys 

2,500,000 

2,000,000 

1,500,000 

1,000,000 

500,000 

0 

All crimes 

Males 

Females 

1980 83 86 89 92 95 98 01 04 07 10 13 15 

Year 

Number of youth arrests Percent of youth arrests 

57% since 2006). In contrast, arrests of 

female youth peaked in 1997, declined from 

their peak through 1999, and then increased 

slightly through the late 2000s. As a result of 

the decline in male arrests, coupled with an 

increase in female arrests through the late 

2000s, the female proportion of youth arrests 

increased from 23% in 1996 to 29% in 2009. 

More recently, from 2009 through 2015, the 

relative decline in arrests for boys and girls 

was the same (down 49%). As a result, the 

female proportion of youth arrests remained 

stable at 29% each year since 2009. 
April 2019 5 

Select offenses influenced changes in female arrest 

patterns 

Larceny-theft, simple assault, and disorderly 

conduct accounted for half of all arrests 

involving girls. Combined, these offenses 

accounted for 42% of the decline in arrests 

of females in the past 10 years (2006–15). 

As a result, changes in the volume of these 

offenses have influenced the overall trend of 

arrests involving females. 

Larceny-theft 

Number of female youth arrests Percent of youth arrests 

175,000 

150,000 

125,000 

100,000 

75,000 

50,000 

0 

Simple assault 

Number of female youth arrests 

Female proportion 

Larceny-theft 

1980 83 86 89 92 95 98 01 04 07 10 13 15 

Year 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

Percent of youth arrests 

•n	 Larceny-theft arrests involving girls decreased 33% from 1996 to 2006

before rising through 2009. After 6 years of steady decline (56% since 

2009), the number of arrests of females in 2015 was at its lowest level in 

more than three decades. 

•n	 From 1996 through 2006, arrests for larceny-theft involving female youth

did not fall as sharply as those involving male youth. As a result, the 

female proportion grew from 33% to 40%. Given the larger relative 

decline in female arrests than male arrests since 2009 (down 56% and 

46%, respectively), the female share fell from 45% to 40%. 

100,000 

80,000 

60,000 

40,000 

20,000 

Disorderly conduct 

Number of female youth arrests 

80,000 

60,000 

40,000 

20,000 

Simple assault 

Female proportion 

0 

1980 83 86 89 92 95 98 01 04 07 10 13 15 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

Percent of youth arrests 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

Disorderly conduct 

Female proportion 

1980 83 86 89 92 95 98 01 04 07 10 13 15 

Year 

Year 

•n	 Arrests for simple assault offenses involving female youth more than

quadrupled between 1980 and 2006. In comparison, arrests of males for 

simple assault more than doubled (increasing 140%) during the same 

period, leading to an increase in the female share of arrests from 21% in 

1980 to 34% in 2006. 

•n	 Since the 2006 peak, arrests of girls for simple assault decreased 42%,

compared with a 50% decrease for boys. Given the larger relative decline 

in male arrests, the female share grew, averaging 36% in the past 5 years. 

•n	 After declining from 1997 through 2000, arrests for disorderly conduct

involving female youth peaked in 2006. Since 2006, arrests of females fell 

64%, reaching their lowest level since the early 1990s. 

•n	 While male arrests for disorderly conduct followed a similar pattern as

female arrests, they increased relatively less and decreased relatively 

more than female arrests. As a result, the female proportion of arrests 

gradually increased from 26% in 1997 to 35% in 2015. 

0 
6 National Report Series Bulletin 

The female delinquency caseload in 2015 was at its 

lowest level since the early 1990s 

Overall, delinquency cases referred to 

juvenile court grew substantially from 1985 

to 1997, when the caseload peaked at an 

estimated 1.9 million cases. Since 1997, the 

number of delinquency cases fell 53% 

through 2015 and dropped below 900,000 

for the first time since the mid-1970s. 

In 2015, juvenile courts handled 244,000 cases involving girls, 9% more than 

in 1985 

Number of cases 

The caseload for females also increased 

between 1985 and 1997, but the increase 

outpaced the overall caseload. In a little more 

than a decade, the female caseload doubled 

(up 99%), while the overall caseload 

increased 62%. Consequently, the female 

share of the delinquency caseload increased 

from 19% in 1985 to 24% in 1997. 

After 1997, the female caseload increased 

slightly, peaking in 2005 (up 4%). Since the 

peak, the female caseload declined through 

2015 (down 47%), reaching its lowest level 

since the late 1980s. In comparison, the 

male caseload declined slightly between 

1997 and 2005 before also declining 47% 

through 2015, reaching its lowest level since 

at least 1985. As a result of the similar 

trends, the female proportion of the 

delinquency caseload remained fairly stable 

at 27% to 28%. 

About the data 

Findings in this section are based on 

national estimates of delinquency cases 

and petitioned status offense cases 

handled in juvenile court developed by 

the National Juvenile Court Data Archive 

project, which is funded by the Office of 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention. Each case represents the 

initial disposition of a new referral to 

juvenile court for one or more offenses. 

As with the arrest data, if a case has 

more than one offense, the most serious 

offense is selected. Similarly, cases with 

multiple dispositions are categorized by 

their most severe or restrictive disposition. 

More information on juvenile court data 

is available in the “Data Sources” 

section of this bulletin (p. 23). 

500,000 

450,000 

400,000 

350,000 

300,000 

250,000 

200,000 

150,000 

100,000 

50,000 

0 

Year 

•n	 Between 2010 and 2015, the female caseload decreased an average of 8% per year.

From 1985 to 2009, the female share of delinquency cases grew from 

19% to 28% and remained stable through 2015 

Percent of cases 

30% 

Female delinquency cases 

1985 88 91 94 97 00 03 06 09 12 15 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

Year 

Female proportion 

1985 88 91 94 97 00 03 06 09 12 15 
April 2019 7 

Across offenses, girls accounted for fewer than 4 of every 10 

delinquency cases in 2015 

Female cases, Female Percent change 

Most serious offense 2015 proportion 2006–2015 

Total delinquency* 244,000 28% –43% 

Person offenses 75,400 31 –39 

Violent Crime Index 8,600 16 –44

 Criminal homicide 100 16 NA

 Rape 300 4 NA

 Robbery 2,200 11 –29 

 Aggravated assault 6,000 23 –49 

Simple assault 59,100 36 –35 

Property offenses 81,200 27 –47 

Property Crime Index 64,800 30 –45

 Burglary 5,800 11 –45

 Larceny-theft 55,800 39 –44

 Motor vehicle theft 2,800 21 –56 

 Arson 500 15 –54 

Vandalism 7,600 17 –54 

Trespassing 5,500 21 –45 

Stolen property offenses 1,400 16 –56 

Drug law violations 24,600 22 –27 

Public order offenses 62,700 28 –48 

Obstruction of justice 30,800 27 –44 

Disorderly conduct 21,400 37 –51 

Weapons offenses 2,100 11 –59 

Liquor law violations 2,000 32 –64 

Nonviolent sex offenses 2,400 21 –4 

•n	 Girls accounted for a smaller share of cases involving aggravated assault (23%) than simple

assault (36%). 

