U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Jeff Slowikowski, Acting Administrator December 2009

Office of Justice Programs Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods 	 www.ojp.usdoj.gov

Juvenile Arrests 2008 

A Message From OJJDP 

By summarizing juvenile crime data 

from the FBI report Crime in the 

United States 2008, this Bulletin can 

serve as a benchmark for juvenile 

justice professionals and other concerned citizens seeking to assess 

America’s progress in reducing juvenile delinquency. 

As detailed in these pages, the latest data reflect such progress, with 

a 3% decline in overall juvenile 

arrests from 2007 to 2008 and a 2% 

decrease in juvenile arrests for violent offenses over the same period. 

Similar positive trends are evidenced 

across most offense categories for 

both male and female and white and 

minority youth, in effect reversing 

the modest increases in juvenile 

arrests reported for 2005 and 2006. 

Nevertheless, although such trends 

are encouraging, they should not 

provide a pretext for a misplaced 

sense of complacency. 

One area that merits continued 

attention is the persistently disproportionate rate of minority contact 

with the juvenile justice system. The 

arrest rate for robbery in 2008, for 

example, was 10 times higher for 

black youth than for white. 

It is OJJDP’s hope that the information provided in this Bulletin will 

guide our efforts to address such 

disparities and to prevent and combat juvenile delinquency for the sake 

of our children and our Nation. 

Charles Puzzanchera 

In 2008, law enforcement agencies in the 

United States made an estimated 2.11 million arrests of persons younger than age 

18.* Overall, there were 3% fewer juvenile 

arrests in 2008 than in 2007, and juvenile 

violent crime arrests fell 2%, continuing a 

recent decline. Juvenile arrest rates, particularly Violent Crime Index rates, had increased in 2005 and again in 2006 amid 

fears that the Nation was on the brink of 

another juvenile crime wave. These latest 

data show increases in some offense categories but declines in most—with most 

changes being less than 10% in either 

direction. 

These findings are drawn from data that 

local law enforcement agencies across the 

country report to the FBI’s Uniform Crime 

Reporting (UCR) Program. Based on these 

data, the FBI prepares its annual Crime in 

the United States statistical compilation, 

which summarizes crimes known to the 

police and arrests made during the reporting calendar year. This information is used 

to describe the extent and nature of juvenile crime that comes to the attention of 

the justice system. Other recent findings 

from the UCR Program include the 

following: 

* Throughout this Bulletin, youth younger than 

age 18 are referred to as juveniles. See Notes on 

page 12. 

X	 Juveniles accounted for 16% of all violent crime arrests and 26% of all property crime arrests in 2008. 

X	 Juveniles were involved in 12% of all 

violent crimes cleared in 2008 and 18% 

of property crimes cleared. 

X	 In 2008, 11% (1,740) of all murder victims were younger than age 18. More 

than one-third (38%) of all juvenile 

murder victims were younger than age 

5, but this proportion varied widely 

across demographic groups. 

X	 The juvenile murder arrest rate in 2008 

was 3.8 arrests per 100,000 juveniles 

ages 10 through 17. This was 17% more 

than the 2004 low of 3.3, but 74% less 

than the 1993 peak of 14.4. 

X	 Between 1999 and 2008, juvenile arrests 

for aggravated assault decreased more 

for males than for females (22% vs. 

17%). During this period, juvenile male 

arrests for simple assault declined 6% 

and female arrests increased 12%. 

X	 In 2008, although black youth accounted for just 16% of the youth population 

ages 10–17, they were involved in 52% 

of juvenile Violent Crime Index arrests 

and 33% of juvenile Property Crime 

Index arrests. 

X	 The 2008 arrest rates for Violent Crime 

Index offenses were substantially lower 

than the rates in the 1994 peak year for 

every age group younger than 40. 

Access OJJDP publications online at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp
2 

What do arrest statistics 

count? 

To interpret the material in this Bulletin 

properly, the reader needs a clear understanding of what these statistics count. 

Arrest statistics report the number of 

arrests that law enforcement agencies 

made in a given year—not the number of 

individuals arrested nor the number of 

crimes committed. The number of arrests 

is not the same as the number of people 

arrested because an unknown number of 

individuals are arrested more than once 

during the year. Nor do arrest statistics 

represent counts of crimes that arrested 

individuals commit because a series of 

crimes that one person commits may culminate in a single arrest, and a single 

crime may result in the arrest of more 

than one person. This latter situation, 

where many arrests result from one 

crime, is relatively common in juvenile 

law-violating behavior because juveniles 

are more likely than adults to commit 

crimes in groups. For this reason, one 

should not use arrest statistics to indicate 

the relative proportions of crime that 

juveniles and adults commit. Arrest statistics are most appropriately a measure 

of flow into the justice system. 

Arrest statistics also have limitations in 

measuring the volume of arrests for a 

particular offense. Under the UCR Program, the FBI requires law enforcement 

agencies to classify an arrest by the 

most serious offense charged in that 

arrest. For example, the arrest of a youth 

charged with aggravated assault and 

possession of a weapon would be reported to the FBI as an arrest for aggravated 

assault. Therefore, when arrest statistics 

show that law enforcement agencies 

made an estimated 40,000 arrests of 

young people for weapons law violations 

in 2008, it means that a weapons law 

violation was the most serious charge in 

these 40,000 arrests. An unknown number of additional arrests in 2008 included 

a weapons charge as a lesser offense. 

