U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

J. Robert Flores, Administrator December 2006

Juvenile Arrests 2004

Howard N. Snyder

A Message From OJJDP

Juvenile Arrests 2004 summarizes

and analyzes national and state juvenile arrest data from the Federal

Bureau of Investigation’s report Crime

in the United States 2004. The Bulletin

provides baseline information for monitoring the nation’s progress in

addressing juvenile crime.

In 2004, the juvenile arrest rate for

Violent Crime Index offenses

decreased for the tenth consecutive

year, falling to half its 1994 peak and

reaching its lowest level since at least

1980. The rate for each of the Violent

Crime Index offenses—murder,

forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated

assault—has declined steadily since

the mid-1990s. Between 1995 and

2004, the reduction in the number of

violent crime arrests was greater for

juveniles (31%) than adults (14%).

Juvenile arrest rates for Property

Crime Index offenses also declined in

2004, reaching their lowest level in at

least three decades.

The large declines in the Violent

Crime and Property Crime Indexes

from the mid-1990s through 2004 indicate a broad-based and general

reduction in the delinquent behavior of

America’s youth. While such statistical

trends in juvenile crime are encouraging, problems remain. For example,

between 1980 and 2004, juvenile

arrest rates for drug abuse and

weapons law violations increased substantially. During the same period,

juvenile arrest rates for simple assault

increased more than twice as much

for females as for males.

In 2004, law enforcement agencies in the

United States made an estimated 2.2 million arrests of persons under age 18.* According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), juveniles accounted for 16% of

all arrests and 16% of all violent crime arrests in 2004. The substantial growth in juvenile violent crime arrests that began in

the late 1980s peaked in 1994. In 2004, for

the tenth consecutive year, the rate of juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses—murder, forcible rape, robbery,

and aggravated assault—declined. Specifically, between 1994 and 2004, the juvenile

arrest rate for Violent Crime Index offenses fell 49%. As a result, the juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate in 2004 was at

its lowest level since at least 1980. From

its peak in 1993 to 2004, the juvenile arrest

rate for murder fell 77%.

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 estimated 1,590 juveniles murdered in 2004, 38% were under 5 years

of age, 68% were male, 51% were white,

and 48% were killed with a firearm.

◆ Juveniles were involved in 12% of all

violent crimes cleared in 2004—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 3,790 juvenile arrests for murder.

Between 1993 and 2004, juvenile arrests

for murder declined, with the number

of arrests in 2004 (1,110) 71% below the

1993 level.

◆ Females accounted for 24% of juvenile

arrests for aggravated assault and 33%

of those for other assaults in 2004, far

more than their involvement in other

types of violent crimes.

◆ Between 1980 and 2004, the juvenile

arrest rate for simple assault increased

106% for males and 290% for females.

◆ The disparity in violent crime arrest

rates for black juveniles and white juveniles declined from 6-to-1 in 1980 to 4-

to-1 in 2004.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft declined consistently and substantially between 1990 and 2004,

falling 66%.

◆ Between 1995 and 2004, juvenile arrests

for drug abuse violations fell 8% for

* Throughout this Bulletin, persons under age 18 are males and increased 29% for females.

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

193,900 arrests of young people for drug

abuse violations in 2004, it means that a

drug abuse violation was the most serious charge in these 193,900 arrests. An

unknown number of additional arrests in

2004 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 involved offenders

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 2004. 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 2004.

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

juvenile proportion of cleared robberies

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 involved in the 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 or exceptional means 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 2004 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2005), tables 28 and 38 (updated 2/17/2006).

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%

16%

19%

28%

5%

8%

12%

16%

14%

23%

12%

14%

16%

28%

20%

27%

16%

27%

43%

50%

Clearances Arrests
3

The number of juveniles

murdered in 2004 was

near the 25-year low

Each Crime in the United States report

presents estimates of the number of

crimes reported to law enforcement agencies. A large number of most crimes are

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

always reported. 