•n	 Female cases involving motor vehicle theft, arson, vandalism, stolen property, disorderly conduct,

weapons offenses, and liquor law violations fell by at least 50% since 2005. 

*Includes offenses not shown.

NA = Too few cases to develop a reliable estimate.

 

 

 

Many delinquency cases involving girls were for 

nonviolent offenses 

Less than one-third of 

delinquency cases involved 

girls in 2015 

Of the estimated 884,900 delinquency cases 

that juvenile courts handled in 2015, 28% 

involved girls. Among the general offense 

categories, females accounted for 31% of all 

person offense cases, 28% of public order 

offense cases, 27% of property offense 

cases, and 22% of drug offense cases. 

Girls accounted for a relatively large share of 

certain offenses in 2015. For example, they 

accounted for more than one-third of all 

cases involving larceny-theft (39%), simple 

assault (36%), and disorderly conduct (37%) 

offenses. In comparison, the female 

proportion of violent offenses was relatively 

small—in 2015, girls accounted for less than 

one-fifth (16%) of all Violent Crime Index 

offense cases (i.e., criminal homicide, rape, 

robbery, and aggravated assault). 

Overall, the caseload involving females fell 

43% between 2006 and 2015. Public order 

offense cases had the largest relative decline 

since 2006, largely influenced by reductions 

in disorderly conduct (a 51% decrease) and 

obstruction of justice (a 44% decrease) cases. 

Property offenses closely followed, driven by 

a 44% decrease in larceny-theft cases. The 

declines in larceny-theft, disorderly conduct, 

and obstruction of justice cases accounted for 

nearly half of the decrease in the female 

caseload between 2006 and 2015. 

Nearly half of the female 

delinquency caseload in 

2015 involved simple 

assault or larceny-theft 

offenses 

The majority of female cases involved 

nonviolent offenses. In 2015, less than onethird of female delinquency cases involved 

person offenses, with simple assault 

accounting for 24% and Violent Crime Index 

offenses accounting for 4% overall. Property 

offenses accounted for the largest share of 

the female caseload (33%), with larceny-theft 

contributing to nearly one-fourth (23%) of the 

overall volume. 

Offense profile of female 

delinquency cases, 2015 

Most serious offense Percent 

Total delinquency 100% 

Person offenses 31 

Violent Crime Index 4

 Criminal homicide <1

 Rape <1

 Robbery 1 

Aggravated assault 2 

Simple assault 24 

Other violent sex offenses <1 

Other person offenses 3 

Property offenses 33 

Property Crime Index 27

 Burglary 2

 Larceny-theft 23

 Motor vehicle theft 1 

Arson <1 

Vandalism 3 

Trespassing 2 

Stolen property offenses 1 

Other property offenses 1 

Drug law violations 10 

Public order offenses 26 

Obstruction of justice 13 

Disorderly conduct 9 

Weapons offenses 1 

Liquor law violations 1 

Nonviolent sex offenses 1 

Other public order offenses 2 
8 National Report Series Bulletin 

Offense profile of female 

delinquency cases, by 

race/ethnicity, 2015 

Offense White* Black* Hispanic 

Total 100% 100% 100% 

Person 27 37 30 

Property 35 31 32 

Drugs 14 3 12 

Public order 24 28 26 

*Excludes persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

The typical female delinquency case involved an older 

girl and over half involved black or Hispanic youth 

Most female delinquency cases 

involved youth age 15 or older 

Two-thirds (67%) of the female caseload in 

2015 involved girls age 15 or older at the 

time of referral. Older girls accounted for at 

least 60% of all cases across the four major 

offense categories. For example, females age 

15 or older accounted for 76% of all female 

drug offense cases and 71% of all female 

property offense cases. 

The offense profile of cases involving younger 

girls differed from that of older girls. Cases 

involving younger girls, those younger than 

age 15, included a larger proportion of person 

offenses (38%) compared with older youth 

(28%). Conversely, cases involving older 

females involved a larger proportion of 

property offenses (35% vs. 29%) and drug 

offenses (11% vs. 7%) than cases involving 

younger females. 

More than half of all female 

delinquency cases involved 

black or Hispanic youth 

Fifty-four percent of female cases handled in 

2015 involved minority youth (i.e., black, 

Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian).3 Cases 

involving black girls accounted for more than 

one-third of all female delinquency cases 

(35%), while cases involving Hispanic girls 

accounted for another 17%. 

3Throughout this bulletin, the racial classification 

American Indian includes American Indian and Alaska 

Native. The racial classification Asian includes Asian, 

Native Hawaiian, and Other Pacific Islander. 

About one-third of female delinquency cases involved youth younger than 15 

and 1 in 10 involved a drug offense 

Age 

Race/ethnicity 

Offense 

Percent of delinquency cases 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

7% 25% 22% 24% 

46% 35% 17% 3% 

31% 33% 10% 

Under 13 14 15 16 

White Black Hispanic Other 

Person Property Drugs Public order 

17 

26% 

21% 

•n	 Other race includes American Indian, Asian, and youth of unknown race.

Offense profiles varied by race in 2015. 