What do clearance 

statistics count? 

Clearance statistics measure the proportion of reported crimes that were cleared 

(or “closed”) by either arrest or other, 

exceptional means (such as the death of 

the offender or unwillingness of the victim to cooperate). A single arrest may 

result in many clearances. For example, 

1 arrest could clear 10 burglaries if the 

person was charged with committing all 

10 crimes. Or multiple arrests may result 

in a single clearance if a group of offenders committed the crime. For those interested in juvenile justice issues, the FBI 

also reports the proportion of clearances 

that involved only offenders younger than 

age 18. This statistic is a better indicator 

of the proportion of crime that this age 

group commits than is the proportion of 

arrests, although there are some concerns that even the clearance statistic 

overestimates the proportion of crimes 

committed by juveniles. 

Research has shown that juvenile 

offenders are more easily apprehended 

than adult offenders; thus, the juvenile 

proportion of clearances probably overestimates juveniles’ responsibility for 

crime. To add to the difficulty in interpreting clearance statistics, the FBI’s reporting guidelines require that clearances 

involving both juvenile and adult offenders be classified as clearances for crimes 

that adults commit. Because the juvenile 

clearance proportions include only those 

clearances in which no adults were 

involved, they underestimate juvenile 

involvement in crime. Although these 

data do not present a definitive picture of 

juvenile involvement in crime, they are 

the closest measure generally available 

of the proportion of crime known to law 

enforcement that is attributed to persons 

younger than age 18. 

The juvenile proportion of arrests exceeded the juvenile proportion of 

crimes cleared (or “closed”) by arrest in each offense category, reflecting 

that juveniles are more likely than adults to commit crimes in groups and 

to be arrested 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2008 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

2009), tables 28 and 38. 

12% 

16% 

18% 

26% 

5% 

10% 

12% 

15% 

16% 

27% 

11% 

13% 

16% 

27% 

19% 

26% 

16% 

25% 

38% 

47% Arson 

Motor vehicle theft 

Larceny-theft 

Burglary 

Aggravated assault 

Robbery 

Forcible rape 

Murder 

Property Crime Index 

Violent Crime Index 

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 

Percent involving juveniles 

Clearance Arrest 
The 2.11 million arrests of juveniles in 2008 was 16% fewer than the

number of arrests in 1999

2008 Percent of Total

Estimated Juvenile Arrests Percent Change

Number of Younger 1999– 2004– 2007–

Most Serious Offense Juvenile Arrests Female Than 15 2008 2008 2008

Total 2,111,200 30% 27% –16% –4% –3% 

Violent Crime Index 96,000 17 27 –9 5 –2 

Murder and nonnegligent

manslaughter 1,280 7 8 –9 19 –5 

Forcible rape 3,340 2 34 –27 –21 –2 

Robbery 35,350 9 20 25 46 2 

Aggravated assault 56,000 24 31 –21 –9 –4 

Property Crime Index 439,600 36 29 –20 –2 5 

Burglary 84,100 12 29 –14 4 3 

Larceny-theft 324,100 44 29 –17 0 8 

Motor vehicle theft 24,900 16 20 –50 –33 –17 

Arson 6,600 12 56 –24 –16 –8 

Nonindex 

Other assaults 231,700 34 37 0 –5 –3 

Forgery and counterfeiting 2,600 33 12 –64 –48 –15 

Fraud 7,600 35 16 –18 0 3 

Embezzlement 1,300 43 3 –31 19 –19 

Stolen property (buying,

receiving, possessing) 20,900 19 23 –23 –10 –6 

Vandalism 107,300 13 40 –8 3 –4 

Weapons (carrying,

possessing, etc.) 40,000 10 31 –2 –4 –7 

Prostitution and

commercialized vice 1,500 76 11 20 –14 –1 

Sex offense (except forcible

rape and prostitution) 14,500 10 47 –18 –22 –5 

Drug abuse violations 180,100 15 15 –7 –5 –7 

Gambling 1,700 2 14 –51 –12 –19 

Offenses against the

family and children 5,900 36 28 –38 –14 –2 

Driving under the influence 16,000 24 2 –27 –19 –14 

Liquor laws 131,800 38 9 –22 1 –7 

Drunkenness 15,400 24 11 –24 –3 –8 

Disorderly conduct 187,600 33 36 2 –7 –5 

Vagrancy 4,000 29 29 –29 –3 6 

All other offenses

(except traffic) 363,000 26 23 –19 –3 –3 

Suspicion (not included

in totals) 300 22 24 –86 –74 –29 

Curfew and loitering 133,100 31 26 –27 5 –7 

Runaways 109,200 56 32 –33 –12 –5 

X In 2008, there were an estimated 324,100 juvenile arrests for larceny-theft.

Between 1999 and 2008, the number of such arrests fell by 17%.

X Of the four offenses that make up the Violent Crime Index, only juvenile arrests 

for robbery increased in 2007–2008 (up 2%). 

X In 2008, females accounted for 17% of juvenile Violent Crime Index arrests, 36%

of juvenile Property Crime Index arrests, and 44% of juvenile larceny-theft arrests.

X Youth younger than age 15 accounted for more than one-fourth of all juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses and Property Crime Index offenses in 2008 

(27% and 29%, respectively). 