An estimated 16,140 murders were reported to law enforcement agencies in 2004,

or 5.5 murders for every 100,000 U.S. residents. The murder rate in the U.S. was essentially constant between 1999 (the year

with the fewest murders in the last three

decades) and 2004. Prior to 1999, the last

year in which the U.S. murder rate was

under 6.0 was 1966.

Of all murder victims in 2004, 90% (or

14,550 victims) were 18 years of age or

older. The other 1,590 murder victims

were under age 18 (i.e., juveniles). The

number of juveniles murdered in 2004 was

slightly above the 2003 figure (1,570).

However, prior to 2003, the only other

year in the 25-year period between 1980

and 2004 in which fewer than 1,600 juveniles were murdered was 1984. The 2004

figure is 45% below the peak year of 1993,

when an estimated 2,880 juveniles were

murdered in the U.S. During this same period, the estimated number of adults murdered fell 33%.

Of all juveniles murdered in 2004, 38%

were under age 5, 68% were male, and

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

13 in 2004 were more likely to be female

(47% vs. 17%) and less likely to be black

(39% vs. 53%).

In 2004, 66% 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. In 2004,

14% of murdered juveniles under age 13

were killed with a firearm, compared with

79% of murdered juveniles age 13 or older.

The most common method of murdering

children under age 5 was by physical assault: in 48% of these murders, the offenders’ only weapons were their hands

and/or feet, compared with only 4% of juvenile victims age 13 or older and 5% of

adult victims. In 2004, knives or other cutting instruments were used in 9% of juvenile murders and 14% of adult murders. 

The 2.2 million arrests of juveniles in 2004 was 22% fewer than the 

number of arrests in 1995

2004 Percent of Total

Estimated Juvenile Arrests Percent Change

Most Serious Number of Under 1995– 2000– 2003–

Offense Juvenile Arrests Female Age 15 2004 2004 2004

Total 2,202,000 30% 32% –22% –9% –2%

Violent Crime Index 91,100 19 32 –31 –5 –1

Murder and nonnegligent 

manslaughter 1,110 9 12 –63 –8 0

Forcible rape 4,210 3 38 –22 –10 0

Robbery 25,340 10 24 –44 –5 0

Aggravated assault 60,450 24 35 –23 –6 –2

Property Crime Index 452,300 34 36 –40 –15 –3

Burglary 81,600 12 35 –39 –15 –4

Larceny–theft 323,500 42 37 –38 –14 –2

Motor vehicle theft 39,300 17 25 –53 –21 –9

Arson 7,800 14 61 –34 –10 –3

Nonindex

Other assaults 249,900 33 43 8 7 1

Forgery and counterfeiting 4,900 34 15 –47 –31 5

Fraud 7,500 36 18 –35 –29 –2

Embezzlement 1,000 37 5 –21 –46 –12

Stolen property (buying, 

receiving, possessing) 23,300 17 27 –49 –18 –4

Vandalism 103,400 14 44 –32 –11 –4

Weapons (carrying, 

possessing, etc.) 40,500 11 35 –30 11 6

Prostitution and 

commercialized vice 1,800 72 12 36 44 7

Sex offense (except forcible 

rape and prostitution) 18,000 9 51 12 –3 0

Drug abuse violations 193,900 17 17 –4 –6 –2

Gambling 1,700 3 15 –30 27 –5

Offenses against the 

family and children 5,800 38 35 –24 –30 –10

Driving under the influence 19,900 21 2 20 –10 –3

Liquor law violations 130,200 35 10 –4 –22 –5

Drunkenness 16,900 23 12 –30 –23 –4

Disorderly conduct 198,800 32 42 –2 7 2

Vagrancy 4,800 28 31 –45 105 –12

All other offenses 

(except traffic) 379,000 28 28 –13 –11 –2

Suspicion (not included 

in totals) 600 25 28 –72 –50 18

Curfew and loitering 137,400 31 29 –15 –12 –8

Runaways 119,300 59 35 –46 –18 –1

◆ In 2004, law enforcement agencies made an estimated 60,450 juvenile arrests for

aggravated assault. Between 1995 and 2004, the annual number of such arrests

fell 23%.

◆ In 2004, females accounted for 30% of all juvenile arrests, 19% of juvenile Violent

Crime Index arrests, and 34% of juvenile Property Crime Index arrests.

