DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

OFF ICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BJA NI J OJJDP BJS OVC

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Shay Bilchik, Administrator

The Youngest

Delinquents: Offenders

Under Age 15

Many people believe that juvenile

delinquents are becoming younger and

committing more serious crimes at earlier

ages than the young offenders of 10 or 15

years ago. This belief in an increasingly

younger and more serious juvenile offender population influences juvenile

justice policy and shapes public attitudes

about the Nation’s juvenile justice system.

Has there actually been a change in the

age profile of juvenile offenders encountered by law enforcement authorities and

juvenile courts across the United States?

Is the juvenile justice system seeing ever

younger, increasingly serious offenders?

This Bulletin presents the findings of

a study that explored these issues by examining the most recent data on juvenile1

arrests and the delinquency cases processed by U.S. juvenile courts. The study

compared the characteristics of young

offenders arrested in recent years with

those arrested in 1980 and analyzed the

juvenile court’s response to those offenders once they had been charged.

The data used here are from the

Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s)

Uniform Crime Reporting Program and

the National Juvenile Court Data Archive,

From the Administrator

In recent years, Americans have

been alarmed by increases in juvenile

crime and by news reports of heinous

acts by younger juveniles. Against a

decade-long background of disturbing

statistics, anecdotal evidence of

violent children affects the public

discourse on juvenile justice. But

sound decisionmaking rests on more

than shocking news stories.

The Youngest Delinquents: Offenders

Under Age 15 draws on data from the

Federal Bureau of Investigation and

the National Juvenile Court Data

Archive to track trends in youth crime.

While confirming the recent disproportionate increase in the number of

young offenders, the Bulletin reports

that juvenile offenders as a group

have not become markedly younger

in the past decade. An additional

encouraging finding is that the number

of violent crime index arrests, which

declined 3% between 1994 and 1995

for all juveniles, dropped 6% among

youth ages 13 and 14.

The data presented in this Bulletin

will enable policymakers and the

public to better understand the role

that younger delinquents play in the

overall problem of juvenile crime and

violence as the debate continues over

the best way to intervene with these

young offenders.

Shay Bilchik

Administrator

September 1997

which is maintained for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

by the National Center for Juvenile Justice.

Findings from the study indicate:

◆ Offenders under age 15 represent the

leading edge of the juvenile crime problem,

and their numbers have been growing.

◆ Violent crime arrests, for example, grew

94% between 1980 and 1995 for youth

under age 15, compared with 47% for

older youth.

◆ Consequently, the age profile of juvenile offenders has changed somewhat

since 1980. Offenders under age 15 accounted for an increased proportion

of all juvenile arrests for violent crime

in 1995 (30%) compared with 1990 (28%),

1985 (29%), and 1980 (25%), the most

significant increases occurring between

1980 and 1985.

◆ However, recent trends are encouraging. Between 1994 and 1995, decreases

in the number of juvenile arrests for

violent crime were greater for offenders

ages 13 and 14 (down 6%) than for

those age 15 or older (down 2%).

◆ Because offenders under age 15 have a

high risk of continued criminal involvement, yet are often more amenable to

services and sanctions, juvenile crime

policy should continue to focus on early

and effective interventions with these

youngest delinquents.

1

 The term “juvenile” is used here to mean below the

age of 18, although the actual definition of juvenile

status varies according to State laws governing the

upper age of original juvenile court jurisdiction.

Jeffrey A. Butts, Ph.D., and Howard N. Snyder, Ph.D.
2

Offenders age 12 or

younger were involved

in 9% of all juvenile

arrests

Fewer than 1 in 10 juvenile arrests in

1995 involved youth age 12 or younger.

Arrests of 13- and 14-year-old juveniles

accounted for another 25% of juvenile

arrests in 1995.

The proportion of juvenile arrests that

involved offenders age 12 or younger varied by offense. In 1995, youth in this age

group were responsible for 8% of arrests

for Violent Crime Index offenses and 13%

of arrests for Property Crime Index offenses. They accounted for 2% of juvenile

arrests for drug abuse violations, but were

responsible for 35% of arrests for arson.

Other offenses in which a relatively high

proportion of arrests involved juveniles

age 12 or younger included vandalism and

sex offenses.

Offenders ages 13 and 14 accounted for

23% of juvenile arrests for Violent Crime

Index offenses and 28% of arrests for Property Crime Index offenses in 1995. Juveniles

in this age group were involved in 10% of

arrests for murder and 23% of arrests for

aggravated assault. They accounted for

fewer than 10% of arrests for offenses such

as liquor law violations, but were involved

in more than 25% of juvenile arrests for

simple assault, vandalism, sex offenses,

disorderly conduct, and running away.