Overall, property offense cases accounted for 

the largest share of the 2015 female 

caseload (33%). White female and Hispanic 

female caseloads followed this general 

pattern; however, the caseload involving 

black females differed. Person offenses 

accounted for a larger share of the black 

female caseload (37%) than did property 

offenses (31%). The black female caseload 

was also unique in terms of the relatively 

small proportion of drug offense cases (3%) 

compared with the Hispanic (12%) and white 

(14%) female caseloads. 
April 2019 9 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waived 

300 <1% 

Placed 

11,800 21% 

Adjudicated 

56,700 49% 

Probation 

37,300 66% 

Petitioned 

115,400 47% 

Other sanction

7,600

Probation

16,600

13%

29%

Not adjudicated 

58,300 50% 

Other sanction 

8,300 14% 

Dismissed 

33,300 57% 

Probation 

20,600 16% 

Not petitioned 

128,600 53% 

Other sanction 

61,200 48% 

Dismissed 

46,800 36% 

 

In 2015, three of every four delinquency cases involving 

girls did not receive formal sanctions 

An intake department first screens cases 

referred to juvenile court to determine if the 

matter will be handled formally, with the filing 

of a petition, or informally. Of the estimated 

244,000 delinquency cases involving girls in 

2015, more than half (53%) were handled 

informally without the filing of a petition. 

If the intake department decides that a case 

should be handled formally, a petition is filed 

and the case is placed on the court calendar 

(or docket) for an adjudicatory or waiver 

hearing. Half of all formally handled 

delinquency cases involving females did not 

result in a delinquency adjudication, and less 

than half of 1% were judicially waived to 

criminal court. 

At the disposition hearing, the juvenile court 

judge determines the most appropriate 

sanction, generally after reviewing a 

predisposition report. One-fifth (21%) of 

adjudicated delinquency cases involving girls 

resulted in out-of-home placement and twothirds (66%) resulted in formal probation. 

Case dispositions can be grouped into three 

general categories: dismissed, informal 

sanctions, and formal sanctions. Formal 

sanctions include cases judicially waived to 

criminal court and dispositions of adjudicated 

cases. Informal sanctions include all 

remaining outcomes except for dismissals. 

Overall, 33% of delinquency cases involving 

females were dismissed, 44% received 

informal sanctions, and 23% were 

adjudicated delinquent and received 

formal sanctions. 

Few female delinquency 

cases involved detention 

Juvenile courts may hold youth charged with 

an offense in a secure juvenile detention 

facility if it is in the best interest of the 

community and/or the youth. A youth may be 

detained at different points as a case 

proceeds through the juvenile justice system. 

In this section, “detention” refers to being 

placed in a restrictive facility under court 

authority at some point after referral to court 

and prior to disposition. 

Overall, one-fourth (24%) of all delinquency 

cases handled in 2015 involved the youth 

being securely detained. Courts detained a 

smaller proportion (20%) of cases involving 

females. For females, person (27%) and public 

order (23%) offense cases were most likely to 

result in detention in 2015. Across the four 

general offense categories, cases involving 

girls were less likely to be detained than 

cases involving boys. 

Many delinquency cases involving girls were redirected away from deeper involvement in the juvenile justice system 

Female delinquency cases, 2015 

244,000 

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. 
10 National Report Series Bulletin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2015, delinquency cases involving girls were less likely to receive formal 

sanctions than cases involving boys 

Percent of delinquency cases 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

Dismissed Informal sanctions Formal sanctions 

Female Male 

•n	 Overall, courts dismissed a similar proportion of female and male delinquency cases.

33% 32% 

23% 

32% 

44% 

36% 

Percent of cases detained, by 

offense and gender, 2015 

Female Male 

Total 

Person 

20% 

27 

26% 

32 

Property 

Drugs 

Public order 

14 

14 

23 

22 

18 

30 

More than half of female 

delinquency cases were 

handled informally 

When a case is referred to court, 

decisionmakers first determine if sufficient 

evidence exists to prove the allegation 

brought against the youth. If evidence does 

not exist, an intake officer or prosecutor 

dismisses the case; otherwise, intake officials 

decide if the case should be handled formally. 

Decisionmakers may consider informal case 

handling if they believe that accountability and 

rehabilitation can be achieved without formal 

court intervention. 

In 2015, more than half (53%) of all 

delinquency cases involving girls were 

handled informally, compared with 42% of 

cases involving boys. Informal handling was 

more likely for less serious offenses among 

cases involving girls. For example, 58% of all 

property offense cases involving females were 

handled informally, compared with 50% of 

person offense cases involving females. 

Similarly, a greater proportion (53%) of simple 

assault cases involving females were handled 

informally than were aggravated assault 

(29%) cases. 

More than one-third of 

nonpetitioned delinquency 

cases involving females 

were dismissed 

Most nonpetitioned cases received some 

type of informal sanction in 2015. In some 

instances, the youth agreed to informal 

probation, restitution, school attendance, 

drug counseling, or community service, or 

the court referred them to another agency 

for services. These informal sanctions 

generally involve little or no continuing 

supervision. Although specific information 

about diversion decisions is not available, 

In 2015, cases involving 

females were more likely 

to be handled informally 

than those involving males 

Percent of cases 

not petitioned 

Female Male

 Total delinquency 53% 42% 

Person offenses 50 40 

Violent Crime Index 25 21 

Criminal homicide NA 24 

Forcible rape NA 25 

Robbery 14 13 

Aggravated assault 29 26 

Simple assault 53 48 

Property offenses 58 42 

Property Crime Index 60 39 

Burglary 43 25 

Larceny-theft 63 49 

Motor vehicle theft 31 24 

Arson 35 30 

Vandalism 49 48 

Trespassing 63 54 

Drug law violations 58 49 

Public order offenses 46 38 

Obstruction of justice 30 26 

Disorderly conduct 61 55 

Weapons offenses 52 39 

•n	 For some offenses, the likelihood of

informal handling was similar between 

female and male cases. For example, 

49% of female cases involving vandalism 

were handled informally, as were 48% of 

male cases. 

NA = Too few cases to develop a reliable estimate. 

the data on informal handling mentioned 

above provide a rough gauge of how often 

officials use diversion-like sanctions. 

In 2015, 64% of all nonpetitioned delinquency 

cases involving females received an informal 

sanction or were otherwise diverted, 

compared with 59% of nonpetitioned cases 

involving males. Conversely, nonpetitioned 
April 2019 11 

Result Female Male 

Total 100% 100% 

Dismissed 29 25 

Informal sanction 22 20 

Formal sanction 49 55 

 

cases involving boys were more likely to be 

dismissed at intake than were nonpetitioned 

cases involving girls (41% vs. 36%). 

