DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

OFF ICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BJA NI J OJJDP BJS OVC

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Shay Bilchik, Administrator December 1999

FPO

Juvenile Arrests 1998

* Throughout this Bulletin, persons under age 18 are

referred to as juveniles. See Notes on page 12.

In 1998, law enforcement agencies in

the United States made an estimated 2.6

million arrests of persons under age 18.*

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

18% of all arrests and 17% of all violent

crime arrests in 1998. The substantial

growth in juvenile violent crime arrests

that began in the late 1980’s peaked in

1994. In 1998, for the fourth consecutive

year, the total number of juvenile arrests

for Violent Crime Index offenses—murder,

forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated

assault—declined. Specifically, between

1994 and 1998, juvenile arrests for Violent

Crime Index offenses fell 19%, compared

with just a 6% decline for adults. However, even with this substantial decline,

the number of juvenile Violent Crime Index arrests in 1998 was still 15% above

the 1989 level. In comparison, the number

of adult arrests for a Violent Crime Index

offense in 1998 was just 3% greater than

in 1989.

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 are:

◆ Of the nearly 2,000 juveniles murdered

in 1998, 48% were killed with a firearm,

down from 56% in 1997.

◆ Juveniles were involved in 12% of murder arrests, 14% of aggravated assault

arrests, 35% of burglary arrests, 27% of

robbery arrests, and 24% of weapons

arrests in 1998.

◆ Juvenile murder arrests increased substantially between 1987 and 1993. In

the peak year of 1993, there were

about 3,800 juvenile arrests for murder.

Between 1993 and 1998, juvenile arrests for murder declined, with the

number of arrests in 1998 (2,100) about

half that in 1993.

◆ Between 1994 and 1998, juvenile arrests for burglary declined 17% and

juvenile arrests for motor vehicle theft

declined 40%.

◆ Juveniles were involved in 13% of all

drug abuse violation arrests in 1998.

Between 1989 and 1998, juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations increased 86%.

◆ Juvenile arrests for curfew and loitering violations increased 178% between

1989 and 1998. In 1998, 27% of curfew

arrests involved juveniles under age 15

and 30% involved females.

◆ In 1998, 58% of arrests for running

away from home involved females and

40% involved juveniles under age 15.

◆ Arrests of juveniles accounted for 12%

of all violent crimes cleared by arrest

in 1998—specifically, 6% of murders,

11% of forcible rapes, 16% of robberies,

and 12% of aggravated assaults.

Howard N. Snyder

From the Administrator

A decade of public attention to the

problem of juvenile violence is bearing fruit. The reduction in violent juvenile crime is reflected in arrest

data for 1998. Juvenile arrests for

violent crime are 19% below their

peak in 1994. The number of juvenile

arrests for murder decreased 48%

from 1994 to 1998. The number of

juvenile arrests for each violent crime

category and the percentage of violent crimes cleared by juvenile arrests

also have declined—despite continuing growth in the juvenile population.

Such good news, however, should

not foster complacency nor lead us

to weaken our efforts to combat violent juvenile crime, which despite

decreases is still too prevalent.

Rather, we need to build on these

accomplishments with the implementation of additional effective prevention programs and a stronger juvenile justice system. This type of

response will further reduce the level

of juvenile violence that endangers

our communities and will address

other problem behaviors that prevent

youth from achieving their potential.

Juvenile Arrests 1998 provides a

summary and analysis of national

and State juvenile arrest data reported in the FBI’s October 1999

report, Crime in the United States

1998. With sound information such

as this and a solid commitment to

supporting healthy, law-abiding

youth, we can continue to make

progress in reducing juvenile crime.

Shay Bilchik

Administrator
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 lawviolating 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 205,800 arrests of young

people for drug abuse violations in

1998, it means that a drug abuse violation was the most serious charge in

these 205,800 arrests. An unknown

number of additional arrests in 1998

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, one

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 27%

of all robbery arrests but only 16% of

all robberies that were cleared in 1998.

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 16% of all

robberies in 1998. 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. These data should

provide a barometer of the changing

contribution of persons under age 18

to the Nation’s crime problems.

Data source: Crime in the United States 1998 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 1999), tables 28 and 38.

