J. Robert Flores, Administrator September 2004

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Juvenile Arrests 2002

Howard N. Snyder

A Message From OJJDP

In 2002, the juvenile arrest rate for

Violent Crime Index offenses reached

its lowest level since at least 1980.

The rate, which grew substantially

during the late 1980s and peaked in

1994, has decreased for 8 consecutive years. In 2002, it was nearly half

its 1994 peak level.

The Violent Crime Index tracks murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The juvenile arrest rate

for each of these offenses has declined steadily since the mid-1990s.

The relative decrease in the number

of arrests for Violent Crime Index

offenses has been nearly three times

greater for juveniles than for adults.

Although the statistic trends are encouraging, juvenile crime remains a

problem. An estimated 2,261,000

arrests of juveniles took place in

2002, including 92,160 for Violent

Crime Index offenses. Arrest trends

show that females are an increasing

proportion of the juvenile justice population. Disproportionate involvement

of minorities in juvenile arrests persisted; however, the black-to-white

disparity in violent crime arrest rates

declined substantially between 1980

and 2002.

Juvenile Arrests 2002 provides a

summary and an analysis of national and state juvenile arrest data

presented in the Federal Bureau of

Investigation’s report Crime in the

United States 2002. This Bulletin

offers baseline information for those

interested in monitoring the nation’s

progress in addressing serious juvenile crime.

In 2002, law enforcement agencies in the

United States made an estimated 2.3 million arrests of persons under age 18.* 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), juveniles accounted for 17%

of all arrests and 15% of all violent crime

arrests in 2002. The substantial growth in

juvenile violent crime arrests that began

in the late 1980s peaked in 1994. In 2002,

for the eighth consecutive year, the rate of

juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index 

offenses—murder, forcible rape, robbery,

and aggravated assault—declined. Specifically, between 1994 and 2002, the juvenile

arrest rate for Violent Crime Index offenses fell 47%. As a result, the juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate in 2002 was at

the lowest level since at least 1980. From

its peak in 1993 to 2002, the juvenile arrest

rate for murder fell 72%.

These findings are derived from data reported annually by local law enforcement

agencies across the country to the FBI’s

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Based on these data, the FBI prepares its

annual Crime in the United States report,

which summarizes crimes known to the

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

to characterize 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:

◆ Of the nearly 1,600 juveniles murdered

in 2002, 38% were under 5 years of age,

64% were male, 51% were white, and

48% were killed with a firearm.

◆ Arrests of juveniles accounted for 12%

of all violent crimes cleared by arrest

in 2002—specifically, 5% of murders,

12% of forcible rapes, 14% of robberies,

and 12% of aggravated assaults.

◆ In the peak year of 1993, there were

about 3,840 juvenile arrests for murder.

Between 1993 and 2002, juvenile arrests

for murder declined, with the number

of arrests in 2002 (1,360) about onethird that in 1993.

◆ The juvenile violent crime arrest rate in

2002 was lower that it had been since

at least 1980, and nearly half of what it

was in 1994.

◆ Juvenile male arrest rates for aggravated assault and simple assault fell from

the mid-1990s through 2002, while female

rates remained near their highest level.

◆ The disparity in violent crime arrest

rates for black juveniles and white juveniles declined substantially between

1980 and 2002.

◆ In 2002, the juvenile arrest rate for

Property Crime Index offenses reached

its lowest level since at least the 1960s. 

◆ Between 1993 and 2002, juvenile arrests

for driving under the influence increased

46%, with the increase far greater for

females (94%) than males (37%). * Throughout this Bulletin, persons under age 18 are

referred to as juveniles. See Notes on page 12.

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

Office of Justice Programs • Partnerships for Safer Communities • www.ojp.usdoj.gov
2

What do arrest statistics

count?

To interpret the material in this Bulletin

properly, the reader must have a clear

understanding of what these statistics

count. The arrest statistics report the

number of arrests made by law enforcement agencies in a particular year—not

the number of individuals arrested, nor

the number of crimes committed. The

number of arrests is not equivalent to 

the number of people arrested, because

an unknown number of individuals are

arrested more than once in the year. Nor

do arrest statistics represent counts of

crimes committed by arrested individuals,

because a series of crimes committed by

one individual may culminate in a single

arrest, or 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. This is the primary reason why arrest statistics should

not be used to indicate the relative proportion of crime committed by juveniles

and adults. Arrest statistics are most appropriately a measure of flow into the

criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Arrest statistics also have limitations for

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 controlled substance

would be reported to the FBI as an arrest

for aggravated assault. Therefore, when

arrest statistics show that law enforcement agencies made an estimated

186,600 arrests of young people for drug

abuse violations in 2002, it means that a

drug abuse violation was the most serious charge in these 186,600 arrests. An

unknown number of additional arrests in

2002 included a drug charge as a lesser

offense.