Courts refrained from 

adjudicating half of 

the petitioned cases 

involving girls 

Formal case handling involves filing a petition 

requesting that the court hold an adjudicatory 

or waiver hearing. At the adjudicatory hearing, 

the judge, or in some instances a jury, 

determines if a youth is responsible for the 

offense(s) and may adjudicate (i.e., judge, 

similar to a conviction in criminal court) the 

youth a delinquent or status offender. 

In 2015, courts adjudicated half (49%) of the 

115,400 petitioned delinquency cases 

that involved females. The likelihood of 

adjudication varied slightly across the general 

offense categories, ranging from 47% of 

person offenses to 53% of public order 

offenses. Courts judicially waived to criminal 

court an estimated 300 cases involving girls, 

or less than half of 1% of petitioned cases. 

One-fifth of all petitioned 

delinquency cases 

involving females received 

an informal sanction 

Overall, more than one-fourth (29%) of 

petitioned delinquency cases involving girls 

were dismissed and one-fifth (22%) 

received an informal sanction. Informal 

sanctions are associated with cases that 

did not result in a finding of delinquency 

(i.e., not adjudicated) and can include a 

range of disposition options, such as 

informal probation, community service, and 

restitution. If the youth complies with the 

informal sanctions, the case may be 

dismissed, preventing an adjudication on 

the youth’s record. Formally handled cases 

involving girls were somewhat more likely 

than cases involving boys to receive informal 

sanctions (22% vs 20%); however, female 

cases were less likely to receive formal 

sanctions (49%) than male cases (55%). 

Outcome of formally handled 

(petitioned) delinquency cases, 

by gender, 2015 

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. 

Formal sanctions include out-of-home 

placement and probation as well as other 

sanctions. Placement options vary, ranging 

from commitment to a secure institution 

(prison-like environment) to placement in a 

less secure, home-like setting, such as a 

group home or treatment foster care home. 

The majority (66%) of adjudicated cases 

involving females were ordered to probation 

and one-fifth (21%) received a placement 

disposition. In comparison, 62% of 

adjudicated cases involving males received 

probation and 28% were placed. 

Adjudicated public order offenses involving 

females were more likely to result in 

placement (25%) than cases adjudicated for 

other general offense categories. The 

majority of those public order cases (83%) 

involved obstruction of justice offenses, 

such as violating probation and escaping 

from custody. 
12 National Report Series Bulletin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waived <1% 

Adjudicated 47% 

Petitioned 37% 

Not 

adjudicated 53% 

Not petitioned 63% 

Probation 

Other sanction 

Dismissed 

18% 

56% 

26% 

Placed 14% 

Probation 69% 

Other sanction 18% 

Probation 31% 

Other sanction 15% 

Dismissed 54% 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waived <1% 

Adjudicated 45% 

Petitioned 47% 

Not 

adjudicated 54% 

Not petitioned 53% 

Probation 

Other sanction 

Dismissed 

13% 

43% 

44% 

Placed 

Probation 

Other sanction

Probation 

Other sanction 

Dismissed 

21% 

70% 

9% 

28% 

13% 

59% 

Case processing for females varied by offense in 2015 

Cases proceed through the juvenile court 

system contingent on a variety of factors, 

including legal factors such as the seriousness 

of the offense and prior offending. This section 

looks more closely at case processing for two 

high-volume offenses, larceny-theft and 

simple assault, which combined to account 

for nearly half of all delinquency cases 

involving females in 2015. 

Larceny-theft cases involving females, 2015 

55,800 •n	 Almost two-thirds (63%) of larceny-theft cases

involving females were handled informally, with 

74% of these cases receiving informal 

sanctions. 

•n	 More than half (53%) of petitioned larceny-theft

cases did not result in an adjudication of 

delinquency. 

•n	 Of the larceny-theft cases that resulted in

adjudication, the majority (86%) received a 

disposition other than placement. 

•n	 Of the estimated 55,800 larceny-theft cases

involving females in 2015, 27% were dismissed, 

56% received informal sanctions, and 17% 

received formal sanctions. 

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. 

Simple assault cases involving females, 2015 

59,100 

•n	 More than half (53%) of the simple assault

cases involving females were handled informally 

and 44% of these cases were dismissed. 

•n	 Most (54%) petitioned simple assault cases

involving girls were not adjudicated, and 59% of 

these cases were dismissed. 

•n	 More than two-thirds of adjudicated simple

assault cases involving females received formal 

probation (70%) and 21% received a placement 

sanction. 

•n	 Of the estimated 59,100 simple assault cases

involving girls in 2015, 39% were dismissed, 

40% received informal sanctions, and 22% 

received formal sanctions. 

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. 
April 2019 13 

 

Case processing differences occurred in juvenile court 

cases involving females of different races 

Black girls accounted for a 

large share of delinquency 

cases 

In 2015, black females accounted for 15% of 

the female youth population, but their share 

of the female delinquency caseload was 

higher (35%). The proportion of female 

delinquency cases involving black girls 

ranged from 12% of drug law violations to 

42% of person offenses. Conversely, white, 

Hispanic, and Asian female youth each 

accounted for a smaller share of the female 

delinquency caseload than their share of the 

general population. 

Race profile of the female youth 

population and delinquency 

caseload, 2015 

Race/ethnicity Population 

Delinquency 

caseload 

Total 100% 100% 

White* 55 46 

Black* 15 35 

Hispanic 23 17 

American Indian 2 2 

Asian* 6 1 

*Excludes persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

Note: Detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Case processing 

differences can occur at 

various decision points 

among races 

Delinquency cases involving black girls in 

2015 were about three times more likely to 

be referred to juvenile court than cases 

involving their white and Hispanic peers. 

Once referred, more than half of delinquency 

cases involving black girls were petitioned for 

formal processing, compared with about 44% 

of cases involving either white or Hispanic 

girls. Conversely, petitioned cases involving 

black girls were less likely to result in an 

adjudication of delinquency than were cases 

involving white or Hispanic girls. 

Detention rates for delinquency cases involving black girls and Hispanic girls 

were higher than the rate for cases involving white girls

 Case processing rate, 2015 

Referral rate 

(per 1,000 population) 

Diversion rate 

(per 100 referred cases) 

Detention rate 

(per 100 referred cases) 

Petition rate 

(per 100 referred cases) 

Adjudication rate 

(per 100 petitioned cases) 

Probation rate 

(per 100 adjudicated cases) 

Placement rate 

(per 100 adjudicated cases) 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 

Black Hispanic White 

37.1 

11.5 

13.1 

20.9 

26.3 

17.6 

53.4 

43.9 

43.7 

44.7 

53.7 

51.1 

66.2 

66.3 

64.5 

21.1 

25.7 

19.0 

26.6 

34.3 

38.5 

•n	 Diversion rates were higher for cases involving white girls and Hispanic girls than for cases

involving black girls. 