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

Arson

Motor vehicle theft

Larceny-theft

Burglary

Aggravated assault

Robbery

Forcible rape

Murder

Property Crime Index

Violent Crime Index

Crime Index

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

19%

29%

12%

17%

21%

33%

6%

12%

11%

17%

16%

27%

12%

14%

20%

35%

22%

32%

18%

36%

45%

52%

Clearance Arrest

Percent involving juveniles
3

The U.S. murder rate in

1998 was the lowest

since 1967

The primary focus of each Crime in the

United States report is the estimated number of crimes reported to law enforcement agencies. Although only a portion of

all crimes that occur are reported to law

enforcement, those that are provide an

assessment of the workloads of the criminal and juvenile justice systems.

The FBI estimates that in 1998,

7,373,900 larceny-thefts, 2,330,000 burglaries, 1,240,800 motor vehicle thefts,

974,400 aggravated assaults, 446,630 robberies, 93,100 forcible rapes, and 16,910

murders were reported to law enforcement agencies. One would have to go

back to 1970 to find a lower annual number of murder victims in the United States

and to 1967 to find a lower murder rate

(i.e., murders per 100,000 persons in the

population).

Eighty-eight percent of murder victims

in 1998 (or about 14,960 victims) were 18

years of age or older. Fewer adults were

murdered in the United States in 1998

than in any year since at least 1976.

In 1998, about 1,960 murder victims

were under age 18. This level is substantially below that of the peak year of 1993,

when 2,880 juveniles were murdered.

However, this decline only returned the

level to that of 1988. The number of juveniles murdered in the United States in

1998 was still nearly 300 more than in a

typical year between 1980 and 1987.

In 1998, about 920 persons under age

13 were murdered. The number of preadolescent murder victims fluctuated

within a narrow range between 1980 and

1998, reaching its highest level in 1993

(1,080 victims) and its lowest level in

1984 (810 victims).

In 1998, 65% of all murder victims were

killed with a firearm. Adults were more

likely to be killed with a firearm (68%)

than were juveniles (48%). However, the

involvement of a firearm depended

greatly on the age of the juvenile victim.

While 16% of murdered juveniles under

age 13 were killed with a firearm in 1998,

77% of murdered juveniles age 13 or older

were killed with a firearm. The most common method for murdering children under the age of 9 was by physical assault.

Although the number of juvenile arrests in 1998—2.6 million—was 1%

above the 1994 level, juvenile arrests for violent crime dropped 19%

1998 Percent of Total

Estimated Juvenile Arrests

Most Serious Number of Under Percent Change

Offense Juvenile Arrests Female Age 15 1989–98 1994–98 1997–98

Total 2,603,300 27% 31% 24% 1% –4%

Crime Index total 708,300 26 38 –9 –18 –11

Violent Crime Index 112,200 17 31 15 –19 –8

Murder and nonnegligent 2,100 8 9 –23 –48 –12

 manslaughter

Forcible rape 5,300 2 37 –3 –9 0

Robbery 32,500 9 25 9 –29 –17

Aggravated assault 72,300 22 33 21 –13 –3

Property Crime Index 596,100 28 39 –12 –17 –11

Burglary 116,000 11 38 –22 –17 –9

Larceny-theft 417,100 35 41 –4 –14 –12

Motor vehicle theft 54,100 17 26 –39 –40 –15

Arson 9,000 11 66 10 –24 –8

Nonindex

Other assaults 237,700 31 41 68 10 2

Forgery and counterfeiting 7,100 35 13 –2 –16 –12

Fraud 11,300 33 16 44 –8 6

Embezzlement 1,600 42 5 –5 56 19

Stolen property (buying, 33,800 13 26 –27 –27 –12

receiving, possessing)

Vandalism 126,800 12 44 9 –18 –3

Weapons (carrying, 45,200 9 32 15 –30 –8

possessing, etc.)

Prostitution and 1,400 50 14 –6 18 4

commercialized vice

Sex offenses (except forcible 15,900 7 50 –1 –5 –4

rape and prostitution)

Drug abuse violations 205,800 14 16 86 26 –3

Gambling 1,600 3 14 86 –31 –34

Offenses against the 10,200 37 37 166 103 3

family and children

Driving under the influence 21,000 17 3 3 39 13

Liquor law violations 157,300 30 10 20 39 10

Drunkenness 24,600 18 13 2 23 2

Disorderly conduct 183,700 28 35 61 20 –4

Vagrancy 2,900 17 26 –1 –37 –17

All other offenses 453,000 25 27 53 20 4

(except traffic)

Suspicion 1,300 24 26 –56 –17 –9

Curfew and loitering 187,800 30 27 178 49 –3

Runaways 165,100 58 40 –5 –21 –15

◆ In 1998, there were an estimated 2,100 juvenile arrests for murder. Between

1994 and 1998, juvenile arrests for murder declined 48%.