What do clearance 

statistics count?

Clearance statistics measure the proportion of reported crimes that were resolved by an arrest or other, exceptional

means (e.g., death of the offender, unwillingness of the victim to cooperate).

A single arrest may result in many clearances. For example, 1 arrest could clear

40 burglaries if the person was charged

with committing all 40 of these crimes.

Or multiple arrests may result in a single

clearance if the crime was committed by

a group of offenders. For those interested

in juvenile justice issues, the FBI also

reports information on the proportion 

of clearances that were cleared by the

arrest of persons under age 18. This statistic is a better indicator of the proportion of crime committed by this age group

than is the arrest proportion, although

there are some concerns that even the

clearance statistic overestimates the

juvenile proportion of crimes.

For example, the FBI reports that persons under age 18 accounted for 23% 

of all robbery arrests but only 14% of all

robberies that were cleared in 2002. If it

can be assumed that offender characteristics of cleared robberies are similar to

those of robberies that were not cleared,

then it would be appropriate to conclude

that persons under age 18 were responsible for 14% of all robberies in 2002.

However, the offender characteristics of

cleared and noncleared robberies may

differ for a number of reasons. If, for example, juvenile robbers were more easily

apprehended than adult robbers, the proportion of robberies cleared by the arrest

of persons under age 18 would overestimate the juvenile responsibility for all

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

to be tied to the oldest offender in the

group if more than one person is arrested for a crime.

In summary, while the interpretation of

reported clearance proportions is not

straightforward, these data are the closest measure generally available of the

proportion of crime known to law enforcement that is attributed to persons

under age 18.

The juvenile proportion of arrests exceeded the juvenile proportion of

crimes cleared by arrest in each offense category, reflecting the fact that

juveniles are more likely to commit crimes in groups and are more likely

to be arrested than are adults

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2003), tables 28 and 38.

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

12%

15%

20%

30%

5%

10%

12%

17%

14%

23%

12%

13%

17%

30%

21%

29%

18%

30%

43%

49%

Clearance Arrest
3

The number of juveniles

murdered in 2002 was

the lowest since 1985

Each Crime in the United States report

presents estimates of the number of

crimes reported to law enforcement agencies. A large portion of most types of

crime are never reported to law enforcement. Murder, however, is one crime that

is nearly always reported. Therefore, murder is the crime for which the FBI data are

most complete and most valid.

An estimated 16,200 murders were reported to law enforcement agencies in 2002,

or 5.6 murders for every 100,000 U.S. residents. This represents a 4% increase over

the 15,520 murders in 1999—the year with

the fewest murders in the last 30 years.

The relatively low number of murders in

2002 is underscored by the fact that there

were essentially the same number of murders in 2002 as in 1970, when the U.S. population was about 30% smaller.

Of all murder victims in 2002, 90% (or

14,600 victims) were 18 years of age or

older. The other 1,600 murder victims

were under age 18. Fewer juveniles were

murdered in the U.S. in 2002 than in any

year since 1985. The 2002 figure is 44% below the peak year of 1993, when an estimated 2,880 juveniles were murdered in

the U.S.

Of all juveniles murdered in 2002, 38%

were under age 5, 64% were male, and

51% were white. Compared with older juvenile murder victims, victims under age

13 in 2002 were more likely to be female

(47% vs. 25%) and more likely to be white

(56% vs. 46%)

In 2002, 67% of all murder victims were

killed with a firearm. Adults were more

likely to be killed with a firearm (69%)

than were juveniles (48%). However, the

involvement of a firearm depended greatly

on the age of the juvenile victim. Whereas

19% of murdered juveniles under age 13

were killed with a firearm in 2002, 78% of

murdered juveniles age 13 or older were

killed with a firearm. The most common

method of murdering children under age 5

was by physical assault; in 50% of these

murders, the offenders’ only weapons

were their hands and/or feet.