The majority of juvenile arrests in 1995

involved youth age 15 or older. These

older youth were involved in 70% of juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses and 58% of juvenile arrests for

Property Crime Index offenses. They accounted for 86% of juvenile arrests for

murder and more than 80% of the arrests

for forgery, embezzlement, driving under

the influence, and liquor law violations.

Arrests of juveniles

ages 13 and 14 grew

disproportionately

The total number of juvenile arrests

increased 26% between 1980 and 1995. Arrests involving juveniles age 12 or younger

grew 24%, while those involving juveniles

ages 13 and 14 increased 54%.

In 1995 there were nearly 148,000 arrests of juveniles for Violent Crime Index

offenses. The number of these arrests involving juveniles age 15 or older (103,000)

The age profile of juvenile arrests in 1995 varied by offense

Percent of Juvenile Arrests in 1995

Juveniles Juveniles Juveniles

Offense Age 12 or Younger Ages 13 and 14 Age 15 or Older

Total 9% 25% 66%

Crime Index total 12 27 60

Violent Crime Index 8 23 70

Murder and nonnegligent 3 10 86

manslaughter

Forcible rape 11 26 63

Robbery 6 22 72

Aggravated assault 9 23 68

Property Crime Index 13 28 58

Burglary 12 27 61

Larceny-theft 15 29 56

Motor vehicle theft 4 25 72

Arson 35 33 33

Nonindex

Simple assault 13 28 59

Forgery and 3 10 87

counterfeiting

Fraud 4 22 74

Embezzlement 3 7 90

Stolen property (buying, 6 22 72

receiving, possessing)

Vandalism 19 29 53

Weapons (carrying, 8 22 70

possessing, etc.)

Prostitution and 5 12 83

commercialized vice

Sex offense (except 18 33 49

forcible rape and

prostitution)

Drug abuse violations 2 15 83

Gambling 3 13 83

Offenses against the 8 22 70

family and children

Driving under the 2 1 97

influence

Liquor law violations 1 9 90

Drunkenness 2 12 85

Disorderly conduct 9 26 65

Vagrancy 4 17 79

All other offenses 7 21 72

(except traffic)

Suspicion 6 21 73

Curfew and loitering 5 24 71

Running away 8 35 56

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United

States 1995 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1996).

far exceeded the number of arrests involving younger offenders. However, while

Violent Crime Index arrests involving older

juveniles increased 47% between 1980 and

1995, arrests of juveniles ages 13 and 14

grew 92%, and arrests of juveniles age 12

or younger grew 102%. Arrests of juveniles

ages 13 and 14 for Property Crime Index

offenses increased 16% between 1980 and

1995, compared with a decline of 1%

for juveniles age 12 or younger and a

decrease of 9% for older juveniles. Most
3

Increases in the number of arrests between 1980 and 1995 were relatively greater for juveniles

ages 13 and 14

Juveniles Age 12 or Younger Juveniles Ages 13 and 14 Juveniles Age 15 or Older

Estimated Percent Change Estimated Percent Change Estimated Percent Change

1995 Arrests 1980–1995 1995 Arrests 1980–1995 1995 Arrests 1980–1995

Total* 256,300 24% 680,400 54% 1,808,300 18%

Crime Index total 109,300 5 243,000 23 532,800 –2

Violent Crime Index 11,500 102 33,300 92 103,000 47

Murder and nonnegligent 100 209 300 88 2,800 72

manslaughter

Forcible rape 600 190 1,400 62 3,500 –3

Robbery 3,200 41 12,400 45 39,900 16

Aggravated assault 7,600 139 19,100 147 56,800 85

Property Crime Index 97,800 –1 209,800 16 429,800 –9

Burglary 16,600 –35 36,500 –32 82,700 –46

Larceny-theft 74,600 9 150,000 35 286,000 5

Motor vehicle theft 2,900 31 19,900 53 57,700 23

Arson 3,600 29 3,400 54 3,400 –8

Nonindex*

Simple assault 28,700 170 60,600 196 126,500 115

Stolen property (buying, 2,500 7 9,300 20 31,000 14

receiving, possessing)

Vandalism 26,000 –7 39,900 28 73,700 13

Weapons (carrying, 4,500 206 12,600 167 39,200 93

possessing, etc.)