•n	 Adjudicated cases involving Hispanic girls were more likely to result in a disposition of

placement than cases involving white girls or black girls. 
14 National Report Series Bulletin 

Females were involved in 4 of 10 petitioned status offense cases in 2015 

Female cases, Female Percent change 

2015 proportion 2006–2015 

All status 43,100 43% –44%

Runaway 4,500 56 –56

Truancy 25,100 46 –21

Curfew 2,100 29 –63

Ungovernability 4,200 43 –55

Liquor 4,800 40 –66

Other status 2,400 30 –54

The 2015 petitioned status offense caseload involving 

females was at its lowest level since 1995 

Status offenses are acts that are illegal only 

when juveniles commit them (see sidebar, 

“What are status offenses?”). Overall, the 

number of petitioned status offense cases 

handled in juvenile courts increased steadily 

between 1995 and 2002. In less than a 

decade, the caseload increased 61%, 

reaching its peak at nearly 199,900 cases. 

Since 2002, the caseload has declined 50%, 

reaching its lowest level in 2015 since at 

least 1995. 

Trends in the petitioned status offense 

caseload were similar for girls and boys. 

Both caseloads peaked in the early 2000s— 

2000 for boys and 2002 for girls. Between 

1995 and the peak in 2000, the male 

caseload increased 64%. Between 1995 and 

the peak in 2002, the female caseload grew 

65%. Over the past 10 years, the relative 

decline for boys and girls was the same 

(each down 44%). 

Given the similar trends for girls and boys, 

the female share of the status offense 

caseload has remained fairly constant. Since 

1995, the female share varied from a low of 

39% in 1996 to a high of 43% in 2003. 

Between 2003 and 2015, the proportion 

averaged 43%. 

Among status offenses in 2015, girls had the 

largest relative share of runaway cases 

(56%) followed by truancy cases (46%). 

Liquor offense cases had the largest relative 

decline from 2006 through 2015 (66%), 

while truancy decreased 21%. In 

comparison, cases involving runaway 

offenses declined 56%. 

After peaking in 2002, the female petitioned status offense caseload declined 

49% through 2015 

Number of status offense cases Percent of status offense cases 

140,000 

Male 

Female 

Female proportion 

100% 

120,000 

80% 

100,000 

60% 80,000 

60,000 40% 

40,000 

20% 

20,000 

0 0% 

1995 98 01 04 07 10 13 15 

Year 

•n	 Declines in truancy and liquor law violations accounted for 45% of the overall decrease in

female cases since 2002. 

•n	 Females accounted for a larger proportion of the status offense caseload (43%) than the

delinquency caseload (28%) in 2015. 

•n	 Less than one-third of all petitioned curfew cases involved females.

•n	 The relative decline in truancy offenses since 2005 was less than the decline for other offenses.

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. 

What are status offenses? 

Status offenses are acts that are illegal 

only because the persons committing 

them are juveniles. These include events 

such as running away, truancy, curfew 

law violations, ungovernability (i.e., 

beyond the control of one’s parents), and 

underage liquor law violations. 

In many jurisdictions, agencies other 

than juvenile courts (e.g., family crisis 

units, county attorneys, and social 

service agencies) process these cases. 

In others, youth charged with a status 

offense are referred to juvenile court. 

These cases may be diverted away from 

the formal justice system or may be 

handled formally with the filing of a 

petition. The analyses in this section are 

limited to petitioned cases. For ease of 

reading, the terms “petitioned status 

offense” and “status offense” are used 

interchangeably in this section. 
April 2019 15 

Status offense profiles vary across age and race groups 

In 2015, juvenile courts handled an estimated 

43,100 petitioned status offense cases 

involving girls. The majority of these cases 

involved truancy offenses (58%). Runaway 

cases accounted for 10%, while curfew 

violations accounted for the smallest share 

(5%) of the caseload. Compared with males, 

the status offense caseload for females 

included larger proportions of truancy and 

runaway offenses, and fewer curfew offenses. 

Offense profile of petitioned status 

offense cases, by gender, 2015 

Female Male 

All status 100% 100% 

Runaway 10 6 

Truancy 58 52 

Curfew 5 9 

Ungovernability 10 10 

Liquor 11 13 

Other status 6 10 

Similar to the delinquency 

caseload, most female 

status offense cases 

involve youth age 15 

and older 

In 2015, two-thirds (67%) of all female 

petitioned status offense cases involved youth 

age 15 and older. This proportion was 

identical to the proportion of the female 

delinquency caseload (67%). Older girls, those 

age 15 or older, accounted for more than half 

of all cases across the five status offense 

categories: liquor law violations (88%), curfew 

(75%), runaway (73%), truancy (62%), and 

ungovernability (61%). 

The offense profile of cases involving younger 

girls differed from that of older girls. Cases 

involving younger girls, those younger than 

age 15, included a larger proportion of truancy 

offenses (66%) compared with older girls 

(54%). Conversely, cases involving older 

females involved a larger proportion of liquor 

law violations (15%) than cases involving 

younger females (4%). 

Minority youth accounted 

for a small share of the 

female status offense 

caseload 

Compared with the delinquency caseload, 

minority youth accounted for a smaller 

proportion of the petitioned status offense 

caseload involving females in 2015 (54% vs. 

36%). Cases involving black girls accounted 

for 22% of all female status offense cases, 

and cases involving Hispanic girls accounted 

for 9%. Combined, cases involving American 

Indian and Asian girls made up 5% of the 

caseload. 

Truancy offenses accounted for the largest 

share of the status caseload for each race/ 

ethnicity group. Liquor law violations 

accounted for 14% of the caseload for white 

females, but 3% of the caseload for black 

females. Running away was the second most 

common offense for black females (19%), yet 

this accounted for 8% for white females. In 

comparison, runaway and liquor law violations 

accounted for 9% and 10%, respectively, of 

the caseload involving Hispanic females. 