The nearly 2.3 million arrests of juveniles in 2002 was 19% fewer than the

number of arrests in 1998

2002 Percent of Total

Estimated Juvenile Arrests Percent Change

Most Serious Number of Under 1993– 1998– 2001–

Offense Juvenile Arrests Female Age 15 2002 2002 2002

Total 2,261,000 29% 31% –11% –19% –3%

Violent Crime Index 92,160 18 32 –29 –17 –3

Murder and nonnegligent

manslaughter 1,360 10 10 –64 –36 2

Forcible rape 4,720 3 37 –27 –14 –1

Robbery 24,470 9 24 –38 –21 –1

Aggravated assault 61,610 24 36 –23 –15 –4

Property Crime Index 481,600 32 37 –34 –23 –4

Burglary 86,500 11 36 –39 –26 –4

Larceny-theft 341,700 39 38 –30 –23 –3

Motor vehicle theft 45,200 17 25 –50 –15 –6

Arson 8,200 11 64 –23 –11 –10

Nonindex

Other assaults 236,300 32 42 14 –2 1

Forgery and counterfeiting 5,100 36 13 –43 –31 –17

Fraud 9,300 33 18 –18 –20 –7

Embezzlement 1,400 41 9 73 –18 –25

Stolen property (buying, 

receiving, possessing) 26,100 16 27 –45 –26 –5

Vandalism 105,900 14 43 –33 –22 –2

Weapons (carrying, 

possessing, etc.) 35,100 11 34 –47 –24 –5

Prostitution and 

commercialized vice 1,500 67 15 27 –6 4

Sex offense (except forcible 

rape and prostitution) 19,400 9 52 –9 9 1

Drug abuse violations 186,600 16 16 59 –11 –7

Gambling 1,600 3 15 –39 –8 16

Offenses against the 

family and children 9,400 39 37 48 –12 –6

Driving under the influence 21,800 19 2 46 –6 4

Liquor law violations 149,400 34 10 17 –22 –3

Drunkenness 18,700 22 12 –2 –26 –7

Disorderly conduct 192,900 30 40 9 –15 3

Vagrancy 2,100 24 26 –40 –37 –15

All other offenses 

(except traffic) 396,300 27 27 8 –20 –3

Suspicion (not included

in totals) 1,400 29 25 –43 –9 49

Curfew and loitering 141,300 31 28 35 –33 –5

Runaways 125,700 60 37 –37 –27 –8

◆ In 2002, there were an estimated 61,610 juvenile arrests for aggravated assault.

Between 1993 and 2002, the annual number of such arrests fell 23%.

◆ Females accounted for 24% of juvenile arrests for aggravated assault and 32% of

juvenile arrests for other assaults (i.e., simple assaults and intimidations) in 2002,

far more than their involvement in other types of violent crimes. Three of every five

juvenile arrests (60%) for running away from home involved a female, as did 3 of

every 10 arrests (31%) for curfew and loitering law violations.

◆ Between 1993 and 2002, there were substantial declines in juvenile arrests for

murder (64%), motor vehicle theft (50%), and weapons law violations (47%) and

major increases in juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations (59%) and driving

under the influence (46%).

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

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2003), tables 29, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. Arrest estimates were developed by the

National Center for Juvenile Justice.
4

Juvenile arrests for 

violence in 2002 were

the lowest since 1987

The FBI assesses trends in the volume of

violent crimes by monitoring four offenses

that are consistently reported by law enforcement agencies nationwide and are

pervasive in all geographical areas of the

country. These four crimes—murder and

nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape,

robbery, and aggravated assault—together

form the Violent Crime Index. 

After years of relative stability in the number of juvenile Violent Crime Index arrests,

the increase in these arrests between 1988

and 1994 focused national attention on the

problem of juvenile violence. After peaking

in 1994, these arrests dropped each year

from 1995 through 2002. For all Violent

Crime Index offenses combined, the number of juvenile arrests in 2002 was the lowest since 1987. The number of juvenile aggravated assault arrests in 2002 was lower

than in any year since 1989. With the exception of 2000, the number of juvenile

arrests in 2002 for murder was lower than

in any year since 1984. The number of juvenile arrests in 2002 for forcible rape was

at the low levels of the early 1980s. Finally,

the number of juvenile arrests for robbery

was lower in 2002 than in any year since

at least the early 1970s.

In the 10 years between 1993 and 2002, the

decline in the number of violent crime arrests was greater for juveniles than adults:

Percent Change

in Arrests 

Most Serious 1993–2002

Offense Juvenile Adult

Violent Crime Index –29% –10%

Murder –64 –36

Forcible rape –27 –26

Robbery –38 –25

Aggravated assault –23 –4

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002,

table 32.