Sex offenses (except 2,900 125 5,300 68 7,800 4

forcible rape and

prostitution)

Drug abuse violations 4,100 129 28,000 101 157,700 67

Liquor law violations 1,200 31 11,300 19 107,500 –24

Disorderly conduct 16,000 63 45,600 102 112,300 17

Curfew and loitering 7,100 136 35,900 170 106,700 96

Running away 21,100 47 88,100 80 140,300 56

◆ Between 1980 and 1995, arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses doubled for juveniles age 12 or younger, although these youth accounted for

just 8% of juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses in 1995.

*Not all offenses included in the nonindex category are represented.

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States 1980 and Crime in the United States 1995

(Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1981 and 1996, respectively).

Juvenile Arrest Data

Through its Uniform Crime Reporting

(UCR) Program, the Federal Bureau

of Investigation (FBI) collects data

on arrests made by law enforcement

agencies throughout the United States.

The number of agencies able to

participate in the UCR Program varies

from year to year. Between 1985 and

1995, the reporting sample ranged

from 75% to 85% of the U.S. population.

Data from the UCR Program can be

used to describe the juveniles who

come to the attention of police each

year. The FBI does not calculate

national estimates for arrests involving

persons under the age of 18, but its

annual publication Crime in the United

States provides national estimates for

the total number of arrests for various

offenses. The juvenile arrest estimates

presented in this study were developed

by deriving the proportion of youth

arrests in each offense category from

the data reported by UCR-participating

jurisdictions and then applying that

proportion to the UCR national estimate of total arrests for that offense.

For more information, see Juvenile

Arrests 1995, by Howard N. Snyder

(Washington, DC: OJJDP, 1997).
4

of the growth in Property Crime Index arrests involving juveniles ages 13 and 14

resulted from an increase of 35% in arrests

for larceny-theft.

In many other offense categories, arrests of juveniles ages 13 and 14 increased

more than arrests involving older youth

between 1980 and 1995. Weapons arrests,

Arrest rates for juveniles

age 12 or younger were

far lower than for older

juveniles

The juvenile population of the United

States has fluctuated in recent decades.

for instance, increased more for juveniles

age 12 or younger (206%) than for juveniles ages 13 and 14 (167%) or older juveniles (93%). However, 70% of all juvenile

arrests for weapons violations in 1995 involved youth age 15 or older, and the

number of offenders age 12 or younger

remained relatively small.

After increases in the early 1990’s, the rate of Violent Crime Index arrests declined in recent years

Violent Crime Index

Arrest Rates*

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 46 89 91%

13–14 261 460 76

15–17 629 979 56

Murder

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 0.26 0.32 23%

13–14 2.60 4.67 80

15–17 14.12 26.89 90

Forcible Rape

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 1.6 4.4 177%

13–14 12.7 19.4 53

15–17 30.4 32.2 6

Robbery

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 20 26 29%

13–14 133 176 32

15–17 317 389 23

Aggravated Assault

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 24 58 138%

13–14 113 260 130

15–17 268 532 98

Weapons Offenses

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 12 34 181%

13–14 69 171 149

15–17 176 365 108

*Per 100,000 youth.

Source: Authors’ analysis of unpublished data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Murder

Arrests per 100,000

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

Violent Crime Index

Arrests per 100,000

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

Aggravated Assault

Arrests per 100,000

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

100

200

300

400

500

600 Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

Weapons Offenses

Arrests per 100,000

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

100

200

300

400

500

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

Robbery

Arrests per 100,000

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

Forcible Rape

Arrests per 100,000

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

10

20

30

40

50

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12
5

Between 1980 and 1995, arrest rates for many property crimes increased for youth ages 13 and 14

Analyzing per capita arrest rates removes

the effect of this changing population and

clarifies the comparison of arrest trends

over time.

Calculations of age-specific arrest rates

using unpublished FBI data show that the

1995 arrest rate for Violent Crime Index

offenses was much lower for juveniles age

12 or younger (89 per 100,000) than for

those ages 13 and 14 (460 per 100,000) or

older youth (979 per 100,000). However,

arrest rates for juvenile offenders have

increased disproportionately in recent

years. Between 1980 and 1995, for example, the Violent Crime Index arrest

rate increased 91% for juveniles age 12

or younger, 76% for youth ages 13 and

14, and 56% for youth age 15 or older.