◆ Females accounted for 22% of juvenile arrests for aggravated assault and 31%

of arrests for simple (i.e., other) assaults. Females represented over half (58%)

of all juveniles arrested for running away from home.

◆ In the 10-year period between 1989 and 1998, there were substantial declines

in the number of juvenile arrests for murder (23%), burglary (22%), and motor

vehicle theft (39%) and major increases in arrests for aggravated assault (21%),

other assaults (68%), drug abuse violations (86%), and curfew violations

(178%).

Data source: Crime in the United States 1998 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 1999), tables 29, 32, 34, 36, and 38. Arrest estimates were developed by the National

Center for Juvenile Justice.
4

The juvenile share of

the crime problem

decreased in 1998

The relative responsibility of juveniles

for the U.S. crime problem is hard to determine. Studying the proportion of

crimes that are cleared by the arrest of

juveniles gives one 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 has declined in recent years. Juvenile involvement in violent crime grew

from 9% or 10% in the early 1980’s to 14%

in 1994 and 1995. Since 1995, the proportion of violent crimes cleared by juvenile

arrest has declined, reaching 12% in 1998.

The proportion of murders cleared by

juvenile arrests peaked in 1994 at 10.5%.

In 1998, this figure had dropped to 6.3%,

the lowest level since 1987 but still above

the 4.6% level of the mid-1980’s. The juvenile proportion of cleared forcible rapes

peaked in 1995 (15%) and then fell, with

the 1998 proportion (11%) the lowest in

the decade. The juvenile proportion of

robbery clearances in 1998 (16%) was below its peak in 1995 (20%) but above the

levels of the early 1980’s (12%). Similarly,

the juvenile proportion of aggravated assault clearances in 1998 (12%) was below

its peak in 1994 (13%) but still above the

levels of the early 1980’s (9%). The proportion of Property Crime Index offenses

cleared by juvenile arrest in 1998 (21%)

was 2 percentage points below the average for the years between 1980 and 1997.

In 1998, 27% of

juvenile arrests were

arrests of females

Law enforcement agencies made

697,000 arrests of females under age 18 in

1998. Between 1994 and 1998, arrests of

juvenile females increased more (or decreased less) than male arrests in most

offense categories.

Percent Change

in Juvenile Arrests

Most Serious 1994–98

Offense Female Male

Robbery –26 –29

Aggravated assault 7 –18

Burglary –3 –18

Larceny-theft -5 –17

Motor vehicle theft –28 –42

Simple assault 29 4

Vandalism –5 –20

Weapons –20 –31

Drug abuse violations 43 23

Liquor laws 47 35

Curfew and loitering 60 44

Runaways –20 –23

Data source: Crime in the United States 1998,

table 35.

Juvenile arrests

disproportionately

involved minorities

The racial composition of the juvenile

population in 1998 was 79% white, 15%

black, and 5% other races, with most Hispanics classified as white. In 1998, in contrast to the proportions in the general

population, 55% of juvenile arrests for

violent crimes involved white youth and

42% involved black youth. To a much

lesser extent, black youth were also overrepresented in juvenile property arrests,

with 27% of these arrests involving black

youth and 70% involving white youth.

Most Serious Black Proportion of

Offense Juvenile Arrests in 1998

Murder 49%

Forcible rape 39

Robbery 54

Aggravated assault 37

Burglary 24

Larceny-theft 26

Motor vehicle theft 36

Weapons 32

Drug abuse violations 32

Curfew and loitering 27

Runaways 18

Data source: Crime in the United States 1998,

table 43.

In 1998, juveniles were involved in about 1 in 6 arrests for a violent

crime, 1 in 3 arrests for a property offense, and 1 in 4 arrests for a

weapons law violation

Note: Running away from home and curfew and loitering violations are not presented in this

figure because, by definition, only juveniles can be arrested for these offenses.

Data source: Crime in the United States 1998 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 1999), table 38.