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

Data source: Crime in the United States 2008 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of 

Investigation, 2009), tables 29, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. Arrest estimates were developed by 

the National Center for Juvenile Justice. 

In 2008, about 1 in 10 

(1,740) murder victims 

was a juvenile 

Each Crime in the United States report 

presents estimates of the number of 

crimes reported to law enforcement agencies. Although many crimes are never reported to law enforcement, murder is one 

crime that is nearly always reported. 

An estimated 16,270 murders were reported to law enforcement agencies in 2008, 

or 5.4 murders for every 100,000 U.S. residents. The murder rate was essentially 

constant between 1999 (the year with the 

fewest murders in the last three decades) 

and 2008. Prior to 1999, the last year in 

which the U.S. murder rate was less than 

6.0 was 1966. 

Of all murder victims in 2008, 89% (or 

14,530 victims) were 18 years old or older. 

The other 1,740 murder victims were 

younger than age 18 (i.e., juveniles). The 

number of juveniles murdered in 2008 was 

4% more than the average number of juveniles murdered in the prior 5-year period 

and 39% less than the peak year of 1993, 

when an estimated 2,880 juveniles were 

murdered. During the same prior 5-year 

period, the estimated number of adult 

murder victims fell 33%. 

Of all juveniles murdered in 2008, 38% 

were younger than age 5, 70% were male, 

and 50% were white. Of all juveniles murdered in 2008, 30% of male victims, 57% of 

female victims, 44% of white victims, and 

30% of black victims were younger than 

age 5. 

In 2008, 67% of all murder victims were 

killed with a firearm. Adults were more 

likely to be killed with a firearm (69%) 

than were juveniles (50%). However, the 

involvement of a firearm depended greatly 

on the age of the juvenile victim. In 2008, 

17% of murdered juveniles younger than 

age 13 were killed with a firearm, compared with 80% of murdered juveniles age 

13 or older. The most common method of 

murdering children younger than age 5 

was by physical assault: in 47% of these 

murders, the offenders’ only weapons 

were their hands and/or feet, compared 

with only 2% of juvenile victims age 13 or 

older and 4% of adult victims. In 2008, 

knives or other cutting instruments were 

used in 8% of juvenile murders and 14% of 

adult murders. 

3 
One in eight violent 

crimes was attributed 

to juveniles 

The relative responsibility of juveniles 

and adults for crime is difficult to determine. Law enforcement agencies are more 

likely to clear (or “close”) crimes that juveniles commit than those that adults 

commit. Thus, law enforcement records 

may overestimate juvenile responsibility 

for crime. 

Data on crimes cleared or closed by arrest or exceptional means show that the 

proportion of violent crimes cleared and 

attributed to juveniles has been rather 

constant in recent years, holding at 12% 

over the past 10 years. Specifically, the 

proportions of both forcible rapes and aggravated assaults attributed to juveniles 

fluctuated between 11% and 12% over this 

period, while the proportion of murders 

ranged between 5% and 6% and the proportion of robberies ranged between 14% 

and 16%. 

In 2008, 18% of Property Crime Index offenses cleared by arrest or exceptional 

means were cleared by the arrest of a juvenile. This was the same as the level in 

2007 and 1 percentage point less than the 

level in 2006; the level in 2007 and 2008 

was the lowest since at least the mid1960s. For comparison, the proportion of 

Property Crime Index offenses that law 

enforcement attributed to juveniles was 

28% in 1980 and 22% in both 1990 and 

2000. 

Juvenile arrests for 

violence declined 

between 2006 and 2008 

The FBI assesses trends in violent crimes 

by monitoring four offenses that law enforcement agencies nationwide consistently report. These four crimes—murder 

and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible 

rape, robbery, and aggravated assault— 

form the Violent Crime Index. 

Following 10 years of declines between 

1994 and 2004, juvenile arrests for Violent 

Crime Index offenses increased from 2004 

to 2006, then declined in each of the next 

2 years. Given that the number of arrests 

in 2004 was less than in any year since 

1987, the number of juvenile Violent 

Crime Index arrests in 2008 was still relatively low. In fact, the number of juvenile 

violent crime arrests in 2008 was less 

than any year in the 1990s, and just 3% 

greater than the average annual number 

of such arrests between 2001 and 2007. 

The number of juvenile arrests in 2008 for 

forcible rape was less than in any year 

since at least 1980, and the number of juvenile aggravated assault arrests in 2008 

was less than in any year since 1988. In 

contrast, after also falling to a relatively 

low level in 2004, juvenile arrests for murder increased each year from 2005 to 

2007, then declined 5% in 2008. However, 

juvenile arrests for robbery increased 

more than 46% since 2004. 

Between 1999 and 2008, the number of arrests in most offense categories declined 

more for juveniles than for adults: 

Percent Change 

in Arrests 

Most Serious 1999–2008

Offense Juvenile Adult 

Violent Crime Index –9% –4% 

Murder –9 –5 

Forcible rape –27 –18 

Robbery 25 19 

Aggravated assault –21 –8 

Property Crime Index –20 12 

Burglary –14 19 

Larceny-theft –17 13 

Motor vehicle theft –50 –13 

Simple assault 0 4 

Weapons law violations –2 8 

Drug abuse violations –7 15 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2008, 

table 32. 