Property Crime Index

Arrest Rates*

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 715 730 2%

13–14 2,638 2,825 7

15–17 4,136 3,978 –4

Burglary

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 185 118 –36%

13–14 790 488 –38

15–17 1,331 760 –43

Larceny-Theft

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 496 567 14%

13–14 1,623 2,019 24

15–17 2,358 2,642 12

Motor Vehicle Theft

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 20 25 23%

13–14 194 273 41

15–17 416 544 31

Arson

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 14 21 52%

13–14 32 45 43

15–17 32 31 –2

Drug Violations

Arrest Rates

Ages 1980 1995 % Change

10–12 16 31 96%

13–14 202 384 90

15–17 815 1,485 82

Property Crime Index

Arrests per 100,000

Burglary

Arrests per 100,000

Larceny-Theft

Arrests per 100,000

Motor Vehicle Theft

Arrests per 100,000

Arson

Arrests per 100,000

Drug Violations

Arrests per 100,000

*Per 100,000 youth.

Source: Authors’ analysis of unpublished data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

20

30

40

50

60

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

300

600

900

1,200

1,500

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

300

600

900

1,200

1,500

Ages 15–17

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12
6

Despite differential increases in juvenile arrests within age groups, the age profile of arrested youth

changed relatively little between 1980 and 1995

◆ In 1995, 30% of juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses involved youth under age 15, as compared with 25% in 1980.

◆ Between 1984 and 1995, there was virtually no change in the proportion of offenders ages 13 and 14 arrested for violent crimes.

◆ Some of the changes in the age profile of juvenile arrests were likely due to fluctuations in the juvenile population.

◆ The proportion of juvenile drug arrests that involved offenders ages 13 and 14 increased somewhat between 1990 and 1995, but the 1995 figure

was largely the same as the proportion of offenders in this age group in 1985.

◆ In 1995, 30% of juvenile arrests for weapons offenses involved youth under age 15, as compared with 23% in 1980.

Source: Authors’ analysis of unpublished data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Violent Crime Index Property Crime Index

Percent of Juvenile Arrests Percent of Juvenile Arrests

Drug Offenses Weapons Offenses

Percent of Juvenile Arrests Percent of Juvenile Arrests

Total Arrests Murder

Percent of Juvenile Arrests Percent of Juvenile Arrests

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

Age 15 or older

Ages 13 and 14

Age 12 or younger

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

Age 15 or older

Ages 13 and 14

Age 12 or younger

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

Age 15 or older

Ages 13 and 14

Age 12 or younger

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

Age 15 or older

Ages 13 and 14

Age 12 or younger

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

Age 15 or older

Ages 13 and 14

Age 12 or younger 20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Age 15 or older

Ages 13 and 14

Age 12 or younger

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994
7

In recent years, arrests

for index offenses

declined more for

offenders age 14 or

younger

The most recent juvenile arrest trends

suggest that the juvenile justice system

may have turned a corner since 1994.

Violent Crime Index arrests declined 3%

for all juveniles between 1994 and 1995

but dropped 6% among youth ages 13 and

14. The number of Property Crime Index

arrests did not change between 1994 and

1995 for youth age 15 or older, but decreased 3% for youth age 12 or younger

and dropped 5% for youth ages 13 and 14.

While the significance of any single-year

change should not be exaggerated, these

recent patterns are an encouraging turnaround from earlier arrest trends and run

counter to predictions of increased delinquency based on the demographic trend

of rising numbers of young people.

Change in Juvenile Arrests

for Crime Index Offenses:

1994–1995

Crime

Index Offense

Age of Juvenile Violent Property

12 or younger –1% –3%

13 and 14 –6 –5

15 or older –2 0

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in

the United States 1995 (Washington, DC:

U.S. Government Printing Office, 1996).

Between 1985 and

1994, juvenile court

cases involving

offenders age 12 or

younger increased 32%

Juvenile courts in the United States

handled an estimated 1,555,200 delinquency cases in 1994. This number represented a 20% increase over the 1990

caseload and a 41% increase over the

number of cases handled in 1985.

Between 1985 and 1994, the number of

delinquency cases involving juveniles age

12 or younger grew 32%, those involving

Juvenile Court Data

The National Juvenile Court Data Archive generates annual estimates of the

number of delinquency cases disposed by juvenile courts nationwide. Estimates

are based on data collected from State and local agencies throughout the Nation.

Data are collected in two forms—detailed case-level data and aggregate courtlevel data. In 1994, case-level data describing each case’s demographic and

processing characteristics were obtained from more than 1,400 jurisdictions in

26 States. In all, 1994 data were collected from 1,816 jurisdictions containing

67% of the Nation’s juvenile population.

National estimates were developed by a weighting procedure that incorporates

key characteristics of each U.S. county that are known to affect juvenile court

caseloads—e.g., upper age of the juvenile court’s jurisdiction, age and racial

composition of the juvenile population.