Few juveniles were

arrested for violent

crime

In 2002, there were 276 arrests for Violent

Crime Index offenses for every 100,000

youth between 10 and 17 years of age. If

each of these arrests involved a different

juvenile (which is unlikely), then no more

than 1 in every 360 persons ages 10–17

was arrested for a Violent Crime Index 

offense in 2002, or about one-third of 1%

of all juveniles ages 10–17 living in the U.S.

In 2002, juveniles were involved in 1 in 10 arrests for murder (or 10%

of arrests for murder), 1 in 8 arrests for a drug abuse violation, 1 in 5

arrests for a weapons violation, and 1 in 4 arrests for robbery

Driving under the influence

Prostitution

Fraud

Drunkenness

Offenses against the family

Murder

Drug abuse

Aggravated assault

Forcible rape

Other assault

Sex offense

Stolen property

Weapons

Liquor laws

Robbery

Disorderly conduct

Larceny-theft

Burglary

Motor vehicle theft

Vandalism

Arson

Property Crime Index

Violent Crime Index

All arrests

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

Percent of arrests involving juveniles

17%

15%

30%

49%

38%

30%

30%

29%

29%

23%

23%

21%

21%

20%

18%

17%

13%

12%

10%

7%

3%

3%

2%

1%

The juvenile share of

crime has declined

The relative responsibility of juveniles

and adults for crime is hard to determine.

Research has shown that crimes committed by juveniles are more likely to be

cleared by law enforcement than are

crimes committed by adults. Therefore,

drawing a picture of crime from law enforcement records is likely to give a high

estimate of the juvenile responsibility for

crime. 

The clearance data in the Crime in the

United States series show that the proportion of violent crimes attributed to juveniles by law enforcement has declined in

recent years. The proportion of violent

crimes cleared by juvenile arrests grew

from about 9% in the late 1980s to 14% in

1994 and then declined to 12% in 2002. 

In the period since 1980, the proportion

of murders cleared by juvenile arrests

peaked in 1994 at 10% then dropped to

5% in 2002—the lowest level since 1987

but still above the levels of the mid1980s. The juvenile proportion of cleared

forcible rapes peaked in 1995 (15%) and

then fell; however, the 2002 proportion

(12%) was still above the levels of the

late 1980s (9%). The juvenile proportion

of robbery clearances also peaked in

1995 (20%); it fell substantially by 2002

(14%) but was still above the levels of the

late 1980s (10%). The juvenile proportion

of aggravated assault clearances in 2002

(12%) was slightly below its peak in 1994

(13%) and substantially above the levels

of the late 1980s (8%). The proportion of

Property Crime Index offenses cleared by

juvenile arrests in 2002 (20%) was at its

lowest level since at least 1980.

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2003), table 38.
5

Juvenile arrests for

property crimes in 2002

were the lowest in at

least three decades

As with violent crime, the FBI assesses

trends in the volume of property crimes by

monitoring four offenses that are consistently reported by law enforcement agencies nationwide and are pervasive in all

geographical areas of the country. These

four crimes, which form the Property

Crime Index, are burglary, larceny-theft,

motor vehicle theft, and arson.

For the period from 1988 through 1994,

during which juvenile violent crime arrests

increased substantially, juvenile property

crime arrest rates remained relatively

constant. After this long period of relative

stability, juvenile property crime arrests

began to fall. Between 1994 and 2002, the

juvenile Property Crime Index arrest rate

dropped 43%, to its lowest level since at

least the 1960s. More specifically, juvenile

burglary arrest rates have been declining

since at least the early 1980s. In 2002, the

juvenile larceny-theft arrest rate and the

juvenile motor vehicle theft arrest rate

were at their lowest levels since at least

1980.

Most arrested juveniles

were referred to court

In most states, some persons under age 18

are, due to their age or by statutory exclusion, under the jurisdiction of the criminal

justice system. For arrested persons under

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 2002, 18% of arrests involving youth eligible in their state for processing in the

juvenile justice system were handled within law enforcement agencies, 73% were

referred to juvenile court, and 7% were

referred directly to criminal court. The

others were referred to a welfare agency

or to another police agency. The proportion of arrests sent to juvenile court has

increased gradually from 1990 to 2002

(from 64% to 73%). In 2002, the proportion

of juvenile arrests sent to juvenile court

was similar in cities (72%), suburban

counties (74%), and rural counties (72%). 

The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate in 2002 was lower than in

any year since at least 1980 and 47% below the peak year of 1994

◆ In comparison with the juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate, the rate for young

adults (persons ages 18–24) that peaked in 1992 had fallen only 28% by 2002, remaining above the rates of the early 1980s.