◆ In 2004, youth under the age of 15 accounted for about one-third of all violent and

property crime arrests.

◆ Between 1995 and 2004, the annual number of juvenile arrests declined in nearly

all offense categories, with some of the larger declines in arrests for murder, motor

vehicle theft, running away from home, robbery, burglary, and larceny-theft.

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

Data source: Crime in the United States 2004 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2005), tables 29, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 (updated 2/17/2006). Arrest estimates were

developed by the National Center for Juvenile Justice.
4

Juvenile arrests for

violence in 2004 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, the number of juvenile Violent Crime Index arrests

increased between 1988 and 1994 and

then fell substantially and (with one exception) consistently from 1995 through

2004. For all Violent Crime Index offenses

combined, the number of juvenile arrests

in 2004 was the lowest since 1987. The

number of juvenile aggravated assault arrests in 2004 was lower than in any year

since 1988. The number of juvenile arrests

in 2004 for murder and the number for

forcible rape were both lower than in any

year since at least 1980. Finally, even with

the marginal 3% increase in the number of

juvenile arrests for robbery between 2002

and 2003, the counts for the years 2002

through 2004 were still lower than in any

year since at least 1980.

In the 10 years between 1995 and 2004,

the number of arrests in most offense categories declined for both juveniles and

adults, and the decline was generally

greater for juveniles than adults:

Percent Change

in Arrests 

Most Serious 1995–2004

Offense Juvenile Adult

Violent Crime Index –31% –14%

Murder –63 –25

Forcible rape –22 –17

Robbery –44 –14

Aggravated assault –23 –13

Property Crime Index –40 –13

Burglary –39 –10

Larceny-theft –38 –16

Motor vehicle theft –53 –1

Simple assault 8 –7

Weapons law violations –30 –27

Drug abuse violations –4 26

Disorderly conduct –2 –23

Data source: Crime in the United States 2004,

table 32 (updated 2/17/2006).

The exceptions to the general pattern

were the offenses of simple assault and

disorderly conduct. The reason for the difference for these offenses is unclear.

In 2004, juveniles were involved in 1 in 12 arrests for murder, 1 in 9

arrests for a drug abuse violation, and 1 in 4 arrests for a weapons 

violation, robbery, motor vehicle theft, larceny-theft, and burglary

Data source: Crime in the United States 2004 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2005), table 38 (updated 2/17/2006).

Driving under the influence

Prostitution

Fraud

Drunkenness

Offenses against the family

Murder

Drug abuse

Aggravated assault

Forcible rape

Stolen property

Other assaults

Sex offense

Liquor laws

Weapons

Robbery

Motor vehicle theft

Larceny-theft

Burglary

Disorderly conduct

Vandalism

Arson

Property Crime Index

Violent Crime Index

All arrests

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

Percent of arrests involving juveniles

16%

16%

28%

50%

38%

30%

28%

27%

27%

23%

23%

21%

20%

19%

18%

16%

14%

11%

8%

5%

3%

3%

2%

1%

The juvenile share of

crime in 2004 was less

than in the mid-1990s

The relative responsibility of juveniles

and adults for crime is difficult to determine. 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 juvenile

responsibility for crime. 

Clearance data show that the proportion

of violent crimes attributed to juveniles

by law enforcement has declined in recent years. The juvenile proportion of violent crimes cleared by arrest or exceptional means grew from between 9% and

10% in the 1980s to 14% in 1994; after

1994, the proportion fell somewhat, remaining near 12% between 1997 and 2004.

Since 1980, the juvenile proportion of

murders cleared peaked in 1994 at 10%.

Between 2000 and 2004, the proportion

was 5%—the lowest proportion since

1987 and slightly above the levels of the

mid-1980s. The juvenile proportion of

cleared forcible rapes peaked in 1995

(15%) and then fell; however, the 2004

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 2004 (14%), but was still above the levels of the late 1980s (10%). The juvenile

proportion of aggravated assault clearances in 2004 (12%) was slightly below its

peak in 1994 (13%) and substantially

above the levels of the late 1980s (8%).