For more information, see Offenders in Juvenile Court, 1994, by Jeffrey A. Butts

(Washington, DC: OJJDP, 1996).

Between 1985 and 1994, person offense cases involving youth ages

13 and 14 increased more than any other type of delinquency case

Percent Change

Offense 1985 1990 1994 1985–1994 1990–1994

Juveniles age 12 128,000 157,500 168,700 32% 7%

or younger

Person 20,700 31,700 41,800 101 32

Property 93,100 109,900 105,200 13 –4

Drugs 1,500 1,500 2,700 75 78

Public order 12,600 14,400 19,100 52 33

Juveniles ages 13 294,400 349,600 438,300 49% 25%

and 14

Person 48,400 69,200 100,200 107 45

Property 186,900 213,600 241,800 29 13

Drugs 13,300 11,400 20,700 56 82

Public order 45,900 55,500 75,500 65 36

Juveniles age 15 681,500 792,100 948,200 39% 20%

or older

Person 105,200 142,600 194,000 84 36

Property 378,600 428,000 456,300 21 7

Drugs 59,300 58,200 96,800 63 66

Public order 138,400 163,400 201,000 45 23

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. Percent change calculations are based

on unrounded numbers.

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the National Center for Juvenile Justice, National

Juvenile Court Data Archive: Juvenile Court Case Records 1985–1994 [machine-readable

data files].

2

 Person offenses are homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, and other violent sex

offenses.

juveniles ages 13 and 14 increased 49%,

and cases involving older juveniles grew

39%. In all three age groups, the largest

relative increases between 1985 and 1994

were in cases in which a person offense

was the most serious charge.2

 Since 1990,

however, drug offenses have increased

the most for juveniles of all ages.
8

To control for fluctuations in the size

of the juvenile population, the number

of delinquency cases involving youth of

each age group was converted into a rate

that represented the number of cases processed by juvenile courts for every 1,000

youth in the age group at risk of referral

to a juvenile court.3

Analyzing per capita case rates reveals

that age-related changes in the cases referred to the juvenile justice system are

partly related to the relative size of youth

population cohorts as they move through

the ages of juvenile court jurisdiction.

Between 1985 and 1994, the total delinquency case rate for juveniles increased

33%, from 42.0 to 56.1 cases disposed for

every 1,000 youth at risk. The smallest

relative increases were for juveniles age

12 or younger. Between 1985 and 1994,

the case rate for 11- and 12-year-olds increased 13% and 29%, respectively. The

growth in delinquency case rates was

higher for juveniles between the ages of

13 and 16 (up about 45%).

While it is useful to examine variations

in the age profile of delinquency caseloads

in order to appreciate the changing

workload of the juvenile justice system,

it is not appropriate to view any change

in juvenile court caseloads as proof that

youth of a certain age have become more

delinquent. Before inferences about delinquency trends are made, juvenile population changes should be analyzed as well.

Juvenile court

outcomes for offenders

age 12 or younger

were often less severe

In both 1994 and 1985, cases involving

juveniles age 12 or younger were less likely

than those involving older juveniles to be

processed formally, more likely to receive

probation as the most restrictive disposition, and less likely to result in detention

or out-of-home placement. For example,

in 1994, juveniles age 12 or younger were

less likely to be processed formally with

the filing of a delinquency petition (38%)

than were either juveniles ages 13 and 14

(52%) or older juveniles (59%). The use of

formal handling increased between 1985

and 1994 for all age groups.

3

 Population at risk of referral is adjusted for State

variations in the ages covered by juvenile court jurisdiction. Juveniles at risk are defined as youth age 10 or

older who were at or under the upper age of original

jurisdiction of the juvenile courts in their State.

The proportion of person offense cases that involved juveniles

age 12 or younger was the same in 1994 as in 1985

1985 1990 1994

Total delinquency cases 1,103,900 1,299,200 1,555,200

Age 12 or younger 12% 12% 11%

Ages 13 and 14 27 27 28

Age 15 or older 62 61 61

Person offenses 174,400 243,500 336,100

Age 12 or younger 12% 13% 12%

Ages 13 and 14 28 28 30

Age 15 or older 60 59 58

Property offenses 658,600 751,500 803,400

Age 12 or younger 14% 15% 13%

Ages 13 and 14 28 28 30

Age 15 or older 58 57 57

Drug offenses 74,100 71,100 120,200

Age 12 or younger 2% 2% 2%

Ages 13 and 14 18 16 17

Age 15 or older 80 82 81

Public order offenses 196,800 233,200 295,600

Age 12 or younger 6% 6% 6%

Ages 13 and 14 23 24 26

Age 15 or older 70 70 68

Note: Detail may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the National Center for Juvenile Justice, National

Juvenile Court Data Archive: Juvenile Court Case Records 1985–1994 [machine-readable

data files].