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

18%

17%

33%

52%

42%

36%

35%

32%

27%

26%

25%

25%

24%

18%

17%

17%

14%

13%

12%

10%

7%

3%

1%

1%

Percent of arrests involving juveniles

All arrests

Violent Crime Index

Property Crime Index

Arson

Vandalism

Motor vehicle theft

Burglary

Larceny-theft

Robbery

Disorderly conduct

Liquor laws

Stolen property

Weapons

Other assault

Forcible rape

Sex offenses

Aggravated assault

Drug abuse

Murder

Vagrancy

Offenses against the family

Drunkenness

Driving under the influence

Prostitution
5

Juveniles were the victims in 25% of all violent crimes and 20% of all

family violence incidents reported to law enforcement

Percent of Juvenile Victims

Crime Type/ All Violent Aggravated Simple

Offender Type Crime Rape Assault Assault Intimidation

All violent crime

All offenders 25% 58% 22% 24% 17%

Juvenile offenders 66 94 58 67 50

Adult offenders 16 49 14 14 11

Family violence confrontation

All offenders 20 73 18 16 8

Juvenile offenders 40 97 34 34 17

Adult offenders 17 67 15 14 7

◆ Juveniles were the victims in 58% of all forcible rapes, with 15% of victims under

age 12. When the rape occurred between family members, a juvenile was the

victim 73% of the time and 39% of all victims were under age 12.

◆ Juveniles were the victims in two-thirds (66%) of all violent crimes committed by

juvenile offenders, but the victims in only 40% of the violent crimes committed

by juveniles against other family members.

◆ Juveniles were the victims in 17% of the family violence confrontations perpetrated by adults.

Notes: In this study, crimes of violence include murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated

assault, simple assault, and intimidation. A crime is classified as a family violence

confrontation if the victim is a spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, or in-law.

This definition excludes boyfriends, girlfriends, and ex-spouses. Victims may not include all

family members who were exposed to the violent incident.

Data source: Analysis of data presented in Crime in the United States 1998 (Washington, DC:

U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999).

Compared with adult

violence, a smaller

proportion of juvenile

violence was directed

toward family members

Within Crime in the United States 1998,

the FBI released the results of a new

study documenting the characteristics of

family violence incidents reported to law

enforcement. This work is based on data

supplied by law enforcement agencies in

14 States through the UCR Program’s National Incident-Based Reporting System

(NIBRS). The study explored the relationships between victims and their offenders

in over 400,000 confrontations in 1998.

Although there is no characterization of

the findings as nationally representative,

the data do represent the experiences of a

large number of police agencies.

Overall, the FBI found that about 27%

of the victims of violent crimes reported

to law enforcement were related to one or

more of their offenders. Of these family

violence crimes, 94% were classified as

assaults (e.g., aggravated assault, simple

assault, or intimidation).

Victims were slightly more likely to be

female in violent crimes in general (58%)

than in crimes classified as family violence confrontations (56%). Victims were

as likely to be white in violent crimes in

general (74%) as in crimes classified as

family violence confrontations (75%). Of

all family violence victims, 43% were the

offender’s spouse or common-law spouse,

11% the offender’s child, 9% parents, 9%

siblings, and 11% other family members.

The remaining 17% of victims were classified by law enforcement as offenders (e.g.,

family disputes where both husband and

wife are charged with assault) and their

family relationship was not noted.

Juvenile offenders were involved in

12% of these family violence confrontations. Of all violent crimes committed by

juveniles, 18% could be classified as family violence, compared with 31% of violent

crimes committed by adult offenders.

The victim was a family member in 18%

of all forcible rapes committed by a juvenile or by an adult. When a juvenile was

the offender, the victim was a family member in 15% of aggravated assaults, 20% of

simple assaults, and 10% of intimidations

reported to law enforcement. For crimes

by adults, the victim was a family member

in 23% of aggravated assaults, 36% of

simple assaults, and 18% of intimidations.

Juvenile offenders were involved in about 1 in 10 family violence

assaults reported to law enforcement

Percent of Juvenile Offenders

Crime Type/ All Violent Aggravated Simple

Victim Type Crime Rape Assault Assault Intimidation

All violent crime

All victims 19% 19% 18% 19% 15%

Juvenile victims 49 31 48 54 45

Adult victims 8 3 10 8 9

Family violence confrontation

All victims 12 19 13 11 9

Juvenile victims 24 25 24 23 19

Adult victims 9 2 10 9 8

◆ Juveniles were the offenders in less than 1 in 10 violent crimes against adults,

even when the crime occurred between family members.