In 2008, juveniles were involved in 1 in 10 arrests for murder and 

about 1 in 4 arrests for robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor 

vehicle theft 

Total 

Violent Crime Index 

Property Crime Index 

Arson 

Vandalism 

Disorderly conduct 

Robbery 

Burglary 

Larceny-theft 

Motor vehicle theft 

Weapons 

Liquor laws 

Stolen property 

Sex offense 

Other assaults 

Forcible rape 

Aggravated assault 

Drug abuse violations 

Murder 

Offenses against the family 

Fraud 

Drunkenness 

Prostitution 

Driving under the influence 

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

Percent of arrests involving juveniles 

15% 

16% 

26% 

47% 

38% 

27% 

27% 

27% 

26% 

25% 

22% 

21% 

19% 

18% 

18% 

15% 

13% 

11% 

10% 

5% 

3% 

3% 

2% 

1% 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2008 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of 

Investigation, 2009), table 38. 

4 
Juvenile property 

crime arrests increased 

in 2008—for the second 

consecutive year 

As with violent crime, the FBI assesses 

trends in the volume of property crimes 

by monitoring four offenses that law enforcement agencies nationwide consistently report. These four crimes, which form 

the Property Crime Index, are burglary, 

larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and 

arson. 

For the period 1980–1994, during which juvenile violent crime arrests increased substantially, juvenile property crime arrests 

remained relatively constant. After this 

long period of relative stability, juvenile 

property crime arrests began to fall. Between 1994 and 2006, the number of juvenile Property Crime Index arrests fell by 

half to their lowest level since at least the 

1970s. However, the number of juvenile 

arrests for property crimes increased in 

each of the past 2 years—for the first time 

since 1993–1994. This increase was a result of growth in the number of juvenile 

arrests for larceny-theft, which rose 8% 

each year from 2006 to 2008. Juvenile arrests for motor vehicle theft and arson 

reached historic lows in 2008, while arrests for burglary rose 3% since 2007. 

Most arrested juveniles 

were referred to court 

In most states, some persons younger 

than age 18 are, because of their age or by 

statutory exclusion, under the jurisdiction 

of the criminal justice system. For arrested persons younger than age 18 and under the original jurisdiction of their State’s 

juvenile justice system, the FBI’s UCR Program monitors what happens as a result 

of the arrest. This is the only instance in 

the UCR Program in which the statistics 

on arrests coincide with State variations 

in the legal definition of a juvenile. 

In 2008, 22% of arrests involving youth 

who were eligible in their State for processing in the juvenile justice system were 

handled within law enforcement agencies 

and the youth were released, 66% were 

referred to juvenile court, and 10% were 

referred directly to criminal court. The 

others were referred to a welfare agency 

or to another police agency. In 2008, the 

proportion of juvenile arrests sent to juvenile court in cities with a population of 

more than 250,000 (66%) was similar to 

that in smaller cities (68%). 

The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate fell for the second 

consecutive year and is down 5% since 2006 

X The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate reached a historic low in 2004, down 

49% from its 1994 peak. This decade-long decline was followed by a 12% increase over the next 2 years, and then a 5% decline between 2006 and 2008. 

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Census 

Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note on p. 12 for detail.] 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Violent Crime Index 

After years of decline, the juvenile arrest rate for Property Crime Index 

offenses increased 9% between 2006 and 2008 

X Despite the recent increase, the 2008 juvenile Property Crime Index arrest rate 

was 49% less than the 1991 peak. The large declines over the past decade in the 

two arrest indexes that have traditionally been used to monitor juvenile crime indicate a substantial reduction in the law-violating behavior of America’s youth over 

this period. 

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Census 

Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note on p. 12 for detail.] 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

0 

500 

1,000 

1,500 

2,000 

2,500 

3,000 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Property Crime Index 

5 
Aggravated Assault 

X The juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault doubled between 1980 and 1994 and then fell substantially and consistently through 2004, down 39% from its 1994 peak. 

X This pattern of decline was briefly interrupted, as the juvenile 

aggravated assault arrest rate increased 2% between 2004 

and 2006. By 2008, however, the rate declined 8%, reaching 

its lowest point since the late 1980s. 

Murder 

X From the mid-1980s to the peak in 1993, the juvenile arrest 

rate for murder more than doubled. 

X Then, the juvenile arrest rate for murder declined through the 

mid-2000s, reaching a level in 2004 that was 77% less than 

the 1993 peak. 

X The growth in the juvenile murder arrest rate that began in 

2004 was interrupted in 2008 as the rate fell 6% over the past 

year, resting at a level that was 74% below its 1993 peak. 

Forcible Rape 

X Following the general pattern of other assaultive offenses, the 

juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape increased from the early 

1980s through the early 1990s and then fell substantially. 

X Over the 1980–2008 period, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible 

rape peaked in 1991, 44% more than its 1980 level. 

X With few exceptions, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape 

dropped annually from 1991 through 2008. By 1999, it had returned to its 1980 level. By 2008, the rate had reached its lowest level since at least 1980 and 57% less than its 1991 peak. 

Robbery 

X In contrast with the juvenile arrest rates for other violent 

crimes, the rate for robbery declined through much of the 

1980s, reaching a low point in 1988. Then, like the violent 

crime arrest rate in general, by the mid-1990s the juvenile robbery arrest rate grew to a point greater than the 1980 level. 

X The juvenile robbery arrest rate declined substantially (62%) 

between 1995 and 2002. Since 2002, however, the arrest rate 

rose again, so that by 2008 the rate was 44% greater than its 

low point in 2002 but still 46% less than its 1995 peak. 