Juveniles age 12 or

younger were involved

in 11% of juvenile

court delinquency

cases in 1994

In 1994 juveniles age 12 or younger

accounted for 12% of all person offense

cases, 13% of property offense cases, 2%

of drug law violation cases, and 6% of

public order offense cases (i.e., disorderly

conduct, weapons offenses, liquor law

violations, etc.).

Between 1985 and 1994, the proportion of juveniles ages 14 or younger among

the total delinquency caseload did not

change substantially. The percentage of

juveniles age 12 or younger decreased

from 12% to 11% and the percentage of

juveniles ages 13 and 14 grew from 27%

to 28%.

Even when each type of offense is considered separately, the age profile of delinquency cases did not change significantly

between 1985 and 1994. Juveniles ages 13

and 14 were involved in a slightly larger

proportion of person, property, and public

order offense cases in 1994, but the largest

change was just 3%: This group accounted

for 26% of public order offense cases in

1994, as compared with 23% in 1985.

Changes in juvenile

court case rates varied

among different age

groups

Between 1985 and 1994, the number

of delinquency cases involving 13-yearold juveniles increased more (55%) than

cases involving juveniles of any other age.

The number of cases involving 16-year-olds

grew 42%, and those involving 17-yearolds increased 33%.

Much of the disproportionate increase

in delinquency cases involving young juveniles may have been due to the changing nature of the youth population itself.
9

If handled formally, delinquency cases

involving juveniles age 12 or younger

were less likely to result in adjudication.

In 1994, 50% of petitioned cases involving

youth in this age group were adjudicated,

as compared with 59% of cases involving

juveniles age 15 or older and 60% of those

involving juveniles ages 13 and 14. The

use of adjudication decreased between

1985 and 1994 for juveniles of all ages.

In 1994, delinquency cases involving

juveniles age 12 or younger were far less

likely than cases involving older juveniles

to be judicially waived to criminal (adult)

court. Fewer than 1% of formally processed cases involving juveniles age 14

or younger were judicially waived to

criminal court. Of 12,000 cases judicially

waived to criminal courts nationwide

in 1994, fewer than 500 involved juveniles

under age 15.

Conclusion

The findings of this study confirm that

the number of offenders age 14 or younger

in the Nation’s juvenile justice system has

increased disproportionately in recent

years. Relative to the 1980’s, arrests and

juvenile court cases involving youth under the age of 15 increased more than

those involving juveniles age 15 or older.

However, the actual number of offenders age 14 or younger remained relatively

small as compared with the caseload of

older juvenile offenders seen by law enforcement agencies and the courts. Thus,

juvenile offenders as a group have not

become markedly younger in the past

Changes in the characteristics of delinquency cases of offenders

age 14 or younger paralleled those of older juveniles

Juveniles Juveniles Juveniles

Age 12 or Younger Ages 13 and 14 Age 15 or older

1985 1994 1985 1994 1985 1994

Sex of youth

Female 17% 19% 22% 24% 18% 20%

Male 83 81 78 76 82 80

Race of youth

White 68 62 70 63 73 65

Black 29 34 27 33 24 31

Other 3 4 3 4 3 3

Most serious offense

Person 16 25 16 23 15 20

Property 73 62 63 55 56 48

Drug 1 2 5 5 9 10

Public order 10 11 16 17 20 21

Predisposition

detention

Not detained 73 77 63 69 63 68

Securely detained 27 23 37 31 37 32

Manner of handling

Informal 72 62 56 48 50 41

Formal (petitioned) 28 38 44 52 50 59

Result of petition*

Not adjudicated 43 50 32 40 33 41

Formally adjudicated 57 50 68 60 67 59

Disposition of

adjudicated cases

Placed out of home 21 21 29 29 29 29

Formal probation 63 62 58 56 55 51

Restitution, fine, etc. 11 15 9 13 12 15

Dismiss, release 5 3 4 3 4 4

◆ In one in four delinquency cases involving youth age 12 or younger in 1994, a person

offense was the most serious charge.

◆ Cases of juveniles age 12 or younger were less likely than those of older youth to involve

secure detention or to result in out-of-home placement.

*Excludes cases waived to criminal court.

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the National Center for Juvenile Justice, National Juvenile

Court Data Archive: Juvenile Court Case Records 1985–1994 [machine-readable data files].