The juvenile proportion of Property

Crime Index offenses cleared by arrest or

exceptional means in 2004 (19%) was at

its lowest level since at least 1980.
5

Juvenile arrests for

property crimes in 2004

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 2004, the juvenile Property Crime Index arrest rate

dropped 47%, to its lowest level since at

least the 1970s. Juvenile burglary arrest

rates have been declining since at least

the 1970s. In 2004, the juvenile arrest rates

for larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft

were both at their lowest levels since at

least the 1970s.

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 2004, 21% of arrests involving youth eligible in their state for processing in the juvenile justice system were handled within

law enforcement agencies and released,

70% 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 juvenile arrests sent to

juvenile court increased from 1980 to 2004

(from 58% to 70%). In 2004, the proportion

of juvenile arrests sent to juvenile court

was similar in cities (69%) and nonmetropolitan counties (68%) and higher in the

metropolitan areas outside of cities (76%). 

The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate in 2004 was lower than in

any year since at least 1980 and half the peak rate in 1994

◆ In 2004, there were 269 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 about 1 in every 370 persons ages 10–17 was arrested for a Violent Crime Index offense in 2004, or about one-third of 1% of all juveniles ages 10–17 living in the U.S. (Because some juveniles likely were arrested

more than once, the actual percentage is probably lower.)

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.] 

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

rate began a decline in the mid-1990s that continued through 2004

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for Property Crime Index offenses in 2004 was about half

the 1980 level—down 48% over the period. The large declines over the last decade

in the two arrest Indexes the FBI uses to monitor juvenile crime indicate a substantial reduction in the law-violating behavior of America’s youth.

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

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Violent Crime Index

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

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Property Crime Index
6

In 2004, 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. As with the other crimes in the Violent

Crime Index, the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault fell

from the mid-1990s to 2004; for aggravated assault, the decline from 1994 through 2004 was 39%.

◆ Unlike the juvenile arrest rates for other crimes in the Violent

Crime Index, the rate for aggravated assault in 2004 was not

at its lowest level in the 1980–2004 period. The juvenile arrest

rate for aggravated assault in 2004 was, in fact, 23% above its

1980 level.

Murder

◆ Between 1980 and 2004, the juvenile arrest rate for murder

peaked in 1993. In that year, there were an estimated 3,790

arrests of juveniles for murder.

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

rate for murder more than doubled.

◆ With one minor exception, the juvenile arrest rate for murder

fell each year after 1993, so that by 2004 it was 77% below the

peak 1993 rate. In 2004, there were an estimated 1,110 arrests of juveniles for murder.

Forcible Rape

◆ 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.

◆ Over the 1980–2004 period, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible

rape peaked in 1991, 44% above its 1980 level.

◆ After 1991, with minor exceptions, the juvenile arrest rate

dropped annually through 2004. By 1999, it had returned to its

1980 level. By 2004, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape

had fallen to a point 22% below the 1980 level, and to its lowest

level in more than a generation.

Robbery

◆ Unlike the juvenile arrest rates for other violent crimes, the rate

for robbery declined through much of the 1980s, reaching a low

point in 1988, 30% below its 1980 level.

◆ The growth in the juvenile arrest rate for robbery between 1988

and 1994–95 moved the rate above the 1980 level, a pattern

found in each of the other Violent Crime Index offenses.

◆ Like the other Violent Crime Index offenses, the juvenile arrest

rate for robbery declined substantially after its mid-1990s peak,

falling 62% from 1995 through 2004—to a point 55% below its

1980 level and 35% below its previous low point in 1988.

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

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 04

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 04

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 04

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 1980–2004 period, bringing the utility of the Index into question

Burglary

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

fell substantially between 1980 and 2004. In 2004, the juvenile

arrest rate for burglary was less than one-third of what it was

in 1980, down 70%.

◆ This large fall in juvenile arrests between 1980 and 2004 was

not replicated in the adult statistics. Between 1995 and 2004,

the number of juvenile burglary arrests fell 39%, while adult

burglary arrests dropped just 10%. In the prior 10-year period,

the juvenile and adult patterns were the same; between 1986

and 1995, both juvenile and adult arrests for burglary fell 18%.