6 

In 2008, the juvenile arrest rates for murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault each remained well 

below their peak levels of the 1990s 

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See 

data source note on p. 12 for detail.] 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

0 

2 

4 

6 

8 

10 

12 

14 

16 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Murder 

0 

25 

50 

75 

100 

125 

150 

175 

200 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Robbery 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Aggravated assault 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Forcible rape 
Burglary 

X Unique in the set of Property Crime Index offenses, the juvenile arrest rate for burglary declined almost consistently and 

fell substantially between 1980 and 2008, down 68%. 

X This large fall in juvenile burglary arrests from 1980 through 

2008 was not replicated in the adult statistics. For example, 

between 1999 and 2008, the number of juvenile burglary arrests fell 14%, while adult burglary arrests increased 19%. In 

1980, 45% of all burglary arrests were arrests of a juvenile; in 

2008, reflecting the greater decline in juvenile arrests, just 

27% of burglary arrests were juvenile arrests. 

Larceny-Theft 

X The juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft remained essentially 

constant between 1980 and 1997, then fell 47% between 

1997 and 2006, reaching its lowest point since 1980. This decline reversed in 2007, as the juvenile arrest rate for larcenytheft increased 17% in the past 2 years. 

X In 2008, 74% of all juvenile arrests for Property Crime Index 

offenses were for larceny-theft. Thus, juvenile Property Crime 

Index arrest trends largely reflect the pattern of larceny-theft 

arrests (which itself is dominated by shoplifting—the most 

common larceny-theft offense). 

Motor Vehicle Theft 

X The juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft more than doubled between 1983 and 1990, up 137%. 

X After the peak years of 1990 and 1991, the juvenile arrest rate 

for motor vehicle theft declined steadily through 2008, falling 

78%. In 2008, the juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft 

was less than in any year in the 1980–2008 period. 

X This large decline in juvenile arrests was not replicated in the 

adult statistics. Between 1999 and 2008, the number of juvenile motor vehicle theft arrests fell 50%, while adult motor vehicle theft arrests decreased just 13%. 

Arson 

X After being relatively stable for most of the 1980s, the juvenile 

arrest rate for arson grew 33% between 1990 and 1994. 

X The juvenile arrest rate for arson declined substantially between 1994 and 2008, falling 46%. 

X Following a 19% decline between 2006 and 2008, the juvenile 

arrest rate for arson in 2008 reached its lowest point since 

1980. 

7 

The four offenses that make up the Property Crime Index show very different juvenile arrest rate patterns over 

the 1980–2008 period 

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See 

data source note on p. 12 for detail.] 

0 

250 

500 

750 

1,000 

1,250 

1,500 

1,750 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Larceny-theft 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

350 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Motor vehicle theft 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Arson 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Burglary 
X Juvenile male and female robbery arrest rates both decreased through the late 

1980s and climbed to a peak in the mid-1990s; by 2002, both had fallen to their 

lowest level since at least 1980. Following these declines, the rates for both 

groups increased through 2008 (43% for males and 51% for females). 

X The juvenile female arrest rate for aggravated assault did not decline after its 

1990s peak as much as did the male rate. As a result, in 2008, the juvenile male 

arrest rate was just 4% more than its 1980 level, while the female rate was 80% 

more than its 1980 rate. Similarly, while the male arrest rate for simple assault 

nearly doubled between 1980 and 2008, the female rate more than tripled. 

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and pop u la tion data from the U.S. Census 

Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note on p. 12 for detail.] 

Although arrest trends by gender were similar for robbery, recent 

trends showed greater declines for males in other offenses 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

Robbery 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

1,200 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

Other (simple) assault 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

120 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

Aggravated assault 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

1,200 

1,400 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

Drug abuse violations 

In 2008, females 

accounted for 30% 

of juvenile arrests 

Law enforcement agencies made 629,800 

arrests of females younger than age 18 in 

2008. From 1999 through 2008, arrests of 

juvenile females decreased less than male 

arrests in most offense categories (e.g., 

aggravated assault and burglary); in some 

categories (e.g., simple assault, larcenytheft, and DUI), female arrests increased 

while male arrests decreased. 

Percent Change in 

Juvenile Arrests 

Most Serious 1999–2008

Offense Female Male 

Violent Crime Index –10% –8% 

Robbery 38 24 

Aggravated assault –17 –22 

Simple assault 12 –6 

Property Crime Index 1 –28 

Burglary –3 –16 

Larceny-theft 4 –29 

Motor vehicle theft –52 –50 

Vandalism 3 –9 

Weapons –1 –3 

Drug abuse violations –2 –8 

Liquor law violations –6 –29 

DUI 7 –34 

Disorderly conduct 18 –5 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2008, 

table 33. 

Gender differences also occurred in the 

assault arrest trends for adults. Between 

1999 and 2008, adult male arrests for aggravated assault fell 10%, while female arrests fell less than 1%. Similarly, adult 

male arrests for simple assault stayed the 

same between 1999 and 2008, while adult 

female arrests rose 17%. Therefore, the female proportion of arrests grew for both 

types of assault. It is likely that the disproportionate growth in female assault 

arrests over this period was related to 

factors that affected both juveniles and 

adults. 