The number of delinquency

cases involving 10-year-olds

grew 12% between 1985 and

1994, but their per capita case

rate declined 1%

29%

44%

47% 47% 46%

34%

13%

–1%

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Case rate = Cases per 1,000 youth at risk.

Source: Authors' analysis of data from

the National Center for Juvenile Justice,

National Juvenile Court Data Archive:

Juvenile Court Case Records 1985–1994

[machine-readable data files].

Increase in delinquency cases:

1985–1994

49%

55%

45%

41% 42%

34% 33%

12%

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Increase in delinquency case rates:

1985–1994

Age at Time of Referral

Age at Time of Referral
10

In 1994, juveniles age 12 or younger were less likely to be judicially waived to criminal court, adjudicated

in juvenile court, or placed out of the home following juvenile court adjudication

decade. Offenders age 12 or younger represent the same proportion of juvenile arrests (9%) and juvenile court cases (11%)

as they did more than a decade ago, and

the percentage of offenders ages 13 and

14 increased only slightly.

Recent trends are particularly encouraging as they relate to the delinquent

behavior of offenders ages 13 and 14. Between 1994 and 1995, arrests for Property

Crime Index offenses declined for offenders in this age group while remaining unchanged for older youth. Violent crime

arrests, which decreased for all juveniles

between 1994 and 1995, decreased the

most among offenders ages 13 and 14.

Of course, youth under the age of 15

still account for 3 of every 10 juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses and

4 of every 10 juvenile arrests for Property

Crime Index offenses. The findings of this

study suggest, therefore, that the Nation’s

juvenile courts and juvenile justice agencies should continue preventive services

and early intervention for offenders age 14

or younger. The findings also suggest,

however, that it is inaccurate to depict

the typical juvenile offender of today as

significantly younger than the offenders

of 10 or 15 years ago.

Finally, it is also important to remember that this study relies entirely upon

official data reported by law enforcement

agencies and juvenile courts. Thus, the

findings of the study inform the reader

only about young offenders who come

into contact with the justice system. Since

not all of the juveniles who violate the law

are arrested, and not all of those who are

Age 12 or younger

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the National Center for Juvenile Justice, National Juvenile Court Data Archive: Juvenile Court Case Records

1985–1994 [machine-readable data files].

Ages 13 and 14

Age 15 or older

Transferred	 <100	 <1%


Adjudicated	 32,300	 50%


Nonadjudicated	 31,700	 49%

Placed	 800	 2%


Probation	 9,100	 29%


Other	 3,600	 11%


Dismissed	 18,300	 58%

Placed	 6,600	 21%


Probation	 20,100	 62%


Other	 4,700	 14%


Dismissed	 900	 3%

Placed	 100	 <1%


Probation	 32,200	 31%


Other	 21,400	 20%


Dismissed	 51,100	 49%

168,700 Cases

Petitioned


64,000	 38%

Nonpetitioned


104,700	 62%

Transferred	 400	 <1%


Adjudicated	 137,900	 60%


Nonadjudicated	 90,200	 39%

Placed	 1,800	 2%


Probation	 22,900	 25%


Other	 11,800	 13%


Dismissed	 53,800	 60%

Placed	 39,300	 29%


Probation	 77,300	 56%


Other	 17,500	 13%


Dismissed	 3,800	 3%

Placed	 1,100	 1%


Probation	 61,900	 29%


Other	 43,900	 21%


Dismissed	 102,900	 49%

Petitioned


228,500	 52%

Nonpetitioned


209,900	 48%

Transferred	 11,900	 2%


Adjudicated	 324,800	 58%


Nonadjudicated	 226,100	 40%

Placed	 5,200	 2%


Probation	 45,800	 20%


Other	 36,200	 16%


Dismissed	 138,800	 61%

Placed	 95,400	 29%


Probation	 167,200	 51%


Other	 49,700	 15%


Dismissed	 12,500	 4%

Placed	 3,000	 1%


Probation	 102,100	 26%


Other	 86,600	 22%


Dismissed	 193,700	 50%

Petitioned


562,800	 59%

Nonpetitioned


385,400	 41%

438,300 Cases

948,200 Cases
11

arrested are referred to court, changes in

the characteristics of juvenile arrests and

juvenile court cases may reflect the evolving practices of law enforcement and the

courts as much as they reflect the changing behavior of young offenders.