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

the Census and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note on page 12 for

detail.] 

After years of relative stability, the juvenile Property Crime Index arrest

rate began a decline in the mid-1990s that continued through 2002

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for Property Crime Index offenses in 2002 was nearly 40%

below its levels in the early 1980s.

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

the Census and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note on page 12 for

detail.] 

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Violent Crime Index

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Property Crime Index
6

In 2002, juvenile arrest rates for murder, forcible rape, and robbery were at or near their lowest levels since at

least 1980; the same was not true for the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault 

Aggravated Assault

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault doubled between 1980 and 1994, generally paralleling the arrest rate

trends for murder and robbery.

◆ Unlike the juvenile arrest rate trends for murder and robbery,

the decline (of 37%) in the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated

assault between 1994 and 2002 did not erase the increase

that began in the mid-1980s. The juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault in 2002 was still 27% above the 1980 level.

Murder

◆ In the period between 1980 and 2002, the juvenile arrest rate

for murder peaked in 1993. In that year, there were about

3,840 arrests of juveniles for murder.

◆ Between the mid-1980s and 1993, the juvenile arrest rate for

murder more than doubled.

◆ After 1993, the juvenile arrest rate for murder fell each year

through 2000—a total decline of 74%. Both 2001 and 2002

saw juvenile arrest rates for murder slightly above the low 

level of 2000.

Forcible Rape

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape did not vary as much

as the rates for other violent crimes over the period 1980–2002,

although it did follow the same general pattern of growth and

decline.

◆ In 1991, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape peaked for the

1980–2002 period at 44% above its level in 1980.

◆ After 1993, the rate fell each year through 2000, then held constant through 2002. In 2002, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible

rape was near its lowest level of the 1980–2002 period.

Robbery

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for robbery declined during much of

the 1980s, falling 30% between 1980 and 1988.

◆ In 1989, this trend changed and the rate grew to its high level

of 1995, 69% above the 1988 level and 19% above its 1980

level.

◆ Between 1995 and 2002, the juvenile arrest rate for robbery

fell 62%; by 2002, it was at its lowest level since at least 1980

and 36% below the low point in 1988.

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

[See data source note on page 12 for detail.] 

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

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Murder

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

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Robbery

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

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Aggravated assault

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

0

5

10

15

20

25

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Forcible rape
7

Juvenile arrest rate trends for the four offenses that make up the Property Crime Index show very different 

patterns over the 1980–2002 period

Burglary

◆ Unlike the arrest rate trend for any other Property Crime Index

offense, the juvenile arrest rate for burglary declined consistently and substantially between 1980 and 2002.

◆ In 2002, the juvenile arrest rate for burglary was just one-third

of what it had been in 1980.

◆ Between 1993 and 2002, the number of arrests for burglary

declined for both juveniles and adults (39% and 24%, respectively). Similarly, in the 10-year period 1984–1993, the decline

was greater for juveniles (17%) than for adults (4%).

Larceny-Theft

◆ In 2002, 71% of all juvenile Property Crime Index arrests were

for larceny-theft. The most common larceny-theft violation is

shoplifting. Therefore, Property Crime Index arrest rate trends

primarily reflect trends in larceny-theft and are influenced to a

much lesser degree by the generally more serious property

crimes of burglary, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft remained relatively

constant between 1980 and 1997, then fell 35% in the brief

period between 1997 and 2002.

Motor Vehicle Theft

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft soared between

1983 and 1990, increasing 138%.

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

for motor vehicle theft declined substantially and consistently

through 2002, so that by 2002 the rate was at its lowest level

since at least 1980.

◆ Between 1993 and 2002, the number of arrests for motor vehicle theft declined 50% for juveniles and just 7% for adults.

Arson

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

arrest rate for arson grew 55% between 1987 and 1994.

◆ With the exception of 2001, the juvenile arrest rate for arson

declined each year between 1994 and 2002, falling in 2002 to

a level near the lowest experienced in the 1980–2002 period.

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

[See data source note on page 12 for detail.] 

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

0

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1,500

1,750

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Larceny-theft

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

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Motor vehicle theft

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

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Arson

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

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Burglary
8

In 2002, 29% of 

juvenile arrests

involved females

Law enforcement agencies made 654,000

arrests of females under age 18 in 2002.

Between 1993 and 2002, arrests of juvenile females generally increased more (or

decreased less) than male arrests in most

offense categories.