Truancy offenses accounted for more than half of the status caseload across 

demographics 

Younger than 

age 15 

Age 15 

and older 

White 

Black 

Hispanic 

Percent of female cases, 2015 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

1.1 

1.0 

63% 37% 

52% 48% 

58% 42% 

52% 48% 

70% 30% 

Truancy Other status 
16 National Report Series Bulletin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Female petitioned status offense cases, 2015 Placed 

1,100 6% 43,100 

Adjudicated 

16,700 39% 

Probation 

10,000 59% 

Other sanction

5,900 35%

Petitioned 

Probation 

3,700 18% 

Not adjudicated 

26,300 61% 

Other sanction 

2,400 7% 

Dismissed 

19,300 76% 

 

Courts dismissed or ordered informal sanctions for threefifths of petitioned status offense cases involving females 

In 2015, 39% of all petitioned status cases 

involving females resulted in an adjudication. 

Compared with the female delinquency 

caseload, status cases were less likely to be 

adjudicated (49% vs. 39%). The likelihood of 

adjudication varied by offense, ranging from 

33% of truancy cases to 52% of curfew and 

liquor law violation cases. 

Once adjudicated, more than half (59%) of 

the status cases involving females received a 

probation disposition and 35% resulted in 

other sanctions, such as fines, community 

service, restitution, or referrals to other 

agencies for services. Courts ordered 

out-of-home placement for the remaining 

6% of cases. Of the cases that were not 

adjudicated, 76% were dismissed and a 

smaller proportion received informal 

probation (18%) or other informal sanctions 

(7%). The disposition pattern for status 

offense cases involving males aligned with 

the pattern for females. 

As with delinquency cases, dispositions for 

status cases can be grouped into three 

general categories: dismissed, formal 

sanctions, and informal sanctions. Overall, 

almost half (46%) of petitioned status offense 

cases involving girls were dismissed and 

15% received an informal sanction. 

Less than half of all female petitioned status offense cases resulted in an 

adjudication and few subsequently resulted in placement 

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. 

In 2015, courts ordered informal sanctions for a similar share of petitioned 

status offense cases involving girls as for those involving boys 

Percent of petitioned status offense cases by gender, 2015 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

Dismissed Informal sanctions Formal sanctions 

Female Male 

•n	 Cases involving females were more likely to be dismissed and less likely to receive formal

sanctions than cases involving males. 

46% 

43% 

15% 14% 

39% 

43% 
April 2019 17 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Truancy cases involving females, 2015 

25,100 Placed 3% 

Adjudicated 33% Probation 60% 

 Petitioned 

Other sanction 37% 

Not 

adjudicated 67% 

Probation 

Other sanction 

19% 

5% 

Dismissed 76% 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Runaway cases involving females, 2015 

4,500 

Placed 19% 

Adjudicated 39% Probation 68% 

 Petitioned 

Not 

adjudicated 61% 

Other sanction 

Probation 

Other sanction 

14% 

7% 

8% 

Dismissed 85% 

 

Overall, more than half of petitioned truancy and runaway 

cases were dismissed 

In 2015, the highest volume of status offense 

cases for females involved truancy offenses. 

Of all offenses (both delinquency and status), 

running away was the offense with the 

greatest proportion of females. This section 

looks more closely at case processing for 

these two offenses. 

•n	 Two-thirds (67%) of truancy cases involving girls

did not result in an adjudication. 

•n	 Three-fourths (76%) of the cases not

adjudicated were dismissed. 

•n	 Formal probation was the most severe

disposition for 60% of adjudicated truancy 

cases. 

•n	 Overall, more than half of the petitioned truancy

cases were dismissed (52%), a small share 

received informal sanctions (16%), and one-third 

(33%) received formal sanctions. 

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. 

•n	 The majority (61%) of runaway cases involving

females did not result in adjudication. 

•n	 More than 8 of every 10 (85%) cases not

adjudicated were dismissed without further 

sanction. 

•n	 The majority of runaway cases involving girls

who were adjudicated received probation (68%). 

•n	 Compared to other status offenses, a higher

proportion of adjudicated runaway cases 

received placement (19%) and a smaller 

proportion received other sanctions (14%). 

•n	 Overall, 51% of petitioned runaway cases were

dismissed, 9% received informal sanctions, and 

39% received formal sanctions. 

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. 
18 National Report Series Bulletin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girls accounted for a small share of youth in residential 

placement 

CJRP provides detailed 

data on girls in placement 

Juvenile residential facilities held 

approximately 48,000 youth offenders on 

October 28, 2015, the reference date for 

the 2015 OJJDP Census of Juveniles in 

Residential Placement (CJRP). Girls 

accounted for 15% of those youth. Since 

the first CJRP in 1997, the proportion of 

female youth in placement stayed within 

a narrow range (between 13% and 15%). 

Since 2006, the number of girls and boys 

in residential placement has declined at 

similar rates, 47% and 48%, respectively. 

In general, males outnumbered females in 

most offense categories in 2015. However, 

females in placement accounted for larger 

proportions of the less serious offenses, 

particularly status offenses. Girls accounted 

for 14% of youth held for delinquency 

offenses, but 38% of those held for status 

offenses. Specifically, females accounted for 

52% of youth held for running away, 38% for 

ungovernability, 35% for truancy, and 25% for 

liquor law violations. However, females 

constituted relatively smaller proportions of 

youth held for serious offenses, such as 

criminal homicide (13%), sexual assault (1%), 

and robbery (8%). 

The majority of females 

were held for a nonviolent 

offense in 2015 

While person offenses accounted for the 

largest share (34%) of the female offense 

Females accounted for more than one-third of youth held for status 

offenses in 2015 

Most serious offense 

Females in 

placement, 2015 

Female 

proportion 

Percent change 

2006–2015 

Total* 7,293 15% –47%

Delinquency 6,415 14 –46

Person 2,445 13 –38

Violent Crime Index 1,090 8 –36

 Criminal homicide 96 13 –1

 Sexual assault 45 1 –57

 Robbery 380 8 0

Aggravated assault 569 15 –49

 Simple assault 1,125 29 –39

Property 1,250 12 –53

 Burglary 242 6 –53

Theft 412 18 –52

Auto theft 276 15 –58

Drugs 447 17 –55

 Possession 300 17 –59

 Other drug 147 17 –42

Public order 547 9 –56

Weapons 74 3 –60

Technical violations 1,726 20 –41

Status offense 878 38 –54

Ungovernable 286 38 –62

Running away 237 52 –50

Truancy 222 35 –40

Liquor law 65 25 –65

•n	 Among delinquency offenses, females accounted for a relatively large share of youth

held for simple assault (29%). 