Gender differences in arrest trends also 

increased the proportion of arrests involving females in other offense categories 

for both juveniles and adults. Between 

1999 and 2008, the number of larcenytheft arrests of juvenile females grew 4% 

while juvenile male arrests declined 29%, 

and adult female arrests grew more than 

adult male arrests (29% and 4%, respectively). For Property Crime Index offenses, 

juvenile arrests declined more for males 

than females between 1999 and 2008, and 

adult arrests increased less for males 

(5%) than for females (29%). 

8 
X The white juvenile murder rate in 2008 was near its lowest level since at least 

1980, having fallen 69% since its 1993 peak. The black rate in 2008 was well below (76%) its 1993 peak, despite a 40% increase since 2004. 

X After peaking in the mid-1990s, robbery and aggravated assault arrest rates fell 

substantially for all four racial groups. 

X From 1994 through 2008, the Property Crime Index arrest rates dropped dramatically for juveniles in all racial groups—declining 42% or more. 

Note: Murder rates for American Indian youth and Asian youth are not presented because the 

small number of arrests and small population sizes produce unstable rate trends. 

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and pop u la tion data from the U.S. Census 

Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note on p. 12 for detail.] 

Juvenile arrests 

disproportionately 

involved minorities 

The racial composition of the U.S. juvenile 

population ages 10–17 in 2008 was 78% 

white, 16% black, 5% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1% American Indian. Most juveniles of Hispanic ethnicity were included 

in the white racial category. Of all juvenile 

arrests for violent crimes in 2008, 47% involved white youth, 52% involved black 

youth, 1% involved Asian youth, and 1% 

involved American Indian youth. For property crime arrests, the proportions were 

65% white youth, 33% black youth, 2% 

Asian youth, and 1% American Indian 

youth. Black youth were overrepresented 

in juvenile arrests. 

Arrest rate trends from 1980 through 2008 were similar across racial 

groups; the differences were in the volume of arrests 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Black 

White 

0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

Murder 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Black 

White 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Amer. Indian 

White 

Asian 

Aggravated assault 

0 

1,000 

2,000 

3,000 

4,000 

5,000 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Black 

White 

0 

500 

1,000 

1,500 

2,000 

2,500 

3,000 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Amer. Indian 

White 

Asian 

Property Crime Index 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Amer. Indian 

White 

Asian 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Black 

White 

Robbery 

9 

Most Serious

Offense

Black Proportion

of Juvenile Arrests

in 2008

Murder 58%

Forcible rape 37

Robbery 67

Aggravated assault 42

Simple assault 39

Burglary 35

Larceny-theft 31

Motor vehicle theft 45

Weapons 38

Drug abuse violations 27

Vandalism 19

Liquor laws 6

Data source: Crime in the United States 2008, 

table 43.

The Violent Crime Index arrest rate (i.e., 

arrests per 100,000 juveniles in the racial 

group) in 2008 for black juveniles (926) 

was about 5 times the rate for white juveniles (178), 6 times the rate for American 

Indian juveniles (153), and 13 times the 

rate for Asian juveniles (71). For Property 

Crime Index arrests, the rate for black juveniles (2,689) was more than double the 

rates for white juveniles (1,131) and American Indian juveniles (1,104) and nearly 6 

times the rate for Asian juveniles (471).

In the 1980s, the Violent Crime Index arrest rate for black juveniles was between 6 

and 7 times the white rate. This ratio declined during the 1990s, holding at 4 to 1 

from 1999 to 2004. Since 2004, the racial 

disparity in the rates increased, reaching 

5 to 1. This increase resulted from an 

increase in the black rate (24%) and a 

decline in the white rate (3%). More specifically, the aggravated assault arrest rate 

increased 4% for black juveniles while the 

white rate declined 9%, and the robbery 

rate increased more for black (56%) than 

for white juveniles (30%).
X Between 1990 and 1997, the juvenile arrest rate for drug 

abuse violations increased 145%. The rate declined 28% 

between 1997 and 2008, but the 2008 rate was 78% 

more than the 1990 rate. 

X Over the 1980–2008 period, the juvenile drug arrest rate 

for whites peaked in 1997 and then held relatively constant through 2008 (down 13%). In contrast, the rate for 

blacks peaked in 1995, then fell 49% by 2002. Despite a 

recent increase—23% between 2002 and 2007—the rate 

fell 13% in 2008 and was 45% less than the 1995 peak. 

X Between 1980 and 1993, the juvenile arrest rate for weapons law violations increased more than 140%. Then the 

rate fell substantially, so that by 2002 the rate was just 

14% more than the 1980 level. 

X However, between 2002 and 2006, the juvenile weapons 

arrest rate grew 35%, then fell 16% through 2008. As a result, the rate in 2008 was 30% more than the 1980 level 

and 47% less than its 1993 peak. Between 2006 and 2008, 

the rate declined more for females (19%) than for males 

(15%), and more for whites (15%) than for blacks (11%). 

X The juvenile arrest rate for simple assault increased 156% 

between 1980 and 1997, declined slightly through 2002, then 

rose slightly through 2006. Following the decline over the 

past 2 years, the 2008 rate was 10% below the 1997 peak. 

X Unlike the trend for simple assault, the juvenile aggravated 

assault arrest rate declined steadily since the mid-1990s, 

falling 43% between 1994 and 2008. 

X The 2008 juvenile arrest rate for simple assault was substantially greater than the 1980 rate for most racial groups. 