Percent Change in

Juvenile Arrests 

Most Serious 1993–2002

Offense Female Male

Aggravated assault 7% –29%

Simple assault 41 4

Larceny-theft –11 –38

Motor vehicle theft –41 –52

Vandalism –6 –36

Weapons –26 –49

Drug abuse violations 120 51

Liquor law violations 37 9

DUI 94 37

Curfew and loitering 50 29

Runaways –35 –41

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002,

table 33.

The larger increases in female arrests for

assault were also seen in adult arrest

trends. Therefore, the disproportionate

growth in female violent crime arrests

was related to factors that affect both juveniles and adults. Although one possible

reason for the disproportionate increase

in female arrests is an increase in crime,

arrests can increase even when crime

does not increase as a result of citizens’

greater willingness to report crime to law

enforcement or because a greater proportion of police contacts result in arrest.

In 2002, the percentage of juvenile arrests

that involved a female was somewhat

greater in central cities than in their suburbs or in the communities outside of the

cities and their suburbs—a pattern most

evident for larceny-theft, burglary, aggravated assault, simple assault, and running

away from home.

Female Percent of

Juvenile Arrests, 2002

Most Serious Central Suburban

Offense Cities Areas Other

All offenses 31% 28% 28%

Aggravated assault 26 22 21

Simple assault 35 30 30

Burglary 15 10 9

Larceny-theft 42 37 33

Runaways 62 59 58

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002,

tables 45, 51, 57, and 63.

Male juvenile arrest rates for aggravated assault and simple assault fell

from the mid-1990s through 2002, while female rates remained near

their highest levels

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

0

100

200

300

400

500

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

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

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

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

0

100

200

300

400

500

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

◆ Between 1980 and 2002, the increase in the female juvenile arrest rate was

greater than the increase in the male rate for aggravated assault (99% vs. 14%),

simple assault (258% vs. 99%), and weapons law violations (125% vs. 7%).

◆ In contrast, the increase in the female juvenile arrest rate between 1980 and 2002

was comparable with the increase in the male rate for drug abuse violations (42%

vs. 47%).

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

the Census and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note on page 12

for detail.] 

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

0

100

200

300

400

500

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

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

0

10

20

30

40

50

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

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

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

Other (simple) assault

Weapons

Aggravated assault

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

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

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

0

50

100

150

200

250

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

Drug abuse violations
9

Juvenile arrests 

disproportionately 

involved minorities

The racial composition of the juvenile

population in 2002 was 78% white, 16%

black, 4% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1%

American Indian. Most Hispanics (an ethnic designation, not a race) were classified

as white. In contrast to their representation in the population, black youth were

overrepresented in juvenile arrests for violent crimes, and, to a lesser extent, property crimes. Of all juvenile arrests for violent crimes in 2002, 55% involved white

youth, 43% involved black youth, 1% involved Asian youth, and 1% involved

American Indian youth. For property

crime arrests, the proportions were 70%

white youth, 27% black youth, 2% Asian

youth, and 1% American Indian youth.

Most Serious Black Proportion of

Offense Juvenile Arrests in 2002

Murder 50%

Forcible rape 36

Robbery 59

Aggravated assault 37

Burglary 25

Larceny-theft 26

Motor vehicle theft 38

Weapons 31

Drug abuse violations 25

Curfew and loitering 29

Runaways 18

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002,

table 43.

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

arrests per 100,000 juveniles in the racial

group) in 2002 for black juveniles (736)

was more than 3.5 times the rates for

American Indian juveniles (200) and white

juveniles (196) and nearly 7 times the rate

for Asian juveniles (95). For Property

Crime Index arrests, the rate for black juveniles (2,448) was almost double the rates

for American Indian juveniles (1,347) and

white juveniles (1,308), and more than 3.5

times the rate for Asian juveniles (668).

Over the period from 1980 through 2002,

the black-to-white disparity in juvenile arrest rates for violent crimes declined. In

1980, the black juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate was 6.3 times the white

rate; in 2002, the rate disparity had declined to 3.8. This reduction in arrest rate

disparities between 1980 and 2002 was

primarily the result of the decline in blackto-white arrest disparities for robbery

(from 11.5 in 1980 to 7.3 in 2002), which

was greater than the decline for aggravated assault (3.2 to 2.9).

The decline in juvenile arrest rates from the mid-1990s through 2002

was proportionally greater for black youth than white youth

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

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Black

White

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

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

White

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

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Black

White

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

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Black

White

◆ Murder arrest rates in 2002 were lower than in any year in the 1980s and 1990s for

both white and black juveniles. The murder arrest rate for white juveniles in 2002

was just one-third of what it had been in 1993, while the 2002 rate for black juveniles was just one-fifth of its 1993 value.