•n	 Across most offenses, the number of females in placement fell 36% or more between

2006 and 2015. 

*Includes offenses not shown.

About the data 

The Census of Juveniles in Residential 

Placement (CJRP) is a 1-day population 

count of youth held in residential 

placement facilities on the census date. 

This count is substantially different from 

annual admission and release data, 

which measure the flow of a facility’s 

population. The CJRP 1-day count 

encompasses both status offenses and 

delinquency offenses, and includes 

youth who are either temporarily 

detained while the court processes their 

case or committed by the court after 

adjudication. In addition, a small 

proportion of youth may be admitted 

voluntarily in lieu of adjudication as part 

of a diversion agreement. CJRP does not 

capture data from adult prisons or jails. 

More information on CJRP data is 

available in the “Data sources” section 

of this bulletin (p. 23). 
April 2019 19 

Total 100% 

 White 37 

 Minority 63

 Black 34

 Hispanic 22 

 American Indian 3 

 Asian 1 

 Two or more 3 

 

profile, the majority of females in placement 

were held for nonviolent offenses. Status 

offenses (12%) and technical violations (24%) 

made up more than one-third of these 

placements. In comparison, person, property, 

and public order offenses accounted for 

larger shares of the male offense profile, 

while status offenses constituted a much 

smaller share. 

Offense profile of youth in 

placement, by gender, 2015 

Offense Female Male 

Total 

Person 

100% 

34 

100% 

38 

Property 

Drugs 

Public order 

17 

6 

8 

22 

5 

13 

Technical violation 24 17 

Status offense 12 4 

Note: Detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding. 

Most females in placement 

were age 15 or older 

In 2015, less than one-fifth (17%) of females 

in residential placement were younger than 

age 15 at the time of admission. More than 

half (52%) of females in placement were age 

16 or 17. Age profiles differed among girls 

and boys. Compared with males (30%), a 

larger proportion of females were younger 

than age 16 (37%) and a smaller proportion 

of females were age 18 or older (11% for 

females and 15% for males). 

Offense profiles of younger (under age 15) 

and older (age 15 and older) girls were 

similar. For both age groups, person offenses 

accounted for the largest share, followed by 

technical violations. However, person offenses 

accounted for a larger share among girls 

younger than age 15 (37%) than older girls 

(33%), and technical violations accounted for 

a smaller share (21% and 24%, respectively). 

More than half of girls in 

placement were minority 

youth 

Similar to the delinquency caseload, most 

females in placement were minority youth. In 

2015, more than 6 of every 10 females in 

residential placement were minority youth, a 

pattern that held for each general offense 

category except drug (45%) and status (47%) 

offenses. More than three-fourths (81%) of 

females held for Violent Crime Index offenses 

were minority youth. 

Together, black (34%) and Hispanic (22%) 

youth accounted for more than half of females 

in placement. Black females accounted for 

55% of the female minority caseload and 

Hispanic females accounted for 35%. 

Race profile of females in 

placement, 2015 

Most females were in 

placement as the result of 

a court-ordered disposition 

More than half (61%) of females in 

placement were committed by court 

adjudication, 37% were detained while 

awaiting court processing, and a small 

proportion were held as part of a diversion 

agreement (2%). In general, the offense 

profiles for committed and detained girls 

were similar. However, compared with the 

profile for detained girls, the profile for 

committed girls included a larger proportion 

of females held for status offenses and a 

smaller proportion held for delinquency 

offenses, most notably technical violations. 

Offense profile of females in 

placement, by commitment status, 

2015 

Committed Detained 

Total 100% 100% 

Person 34 32 

Property 

Drugs 

Public order 

18 

6 

7 

17 

5 

9 

Technical 

 violation 20 30 

Status offense 14 7 

Note: Detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding. 

Nearly half of all juvenile 

females committed were 

held in private facilities 

State or local government agencies operate 

public facilities. Private facilities include 

nonprofit and for-profit corporations and 

organizations. In general, private facilities are 

smaller than public facilities and tend to hold 

youth with less serious offenses. Therefore, 

private facilities house slightly different 

populations than public facilities. 

Nearly half (46%) of committed females were 

placed in a private facility as part of their 

court-ordered disposition in 2015. More than 

one-fifth (21%) of girls were held in a local 

facility as part of their commitment, and onethird (33%) were placed in a state-operated 

facility. Compared with girls, a smaller 

proportion of boys were held in a private 

facility (40%), while a greater proportion were 

held in a state-operated facility (40%). 

Youth in placement can be held in various 

settings, including but not limited to longterm secure facilities, detention centers, 

treatment centers, group homes, and 

shelters. Overall, more than one-third (37%) 

of girls committed were held in a residential 

treatment center, 31% were held in a longterm secure facility, 15% were in a detention 
20 National Report Series Bulletin 

center, and 10% were placed in a group 

home. A relatively small proportion of 

committed females were in shelters (4%). 

Private facilities held the overwhelming 

majority of girls committed for a status 

offense (78%) in 2015. In fact, residential 

treatment centers, group homes, or 

shelters housed 90% of these females. 

Private facilities also held a relatively large 

proportion of females committed for a 

drug offense (51%). Conversely, females 

committed for a person offense—a group of 

offenses generally more serious than drug or 

status offenses—were more likely to be held 

in a state-operated facility. Of the girls 

committed to a state-operated facility for a 

person offense, 84% were in a long-term 

secure facility. 

Females were held in 

smaller facilities 

Facilities report the number of residents 

held in their facility on the census date. 

The total number of residents indicates the 

facility’s size and how many residents it 

can accommodate. 

Overall, small facilities (50 or fewer 

residents) held more than half (54%) of 

committed females in 2015, and large 

facilities (more than 150 residents) housed 

15%. As noted previously, private facilities 

held slightly less than half of all committed 

females in 2015. The majority (62%) of these 

private commitments were in facilities that 

housed 50 or fewer residents. In comparison, 

the majority (61%) of females committed 

to a state-operated facility were held in 

facilities housing more than 50 residents. 