X Juveniles showed the largest decline in Violent Crime Index arrest rates between 1994 and 2008—falling 40% or 

more in each age group from 10 through 17. 

X Between 1994 and 2008, the Violent Crime Index arrest 

rates for 18-year-olds fell 37% and the rates for persons 

age 19–39 fell more than 30% for each age group. 

X Over the 1994–2008 period, the Violent Crime Index arrest rates for persons age 45–64 changed little. 

10 

The decline in the juvenile arrest rate for weapons 

law violations between 2006 and 2008 broke the 

trend of increasing rates that began in 2003 

After a period of substantial growth during the 

1990s, the juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse 

violations declined after 1997 

The juvenile arrest rate for simple assault declined 

slightly for the second consecutive year—down 7% 

since 2006 

Between the 1994 peak and 2008, arrest rates for 

Violent Crime Index offenses fell substantially for 

every age group younger than 40 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Weapons 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Drug abuse 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Other (simple) assault 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

1,200 

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 

Age 

1994 

2008 

Violent Crime Index arrests per 100,000 population 

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. 

[See data source note on p. 12 for detail.] 
State variations in juvenile arrest rates may reflect differences in juvenile law-violating behavior, police 

behavior, and/or community standards; therefore, comparisons should be made with caution 

2008 Juvenile Arrest Rate* 2008 Juvenile Arrest Rate* 

Violent Property Violent Property 

Reporting Crime Crime Drug Reporting Crime Crime Drug 

State Index Index Abuse Weapons State Index Index Abuse Weapons 

United States 

Alabama 

82%† 

81 

306 

176 

1,398 

924 

560 

242 

121 

47 

Alaska 

Arizona 

97 

99 

272 

228 

1,655 

1,558 

340 

762 

42 

76 

Arkansas 

California 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

84 

99 

88 

92 

180 

414 

199 

337 

1,460 

1,153 

1,853 

1,163 

365 

523 

763 

456 

62 

196 

123 

90 

Delaware 

Dist. of Columbia 

100 

0

630 

 NA

1,778 

 NA

774 

 NA

169 

 NA 

Florida 

Georgia 

100 

62 

471 

278 

2,062 

1,343 

731 

465 

104 

198 

Hawaii 

Idaho 

Illinois 

Indiana 

89 

94 

23 

73 

264 

136 

1,066 

290 

1,405 

1,764 

1,850 

1,734 

375 

468 

1,843 

460 

22 

101 

334 

57 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

92 

68 

15 

56 

252 

163 

402 

603 

1,792 

1,109 

2,182 

1,564 

396 

472 

729 

580 

52 

59 

84 

116 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts 

100 

99 

90 

66 

608 

333 

1,622 

2,073 

578 

428 

1,272 

358 

35 

226 

45 

Michigan 87 225 1,067 337 85 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

97 

45 

208 

145 

1,884 

1,483 

511 

454 

145 

124 

Missouri 94% 274 1,928 566 121 

Montana 96 112 1,831 305 21 

Nebraska 92 139 2,013 657 112 

Nevada 98 337 1,724 618 159 

New Hampshire 78 84 771 580 12 

New Jersey 96 332 925 642 158 

New Mexico 73 278 1,537 580 133 

New York 47 260 1,141 536 60 

North Carolina 72 305 1,615 458 197 

North Dakota 91 117 2,107 477 70 

Ohio 60 160 1,088 360 79 

Oklahoma 100 202 1,335 479 83 

Oregon 96 192 1,914 614 87 

Pennsylvania 97 426 1,106 486 119 

Rhode Island 100 186 1,097 397 129 

South Carolina 98 192 784 388 94 

South Dakota 78 79 1,640 590 83 

Tennessee 80 318 1,348 574 115 

Texas 96 181 1,182 566 61 

Utah 87 122 2,125 563 120 

Vermont 82 91 569 274 29 

Virginia 97 142 865 351 72 

Washington 73 248 1,760 507 126 

West Virginia 61 72 577 204 25 

Wisconsin 98 279 2,588 780 238 

Wyoming 99 132 1,977 910 83 

* Throughout this Bulletin, juvenile arrest rates are calculated by dividing the number of arrests of persons ages 10–17 by the number of persons 

ages 10–17 in the population. In this table only, arrest rate is defined as the number of arrests of persons younger than age 18 for every 100,000 

persons ages 10–17. Juvenile arrests (arrests of youth younger than age 18) reported at the State level in Crime in the United States cannot be 

dis ag gre gat ed into more detailed age categories so that the arrest of persons younger than age 10 can be excluded in the rate calculation. 

Therefore, there is a slight in con sis ten cy in this table between the age range for the arrests (birth through age 17) and the age range for the pop ula tion (ages 10–17) that are the basis of a State’s juvenile arrest rates. This inconsistency is slight because just 1% of all juvenile arrests involved 

youth younger than age 10. This in con sis ten cy is preferable to the distortion of arrest rates that would be in tro duced were the population base for 

the arrest rate to in cor po rate the large volume of children younger than age 10 in a State’s population. 

† The reporting coverage for the total United States in this table (82%) includes all States reporting arrests of persons younger than age 18. This is 

greater than the coverage in the rest of the Bulletin (76%) for various reasons. For example, a State may provide arrest counts of persons younger 

than age 18 but not provide the age detail required to support other presentations in Crime in the United States 2008. 