◆ The decline in robbery arrest rates between 1980 and 2002 was greater for black

juveniles than white juveniles (64% vs. 43%).

◆ The Property Crime Index arrest rates for both white juveniles and black juveniles 

in 2002 were about half of what they were in 1980.

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

the Census and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note on page 12 for

detail.] 

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

0

20

40

60

80

100

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

White

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

0

50

100

150

200

250

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

White

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

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

White

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

0

200

400

600

800

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Black

White

Robbery

Aggravated assault

Property Crime Index

Murder
10

The trend in the juvenile arrest rate for weapons

law violations from 1980 to 2002 closely parallels

the trend in juvenile murder arrest rates

◆ The arrest rate declined each year from 1998 to 2002,

falling 25% from its 1997 peak. However, the juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations in 2002 was still 46%

above its 1980 level.

◆ During the period from 1993 to 2002, the annual number

of juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations increased

59%, while adult arrests for this crime increased 34%.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population

data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the National Center

for Health Statistics. [See data source note on page 12 for detail.] 

The juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations

soared in the 1990s, peaking in 1997

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for weapons law violations increased more than 140% between 1980 and 1993.

◆ After 1993, the rate fell substantially, to within 14% of its

1980 level by 2002.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population

data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the National Center

for Health Statistics. [See data source note on page 12 for detail.] 

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for simple assault increased by

133% between 1980 and 2002.

◆ In 1980, 68% of all assault arrests (i.e., aggravated assault arrests plus simple assault arrests) were simple assaults; by 2002, this proportion had increased to 79%.

Most of this increase occurred in the latter half of the

1990s, indicating a greater involvement of law enforcement in less serious offenses.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population

data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the National Center

for Health Statistics. [See data source note on page 12 for detail.] 

Unlike the arrest rate trend for aggravated assault,

the juvenile arrest rate for simple assault did not

decline substantially after the mid-1990s 

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for driving under the influence in

2002 was 42% below its 1980 level, but 44% above its

lowest level, in 1993.

◆ Between 1993 and 2002, the number of juvenile arrests

for driving under the influence increased 45%, while adult

arrests increased 11%. The increase in the number of arrests was far greater for female juveniles (94%) than male

juveniles (37%).

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population

data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the National Center

for Health Statistics. [See data source note on page 12 for detail.] 

The juvenile arrest rate for DUI declined 

substantially between 1980 and the mid-1990s,

followed by general increases through 2002

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

0

50

100

150

200

250

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Weapons

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

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Drug abuse

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

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Simple assault

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

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Driving under the influence
11

State variations in juvenile arrest rates may reflect differences in juvenile law-violating behavior, police 

behavior, and/or community standards

2002 Juvenile Arrest Rate* 2002 Juvenile Arrest Rate*

Violent Property Violent Property

Reporting Crime Crime Drug Reporting Crime Crime Drug

State Coverage Index Index Abuse Weapons State Coverage Index Index Abuse Weapons