◆ In crimes reported to law enforcement, nearly half (49%) of all violent crimes

against juveniles were committed by another juvenile. In comparison, when the

crime was one of family violence, 76% of the offenders of juvenile victims were

adults.

Notes: In this study, crimes of violence include murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated

assault, simple assault, and intimidation. A crime is classified as a family violence

confrontation if the victim is a spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, or in-law.

This definition excludes boyfriends, girlfriends, and ex-spouses. Victims may not include all

family members who were exposed to the violent incident.

Data source: Analysis of data presented in Crime in the United States 1998 (Washington, DC:

U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999).
6

Juvenile arrests for

violence in 1998 were

the lowest in a decade

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 in 1995, 1996, 1997, and again in

1998. The number of juvenile arrests in

1998 was the lowest in the 1990’s for all Violent Crime Index offenses combined and the

lowest since 1987 for murder, 1983 for forcible rape, 1987 for robbery, and 1991 for

aggravated assault.

Between 1994 and 1998, the decline in

the number of violent crime arrests was

greater for juveniles than adults for most

violent crime offenses:

Percent Change

in Arrests

Most Serious 1994–98

Offense Juvenile Adult

Violent Crime Index –19% –6%

Murder –48 –18

Forcible rape –9 –14

Robbery –29 –14

Aggravated assault –13 –3

Few juveniles were

arrested for violent

crime

The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest

rate indicates that in 1998, there were 370

arrests for these violent crimes for every

100,000 youth in the United States between 10 and 17 years of age. If each of

these arrests involved a different juvenile

(i.e., if each juvenile arrested in 1998 for a

Violent Crime Index offense was arrested

only once that year—which is unlikely),

then no more than 1 in every 270 persons

ages 10 through 17 in the United States

was arrested for a Violent Crime Index

offense in 1998. This means that about

one-quarter of 1% of juveniles ages 10–17

were arrested for a violent crime in 1998.

The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate in 1998 was at its lowest

level in 10 years—30% below the peak year of 1994

◆ The growth in the juvenile violent crime arrest rate from 1988 to 1994 was

largely erased by 1998, with the 1998 rate just 13% above the 1988 level.

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

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

Between 1980 and 1998, Violent Crime Index arrest rates increased for

all age groups—but more for adults than juveniles

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

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

Violent Crime Index arrests per 100,000 population

Age

1998

1980

Juveniles Adults

◆ Between 1980 and 1998, the Violent Crime Index arrest rates for persons ages

15–17 increased about 10%. In comparison, the rates increased more for persons age 18 and older, with the largest increases being for persons between

ages 30 and 45. More specifically, the rate increased 20% for persons ages 18–

24, 25% for persons ages 25–29, 50% for persons ages 30–34, 60% for persons ages 35–39, and 50% for persons ages 40–44. Even the arrest rate for

persons ages 60–64 increased by nearly 20%.

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

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

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Violent Crime Index

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17
7

Juvenile arrests for

property crimes

declined substantially

in 1998

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, larcenytheft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

For the period from 1980 through 1997,

during which juvenile violent crime arrests increased and then decreased precipitously, juvenile property crime arrest

rates remained relatively constant. Between 1980 and 1997, the juvenile Property Crime Index arrest rate reached its

highest level in 1991 (2,610) and its lowest level in 1984 (2,220). Between 1997

and 1998, however, the rate declined 14%

and fell to its lowest level in a generation.

In 1998, law enforcement made 1,960 arrests for Property Crime Index offenses

for every 100,000 youth between 10 and

17 years of age.

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 1998, 22% of arrests involving youth

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

were handled within law enforcement

agencies, which then released the youth.

The FBI reports that 69% of juvenile arrests 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 gradually increased from 1980

to 1998. In 1998, the proportion of juvenile arrests sent to juvenile court was

similar in cities and suburban areas (68%)

and somewhat greater in rural counties

(74%).

The juvenile arrest rate for Property Crime Index offenses in 1998 was

at its lowest level since at least 1980

◆ In stark contrast to the substantial fluctuations in juvenile violent crime arrest

rates between 1980 and 1998, the juvenile arrest rate for Property Crime Index

offenses changed relatively little between 1980 and 1998.

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

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

Counter to the violent crime arrest rate patterns, the Property Crime

Index arrest rate in 1998 was below the rate in 1980 for all persons

under age 25

◆ The only age groups with substantially higher Property Crime Index arrest rates

in 1998 than in 1980 were persons between the ages of 30 and 45.