NA = Crime in the United States 2008 reported no arrest counts for the District of Columbia. 

Interpretation cautions: Arrest rates are calculated by dividing the number of youth arrests made in the year by the number of youth living in 

reporting ju ris dic tions. While juvenile ar rest rates in part reflect juvenile behavior, many other fac tors can affect the size of these rates. For example, 

ju ris dic tions that arrest a relatively large number of nonresident ju ve niles would have higher arrest rates than jurisdictions where res i dent youth 

behave in an identical manner. There fore, jurisdictions that are vacation destinations or regional centers for eco nom ic activity may have ar rest rates 

that reflect more than the be hav ior of their resident youth. Other factors that influence the mag ni tude of arrest rates in a given area in clude the attitudes of its citizens toward crime, the policies of the ju ris dic tion’s law enforcement agencies, and the policies of other com po nents of the justice 

sys tem. Consequently, comparisons of ju ve nile arrest rates across States, while in for ma tive, should be made with caution. In most States, 

not all law enforcement agencies report their arrest data to the FBI. Rates for these States are necessarily based on partial in for ma tion. If the 

re port ing law enforcement agencies in these States are not representative of the entire State, then the rates will be biased. Therefore, reported 

arrest rates for States with less than com plete re port ing coverage may not be accurate. 

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI’s Crime in the United States 2008 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2009), 

tables 5 and 69, and population data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ Estimates of the July 1, 2000–July 1, 2008, United States 

Resident Population From the Vintage 2008 Postcensal Series by Year, County, Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin [machine-readable data files 

available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm, released 9/2/2009]. 

11 

Coverage Coverage 
U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Washington, DC 20531 

Official Business 

Penalty for Private Use $300 

Bulletin NCJ 228479

Data source note 

Analysis of arrest data from un pub lished FBI 

reports for 1980 through 1997, from Crime in 

the United States reports for 1998 through 

2003 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government 

Printing Office, 1999 through 2004, respectively) and from Crime in the United States reports 

for 2004 through 2008, which are available 

online at www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#cius, 

released September 2009; population data 

for 1980–1989 from the U.S. Census Bureau, 

U.S. Pop u la tion Es ti mates by Age, Sex, Race, 

and His pan ic Origin: 1980 to 1999 [machinereadable data files available online, released 

April 11, 2000]; population data for 1990–1999 

from the National Center for Health Statistics 

(prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau with 

support from the National Cancer Institute), 

Bridged-race Intercensal Estimates of the July 1, 

1990–July 1, 1999, United States Resident Population by County, Single-year of Age, Sex, Race, 

and Hispanic Origin [machine-readable data 

files available online at www.cdc.gov/nchs/ 

nvss/bridged_race.htm, released July 26, 2004]; 

and population data for 2000–2008 from the 

National Center for Health Statistics (prepared under a collaborative arrangement 

with the U.S. Census Bureau), Estimates of the 

July 1, 2000–July 1, 2008, United States Resident Population From the Vintage 2008 Postcensal Series by Year, County, Age, Sex, Race, 

and Hispanic Origin [machine-readable data 

files available online at www.cdc.gov/nchs/ 

nvss/bridged_race.htm, released September 

2, 2009]. 

Notes 

In this Bulletin, “juvenile” refers to persons 

younger than age 18. This definition is at 

odds with the legal definition of juveniles in 

2008 in 13 States—10 States where all 17­

year-olds are defined as adults and 3 States 

where all 16- and 17-year-olds are defined as 

adults. 

FBI arrest data in this Bulletin are counts of 

arrests detailed by age of arrestee and offense categories from all law enforcement 

agencies that reported complete data for 

the calendar year. (See Crime in the United 

States for offense definitions.) The proportion of the U.S. population covered by these 

reporting agencies ranged from 63% to 94% 

between 1980 and 2008, with 2008 coverage of 

76%. 

Estimates of the number of persons in each 

age group in the reporting agencies’ resident populations assume that the resident 

population age profiles are like the Nation’s. 

Reporting agencies’ total populations were 

multiplied by the U.S. Census Bureau’s most 

current estimate of the proportion of the 

U.S. population for each age group. 

Additional juvenile arrest statistics are available online: 

www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/crime/JAR.asp 

PRESORTED STANDARD
 

POSTAGE & FEES PAID
 

DOJ/OJJDP
 

PERMIT NO. G–91
 

Acknowledgments 

This Bulletin was written by Charles 

Puzzanchera, Senior Research Associate, with assistance from Melissa 

Sickmund, Ph.D., Chief of Systems 

Research, and Ben Adams, Research 

Assistant, at the National Center for 

Ju ve nile Justice, with funds pro vid ed 

by OJJDP to support the National 

Juvenile Jus tice Data Analysis Project. 

This Bulletin was prepared under cooperative 

agreement number 2008–JF–FX–K071 from the 

Office of Ju ve nile Justice and De lin quen cy 

Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. De part ment of Justice. 

Points of view or opinions ex pressed in this 

doc u ment are those of the author and do not 

nec es sar i ly represent the official position or 

policies of OJJDP or the U.S. De part ment of 

Justice. 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention is a component of the Office of 

Justice Pro grams, which also includes the 

Bu reau of Jus tice As sis tance; the Bu reau of 

Jus tice Sta tis tics; the Community Capacity 

Development Office; the National In sti tute of 

Justice; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the 

Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, 

Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking 

(SMART).