Larceny-Theft

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft remained essentially

constant between 1980 and 1997, then fell 39% in the relatively brief period between 1997 and 2004.

◆ In 2004, 72% of all juvenile arrests for Property Crime Index

offenses were for larceny-theft. Therefore, the trend in juvenile

arrests for Property Crime Index offenses largely reflects the

pattern of larceny-theft arrests (which itself is dominated by

shoplifting—the most common larceny-theft violation). As can

be seen on this page, the juvenile arrest trends for individual

property crimes vary considerably and, therefore, should be

thought about separately.

Motor Vehicle Theft

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

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

for motor vehicle theft declined substantially and consistently

through 2004, falling 66%. The rate was lower in 2004 than in

any other year in the 1980–2004 period.

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

adult statistics. For example, between 1995 and 2004, the number of juvenile arrests for motor vehicle theft fell more than

50%, while adult arrests remained constant.

Arson

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

arrest rate for arson grew 20% between 1990 and 1994.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for arson declined substantially between 1994 and 2004, falling 36% over the period, to its lowest

point (with the exception of 1983) in the 1980–2004 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

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 04

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 04

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 04

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Burglary
8

In 2004, 30% of 

juvenile arrests

involved females

Law enforcement agencies made 658,000

arrests of females under age 18 in 2004.

Between 1995 and 2004, arrests of juvenile females decreased less than male arrests in most offense categories; in some

categories, female arrests increased while

male arrests decreased.

Percent Change in

Juvenile Arrests 

Most Serious 1995–2004

Offense Female Male

Violent Crime Index –11% –35%

Aggravated assault –3% –28%

Simple assault 31 –1

Property Crime Index –21 –46

Burglary –26 –41

Larceny-theft –19 –47

Motor vehicle theft –47 –54

Vandalism –8 –35

Weapons –1 –32

Drug abuse violations 29 –8

Liquor law violations 17 –13

DUI 69 11

Disorderly conduct 33 –13

Data source: Crime in the United States 2004,

table 33 (updated 2/17/2006).

Gender differences also occurred in the

assault arrest trends for adults. Between

1995 and 2004, adult male arrests for aggravated assault fell 17%, while female arrests rose 7%. While adult male arrests

for simple assault fell 12% between 1995

and 2004, adult female arrests rose 16%.

Therefore, the disproportionate growth in

the female proportion of assault arrests

over this period was related to factors

that affect both juveniles and adults. In

contrast, while juvenile female arrests for

weapons law violations remained essentially constant over the 1995–2004 period,

weapons-related arrests of juvenile males,

adult males, and adult females all fell

about 30%.

The greater decline in male arrests compared with female arrests for Property

Crime Index offenses seen for juveniles

between 1995 and 2004 was also seen in

adult arrests, with adult male arrests

falling 17% and adult female arrests falling

5%. Similarly, while the female proportion

of juvenile drug abuse violation arrests

grew between 1995 and 2004 (with a 29%

increase in female arrests and an 8% decline in male arrests), the female proportion of adult drug abuse violation arrests

also grew (with a 38% increase in arrests

for females and a 23% increase for males).

Unlike the female rates, the male juvenile arrest rates for aggravated

assault and weapons law violations in 2004 were near their low points

for the 1980–2004 period

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

0

100

200

300

400

500

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

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

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

◆ The growth in juvenile arrest rates from 1980 to 2004 was considerably greater for

females than males for the offenses of aggravated assault (93% vs. 11%), simple

assault (290% vs. 106%), and weapons law violations (160% vs. 22%).

◆ For drug abuse violations, the increase between 1980 and 2004 in the female juvenile arrest rate was similar to the increase in the male rate (57% vs. 48%).

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

100

200

300

400

500

600

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

Other (simple) assault

Weapons

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

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

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 2004 was 78% white, 17%

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

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

as white. Of all juvenile arrests for violent

crimes in 2004, 52% involved white youth,

46% involved black youth, 1% involved

Asian youth, and 1% involved American Indian youth. For property crime arrests,

the proportions were 69% white youth,

28% black youth, 2% Asian youth, and 1%

American Indian youth. Black youth were

overrepresented in juvenile arrests. 