United States 77%† 295 1,511 571 105 Missouri 84% 298 1,685 585 97

Alabama 84 138 773 219 30 Montana 66 157 2,182 270 32

Alaska 91 257 2,375 547 69 Nebraska 91 107 2,266 669 68

Arizona 95 259 1,938 740 69 Nevada 71 221 2,083 313 63

Arkansas 52 169 1,393 308 61 New Hampshire 64 118 1,062 725 15

California 99 365 1,225 549 162 New Jersey 97 354 1,039 763 178

Colorado 81 231 2,215 729 144 New Mexico 64 307 1,144 545 142

Connecticut 70 197 1,147 471 77 New York 33 314 1,485 706 96

Delaware 85 330 1,405 447 244 North Carolina 83 310 1,563 417 154

District of Columbia 0 NA NA NA NA North Dakota 90 61 2,146 381 42

Florida 99 517 2,170 718 100 Ohio 57 185 1,105 345 66

Georgia 49 263 1,320 440 103 Oklahoma 98 243 1,476 439 83

Hawaii 77 286 1,669 429 35 Oregon 84 133 1,826 520 58

Idaho 97 157 2,254 498 111 Pennsylvania 85 398 1,258 564 98

Illinois 23 898 2,323 2,541 384 Rhode Island 98 257 1,464 577 138

Indiana 69 337 1,352 454 34 South Carolina 54 407 1,548 636 142

Iowa 91 244 1,957 417 37 South Dakota 69 80 1,686 597 76

Kansas 49 168 1,211 458 35 Tennessee 85 195 899 372 83

Kentucky 23 291 1,646 668 60 Texas 98 194 1,383 538 61

Louisiana 71 398 1,949 533 71 Utah 95 175 2,480 565 105

Maine 100 99 2,004 541 33 Vermont 86 47 750 323 15

Maryland 59 299 1,630 797 133 Virginia 86 128 862 370 73

Massachusetts 73 428 709 399 33 Washington 84 230 2,031 496 92

Michigan 96 172 964 324 54 West Virginia 51 54 541 122 22

Minnesota 83 184 2,046 614 86 Wisconsin 91 349 3,207 884 231

Mississippi 54 120 1,735 551 78 Wyoming 98 106 1,649 824 76

* 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 under age 18 for every 100,000 persons

ages 10–17. Juvenile arrests (arrests of youth under age 18) reported at the state level in Crime in the United States cannot be disaggregated into

more detailed age categories so that the arrest of persons under age 10 can be excluded in the rate calculation. Therefore, there is a slight inconsistency in this table between the age range for the arrests (birth through age 17) and the age range for the population (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 under age 10. This inconsistency is preferable to the distortion of arrest rates that would be introduced were the population base for the arrest rate to incorporate the large volume of children under age 10 in a state’s population.

† The reporting coverage for the total United States in this table (77%) includes all states reporting arrests of persons under age 18. This is greater

than the coverage in the rest of the Bulletin (71%) for various reasons. For example, Florida was able to provide arrest counts of persons under age

18 but was not able to provide the age detail required to support other presentations in Crime in the United States 2002.

NA = Crime in the United States 2002 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 jurisdictions. While juvenile arrest rates in part reflect juvenile behavior, many other factors can affect the size of these

rates. For example, jurisdictions that arrest a relatively large number of nonresident juveniles would have higher arrest rates than jurisdictions where resident youth behave in an identical manner. Therefore, jurisdictions that are vacation destinations or regional centers

for economic activity may have arrest rates that reflect more than the behavior of their resident youth. Other factors that influence the

magnitude of arrest rates in a given area include the attitudes of its citizens toward crime, the policies of the jurisdiction’s law enforcement agencies, and the policies of other components of the justice system. Consequently, comparisons of juvenile arrest rates

across states, while informative, 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 information. If the reporting 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 complete reporting coverage may not be accurate.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI’s Crime in the United States 2002 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2003),

tables 5 and 69, and population data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ Estimates of the July 1, 2000–July 1, 2002 United States

Resident Population From the Vintage 2002 Postcensal Series by Year, Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin [machine-readable data files available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/popbridge/popbridge.htm, released August 1, 2003].
Bulletin NCJ 204608

This Bulletin was prepared under cooperative

agreement number 1999–JN–FX–K002 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 author and do not

necessarily represent the official position or

policies of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of

Justice.

Notes

In this Bulletin, “juvenile” refers to persons under age 18. This definition is at

odds with the legal definition of juveniles

in 2002 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 2002,

with the 2002 coverage being 71%.

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. Bureau

of the Census’ most current estimate of

the proportion of the U.S. population for

each age group.

Data source note

Analysis of arrest data from unpublished

FBI reports for 1980 through 1997 and

from Crime in the United States reports for

1998 through 2002 (Washington, DC: U.S.

Government Printing Office, 1999, 2000,

2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively); population data for 1980–1989 from the U.S.

Bureau of the Census, U.S. Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1980 to 1999 [machine-readable data

files available online, released April 11,

2000]; population data for 1990–1999 from

the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990–1999

Intercensal State and County Characteristics

Population Estimates [machine-readable

data files available online at http://eire.

census.gov/popest/estimates_dataset.php,

released June 23, 2003]; and population

data for 2000–2002 from the National Center for Health Statistics (prepared under a

collaborative arrangement with the U.S.

Bureau of the Census), Estimates of the

July 1, 2000–July 1, 2002 United States Resident Population From the Vintage 2002

Postcensal Series by Year, Age, Sex, Race,

and Hispanic Origin [machine-readable

data files available online at http://www.

cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/popbridge/

popbridge.htm, released August 1, 2003]. 

Acknowledgments

This Bulletin was written by Howard

N. Snyder, Ph.D., Director of Systems

Research at the National Center for

Juvenile Justice, with funds provided

by OJJDP to support the National

Juvenile Justice Data Analysis Project. The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by

the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information

Services Division.

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.