In 2015, at least 50% of committed girls (across most offenses) were placed 

in state or local facilities 

Total 

Person 

Property 

Drugs 

Public 

order 

Technical 

violation 

Status 

33% 21% 46% 

48% 17% 35% 

35% 21% 44% 

30% 19% 51% 

39% 23% 38% 

19% 34% 47% 

10% 12% 78% 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

Percent of committed females, 2015 

State Local Private 

•n	 Placements in private facilities were most common for girls committed for status offenses and

least likely for those committed for person offenses. 

Most committed females in placement were in small or medium 

facilities in 2015 

Facility size profile for committed females, 2015 

Facility size Total State Local Private 

Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 

Small (50 or fewer residents) 54 40 59 62 

Medium (51 to 150 residents) 31 31 32 31 

Large (more than 150 residents) 15 30 9 8 

Note: Detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding. 
April 2019 21 

 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

Overall, time in placement was shorter for females than 

for males 

More than three-fourths of 

committed females had 

been in placement for at 

least 1 month 

CJRP captures the number of days each 

youth had spent in placement from admission 

to the census referral date. Among committed 

youth in 2015, the majority (78%) of females 

had been in placement for at least 1 month, 

almost two-thirds (64%) for at least 2 months, 

and more than half (52%) for at least 

3 months. After a year, fewer than 1 in 10 

committed females (7%) remained in 

placement. Females were in placement for a 

shorter time than males, with the median 

time in placement for committed males (117 

days) exceeding that for females (93 days). 

Time in placement varied 

by offense 

Females held for more serious offenses 

remained in placement longer than those 

held for less serious offenses. Committed 

females held for person offenses were held 

the longest: 81% had been in placement for 

at least 1 month, 59% for at least 3 months, 

and 12% remained after 1 year. In contrast, 

females committed for less serious offenses 

were in placement for a shorter time. For 

example, 74% of females held for a status 

offense or technical violation had been in 

placement for at least 1 month. After 

3 months, one-half (50%) of females 

committed for a status offense remained in 

placement, as did 45% of females held for a 

technical violation. The median time in 

placement for females committed for a 

person offense (113 days) exceeded that for 

females held for a status offense (89 days) 

and for a technical violation (77 days). 

In 2015, committed females remained in placement for a shorter time than 

males 

Percent of committed residents remaining in placement by gender, 2015 

20% 

0% 

Male 

Female 

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 

Days since admission 

In 2015, females committed for a person offense remained in placement 

longer than females committed for other offenses 

Percent of committed females remaining in placement, 2015 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

0 

Status offense 

Person 

Technical violation 

30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 

Days since admission 
22 National Report Series Bulletin 

Understanding how the juvenile justice system responds 

to girls can improve policy and practice 

Most girls enter the juvenile justice system 

for a nonviolent offense and, typically, the 

system response aligns with the nature of 

the offense. Three-fourths of nonviolent 

delinquency cases involving females were 

either dismissed or received informal 

sanctions, such as probation or referral 

for service. 

The data show that the number of girls at 

various stages of the juvenile justice system 

has declined considerably. Female arrests 

are at two-fifths of their 1997 peak, and 

delinquency cases are half of their 2005 

peak. Similarly, the petitioned status 

caseload for females and the number of girls 

in residential placement are half of what 

they were in the early 2000s. In the past 10 

years, the relative decline across the system 

(arrests, delinquency and petitioned status 

cases, and youth in residential placement) 

has been about the same for girls and boys. 

As a result, the female proportion at each 

stage of the system has changed little during 

this period. 

The national data presented in this bulletin 

provide an example of how states, local 

communities, and tribal jurisdictions can 

examine trends and characteristics of girls in 

their juvenile justice systems. These data can 

help identify how girls move through the 

system and, when linked to other information 

sources, assess girls’ needs, uncover gaps 

in services and treatment, and inform 

strategies to address offending behavior in 

an effective and cost-efficient manner. 
April 2019 23 

 

 

Data sources 

National arrest estimates for 1980–2014 

were developed by the Bureau of Justice 

Statistics and are available from the Arrest 

Data Analysis Tool (www.bjs.gov/index. 

cfm?ty=datool&surl=/arrests/index.cfm). The 

National Center for Juvenile Justice 

developed the national arrest estimates for 

2015 based on data published in the FBI’s 

Crime in the United States 2015 report 

(www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/faqs.asp). 

More information on arrest data is available 

in the OJJDP bulletin Juvenile Arrests 2012 

(www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/248513.pdf). 

The National Center for Juvenile Justice 

developed national estimates of juvenile court 

caseloads for OJJDP’s National Juvenile Court 

Data Archive. More information on juvenile 

court data is available in the Juvenile Court 

Statistics 2015 report (www.ncjj.org/pdf/ 

jcsreports/jcs2015report.pdf). The 

information about delinquency cases 

presented in this bulletin is available from 

Easy Access to Juvenile Court Statistics 

(www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezajcs) and the 

National Disproportionate Minority Contact 

Databook (www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/dmcdb). 

Visit OJJDP’s Statistical Briefing Book for more 

information on girls in the juvenile justice system 

OJJDP’s online Statistical Briefing Book (SBB), available at www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb, is a 

comprehensive online resource that describes various topics related to juveniles and the 

justice system, including the latest information on juvenile victims of crime, juvenile arrests, 

juvenile court cases, and youth in residential placement facilities. SBB also includes several 

data analysis and dissemination tools that give users quick and easy access to statistics on 

a variety of juvenile justice topics, including population, arrests, homicide victims and 

offenders, delinquency cases handled in juvenile court, youth in residential placement, and 

disproportionate minority contact. 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice 

Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the 

National Institute of Justice; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, 

Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. 

Data about youth in residential placement 

are from OJJDP’s Census of Juveniles in 

Residential Placement. More information on 

these data is available in the OJJDP bulletin 

Juveniles in Residential Placement, 2015 

and from Easy Access to the Census of 

Juveniles in Residential Placement 

(www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezacjrp). 

Acknowledgments 

This bulletin was written by Samantha 

Ehrmann and Nina Hyland, Research 

Assistants, and Charles Puzzanchera, 

Senior Research Associate, at the 

National Center for Juvenile Justice, 

with funds provided by OJJDP to 

support the National Juvenile Court Data 

Archive and the National Juvenile 

Justice Data Analysis Program. 

This bulletin was prepared under grant numbers 

2015–JF–FX–0061 and 2016–JF–FX–K001 from 

the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. 

Points of view or opinions expressed in this 

document are those of the authors and do not 

necessarily represent the official position or policies 

of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of Justice. 
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