Between 1980 and 1995, the age profile of juvenile homicide

offenders did not change substantially

Percent of juvenile homicide offenders

The number of homicide offenders ages 13 and 14 increased

between 1980 and 1994, but declined between 1994 and 1995

Number of juvenile homicide offenders

◆ Between 1980 and 1995, the estimated number of juvenile homicide offenders ages 15–17

increased 61%, from 1,279 to 2,060 per year. During the same period, the estimated number

of homicide offenders ages 13 and 14 grew 75%, from 140 to 245, and the number of homicide

offenders age 12 or younger declined 30%, from 44 to 31.

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Supplementary

Homicide Reports 1980–1995 [machine-readable data files].

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

Ages 13 and 14

Age 12 or younger

◆ Despite a 75% increase in 13- and 14-year-old homicide offenders between 1980 and 1995,

young juveniles did not increase as a proportion of all juvenile homicides. Youth ages 13 and

14 accounted for 10% of juvenile homicide offenders in both 1980 and 1995.

Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Supplementary

Homicide Reports 1980–1995 [machine-readable data files].

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

Ages 13 and 14

Ages 10–12

Ages 15–17

The increase in homicides by youth

ages 13 and 14 was firearm related

Weapon 1980 1995

Firearm 74 178

Not firearm 66 67

Postscript

This study suggests that today’s serious and violent juvenile offenders are

not significantly younger than those of

10 or 15 years ago. Yet many juvenile

justice professionals, as well as the

public, would assert the opposite. What

explains this discrepancy? The authors

of this study believe several factors

are at work.

First, overall growth in the number of

violent juvenile offenders has drawn

increased attention to the problem of

young offenders in general. Second,

the nature of the delinquency cases

involving juveniles age 12 or younger

has changed. Person offenses, which

once constituted 16% of the total court

cases for this age group, now constitute 25%. Third, delinquency caseloads

have doubled nationwide since 1970.

A judge, prosecutor, or probation

officer with 25 years of job experience should expect to see twice as

many 12-year-old killers in 1995 as

in 1970, simply due to this increased

workload.

Fourth, justice professionals tend to

accumulate memories of exceptional

cases. Every 12-year-old killer is remembered, even though such cases

are few in number. After many years

of working with juveniles, justice professionals may believe that the problem of young killers is getting worse

because of the numbers that have

been encountered during their careers.

Finally, the news media have increased

their reporting of crime, especially violent crimes by the very young. Today,

the public hears about every incident,

whether it happened in a different

town or on a different continent. Moreover, the details of every incident are

repeated several times—at arrest, trial,

sentencing, etc. The growing publicity

about these cases may suggest to the

public that they are occurring more frequently, even if juvenile crime trends

indicate otherwise.
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Washington, DC 20531

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Related materials

Readers interested in additional information about juvenile arrests should

obtain a copy of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation’s primary report on arrest

statistics, Crime in the United States 1995,

by contacting the U.S. Government Printing Office or its local bookstore. Readers

interested in more information about the

juvenile court data presented in this Bulletin should refer to the annual Juvenile

Court Statistics reports published by OJJDP

or contact the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) at 710 Fifth Avenue,

Pittsburgh, PA 15219–3000; 412–227–6950.

Acknowledgments

Jeffrey Butts and Howard Snyder are affiliated with the National Juvenile Court

Data Archive, a project of the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ). Lori Hoag

and Dennis Sullivan assisted with preparation of the study. The National Juvenile

Court Data Archive is supported by funds provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

Both OJJDP and NCJJ gratefully acknowledge the efforts of the many State and

local agencies that contribute data to the Archive. Their cooperation with requests

for data and documentation makes this work possible.

NCJJ has also developed several userfriendly software packages that allow anyone with a personal computer to have

access both to juvenile and adult arrest

statistics for every State and county in

the Nation and to national juvenile court

data. To obtain a copy of Easy Access to

FBI Arrest Statistics: 1991–1995, Easy Access to the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide

Reports: 1980–1995, or Easy Access to Juvenile Court Statistics 1990–1994, call or

write to NCJJ at the address given above.

These software packages can also be

downloaded from OJJDP’s Web site, http://

www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm.

Additional information on these and

other juvenile justice products and reports may be obtained from the Juvenile

Justice Clearinghouse by telephone at

800–638–8736; by mail at P.O. Box 6000,

Rockville, MD 20849–6000; by e-mail at

askncjrs@ncjrs.org; or by viewing OJJDP’s

home page.

This Bulletin was prepared under grant

number 95–JN–FX–0008 from the Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

(OJJDP), U.S. Department of Justice. Since

1975, OJJDP has provided all funding for the

establishment and maintenance of the National

Juvenile Court Data Archive.

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.

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, and the Office for Victims of Crime.