Most Serious Black Proportion of

Offense Juvenile Arrests in 2004

Murder 50%

Forcible rape 34

Robbery 63

Aggravated assault 39

Simple assault 37

Burglary 27

Larceny-theft 27

Motor vehicle theft 40

Weapons 33

Drug abuse violations 27

Runaways 21

Vandalism 18

Liquor laws 5

Data source: Crime in the United States 2004,

table 43 (updated 2/17/2006).

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

arrests per 100,000 juveniles in the racial

group) in 2004 for black juveniles (746)

was more than 4 times the rates for American Indian juveniles (173) and white juveniles (182) and almost 10 times the rate

for Asian juveniles (78). For Property

Crime Index arrests, the rate for black juveniles (2,288) was about double the rates

for American Indian juveniles (1,300) and

white juveniles (1,198) and 4 times the

rate for Asian juveniles (557).

Over the period from 1980 through 2004,

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 2004, the rate disparity had declined to 4.1. This reduction in arrest rate

disparities between 1980 and 2004 was

primarily the result of the decline in the

disparity for robbery (from 11.5 in 1980 to

8.4 in 2004), because the disparity for aggravated assault changed little (3.2 vs.

3.1).

The trends in annual arrest rates for white juveniles and black 

juveniles were similar over the 1980–2004 period

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

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

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

White

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Black

White

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Black

White

◆ Juvenile murder arrest rates in 2004 remained near their lowest level since at least

1980 for white youth and black youth. In 2004, the white rate was just 31% of its

1993 peak and the black rate was just 17% of the 1993 level.

◆ Between 1980 and 2004, robbery arrest rates declined 48% for white juveniles and

62% for black juveniles, and Property Crime Index arrest rates dropped 47% for

white youth and 53% for black youth.

◆ Between 1980 and 2004, the aggravated assault arrest rates for white juveniles and

black juveniles increased similarly (22% and 19%, respectively).

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

20

40

60

80

100

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

White

0

50

100

150

200

250

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

White

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

White

0

200

400

600

800

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

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Black

White

Robbery

Aggravated assault

Property Crime Index

Murder
10

Although it increased slightly from 2002 to 2004,

the juvenile arrest rate for weapons law violations

in 2004 was still about half its 1993 peak

◆ Between 1990 and 1997, the juvenile arrest rate for drug

abuse violations increased 145%. The rate declined somewhat between 1997 and 2004 (down 23%), but the 2004

rate was still almost double the 1990 rate.

◆ Over the 1980–2004 period, the white juvenile arrest rate

for drug abuse violations peaked in 1997 and held relatively constant through 2004 (down 9%). In contrast, the

black rate peaked in 1995 and by 2004 had fallen 44%

from its peak level.

The juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations

was relatively constant in the 1980s but rose 

considerably in the 1990s

◆ Between 1980 and 1993, the juvenile arrest rate for

weapons law violations increased more than 140%. Then

the rate fell substantially, so that by 2004, the rate was

30% above the 1980 rate.

◆ Between 1980 and 1993, the arrest rates for weapons law

violations for both white juveniles and black juveniles increased substantially (116% and 214%, respectively).

Then both fell substantially, so that by 2004, both rates

were about one-third above their 1980 levels (29% and

35%, respectively).

Unlike the juvenile arrest rate trend for aggravated

assault, the rate for simple assault did not decline

substantially after the mid-1990s 

Between 1994 and 2004, the age-specific arrest

rates for Violent Crime Index offenses fell 

substantially for all ages under 40

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

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 04

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 04

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

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

2004

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.] 

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for simple assault increased 145%

between 1980 and 2004, holding essentially constant between 1994 and 2004, a period when the aggravated assault arrest rate fell 39%.

◆ Between 1980 and 2004, the juvenile arrest rates for simple assault for white youth and black youth more than

doubled (138% and 143%, respectively). Between 1994

and 2004, the simple assault rates for both whites and

blacks remained essentially constant, while their aggravated assault rates fell (33% and 48%, respectively).

◆ Juvenile ages showed the largest decline—falling about

50% in each age group from 13 through 17. Between

1994 and 2004, the Violent Crime Index arrest rate for

youth ages 10–12 fell 41%. The rate for 18-year-olds fell

44% over this period, while the rates for those ages 19–34

fell about 34%.

◆ From 1994 to 2004, the Violent Crime Index arrest rates

for those ages 40–54 changed very little, while the rates

for those ages 55–64 declined about 20%.
11

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

2004 Juvenile Arrest Rate* 2004 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%† 285 1,395 587 122 Missouri 83% 289 1,613 622 96

Alabama 88 125 760 245 30 Montana 0 NA NA NA NA

Alaska 97 204 1,599 375 52 Nebraska 93 119 1,942 615 99

Arizona 97 236 1,796 833 79 Nevada 97 271 1,686 328 72

Arkansas 53 142 1,481 383 63 New Hampshire 76 73 804 601 11

California 94 347 1,109 495 189 New Jersey 97 360 884 661 217

Colorado 86 228 2,012 707 148 New Mexico 76 266 1,236 634 148

Connecticut 83 295 1,194 565 97 New York 51 260 1,117 529 82

Delaware 91 491 1,762 661 173 North Carolina 71 243 1,361 423 179

District of Columbia 0 NA NA NA NA North Dakota 81 59 1,866 385 72

Florida 100 468 1,951 764 147 Ohio 68 148 1,063 379 65

Georgia 36 335 1,542 607 165 Oklahoma 97 196 1,610 486 82

Hawaii 87 237 1,369 371 35 Oregon 95 221 2,033 623 76

Idaho 91 162 1,880 530 134 Pennsylvania 86 419 1,177 560 133

Illinois 23 985 1,857 2,534 385 Rhode Island 100 222 1,340 563 161

Indiana 73 323 1,283 448 29 South Carolina 16 277 1,051 427 86

Iowa 85 246 1,835 378 31 South Dakota 55 90 1,575 416 68

Kansas 71 157 1,190 513 64 Tennessee 82 236 1,173 541 112

Kentucky 25 248 2,083 892 82 Texas 99 190 1,329 608 67

Louisiana 70 401 1,977 597 76 Utah 64 174 2,622 598 171

Maine 100 101 1,749 566 33 Vermont 84 66 484 256 19

Maryland 100 511 1,965 1,245 234 Virginia 87 120 814 316 88

Massachusetts 72 270 509 355 40 Washington 76 236 1,970 474 124

Michigan 93 147 902 313 56 West Virginia 58 58 601 164 25

Minnesota 70 170 1,702 595 94 Wisconsin 72 212 3,018 896 223

Mississippi 51 125 1,514 571 100 Wyoming 97 126 1,689 1,038 99

* 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 (72%) 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 2004.

NA = Crime in the United States 2004 reported no arrest counts for the District of Columbia or Montana.

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 2004 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2005),

tables 5 and 69 (updated 2/17/2006), and population data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ Estimates of the July 1, 2000–July 1, 2004,

United States Resident Population From the Vintage 2004 Postcensal Series by Year, County, 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 9/8/2005].
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 214563

PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/OJJDP

PERMIT NO. G–91

This Bulletin was prepared under cooperative

agreement number 2005–JF–FX–K022 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.

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.

Data source note

Analysis of arrest data from unpublished 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 revisions of the data published in Crime in the United States 2004 that

are available online at http://www.fbi.gov/

ucr/cius_04/, released 2/17/2006; 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 4/11/2000]; 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, Singleyear of 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 7/26/2004];

and population data for 2000–2004 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, 2004, United States

Resident Population From the Vintage 2004

Postcensal Series by Year, County, Age, Sex,

Race, and Hispanic Origin [machine-readable

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.

data files available online at http://www.

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

popbridge.htm, released 9/8/2005].

Notes

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

odds with the legal definition of juveniles

in 2004 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 2004, with the 2004 coverage being 72%.

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. 

*NCJ~214563*