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

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

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Property Crime Index

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

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

Property Crime Index arrests per 100,000 population

Age

1998

1980

Juveniles Adults
8

Of all Violent Crime Index offenses, the juvenile arrest rate for murder showed both the greatest increase and

the greatest decline between 1980 and 1998

Aggravated Assault

◆ Outpacing the large increases in robbery arrests, the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault more than doubled

between 1983 and 1994.

◆ Unlike the juvenile arrest rate for robbery, which fell to its

lowest level in a generation in 1998, the decline in the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault was more moderate—only 20%.

◆ In 1998, the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault was

78% above its 1983 low point.

Murder

◆ In 1988, the juvenile arrest rate for murder rose above the

rates experienced in previous years.

◆ From the base year of 1987 to its peak in 1993, the juvenile

arrest rate for murder more than doubled.

◆ The consistently sharp declines in the juvenile murder arrest rate from 1993 through 1998 have returned the rate to

its 1987 level, negating all of the increases that stimulated

so many changes in juvenile justice policy in the 1990’s.

Forcible Rape

◆ More than for any other Violent Crime Index offense, the

juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape has been confined to a

relatively limited range from the early 1980’s through 1998.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape in 1998 was at its

lowest level since 1982 and 25% below the peak year of

1991.

Robbery

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for robbery declined by 30% between 1980 and 1988.

◆ With growth between the low year of 1988 and 1994, the

juvenile arrest rate for robbery increased 70% by 1994,

reaching a level nearly 20% above the 1980 rate.

◆ Following sharp declines in 1996, 1997, and 1998, the juvenile arrest rate for robbery in 1998 was at its lowest level

since at least 1980—45% below the peak year of 1994.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. [See data source note on page 12 for

detail.]

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Murder

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

5

10

15

20

25

Forcible rape

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

50

100

150

200

250

Robbery

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Aggravated assault

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17
9

Offenses within the Property Crime Index span a wide range of severities and have had very different juvenile

arrest trends

Burglary

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for burglary declined consistently

and substantially between 1980 and 1998.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate in 1998 was half of that in 1980.

◆ The number of burglary arrests declined for both juveniles

and adults between 1989 and 1998, with adult arrests down

33% and juvenile arrests down 22%.

Larceny-Theft

◆ In comparison with the juvenile arrest rate for other Property Crime Index offenses, the rate for larceny-theft remained essentially constant between 1980 and 1998.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft in 1998 was the

lowest since at least 1980.

◆ Over the 10 years between 1989 and 1998, while juvenile

arrests for larceny-theft declined 4%, adult arrests dropped

19%.

Motor Vehicle Theft

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft soared between 1983 and 1990, up nearly 140%.

◆ Between 1990 and 1998, the juvenile arrest rate for motor

vehicle theft was cut almost in half, so that the rate in 1998

was at its lowest level since 1984.

◆ Between 1989 and 1998, the number of arrests for motor

vehicle theft fell more for juveniles (39%) than for adults

(25%).

Arson

◆ Compared with juvenile arrest rates for the other three

Property Crime Index offenses, the rate for arson is relatively small. In fact, to place the magnitude of juvenile arson

arrests in perspective, for every 1 juvenile arrested for murder in 1998, 4 were arrested for arson, 25 were arrested for

motor vehicle theft, and 200 were arrested for larceny-theft.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for arson in 1990 was greater than

in any year in the 1980’s. The rate grew until it reached a

peak in 1994. Between 1994 and 1998, the juvenile arrest

rate for arson declined 23%, returning to the 1990 level.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. [See data source note on page 12 for

detail.]

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Burglary

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1,500

1,750

2,000

Larceny-theft

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Motor vehicle theft

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Arson

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17
10

Trends in juvenile arrest rates for weapons law

violations and for murder were similar between

1980 and 1998

◆ After staying relatively constant for over a decade, the

juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations broke out of

the range in 1994, leveling off in 1996, 1997, and 1998.

◆ The increase in the number of drug abuse violation

arrests between 1989 and 1998 was far greater for juveniles (86%) than for adults (14%) and greater for female juveniles (113%) than for male juveniles (82%).

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

data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. [See data source note on

page 12 for detail.]

The juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations

in 1998 was twice the average rate of the 1980’s

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for weapons law violations

more than doubled between 1987 and 1993, as did the

juvenile arrest rate for murder.

◆ Between 1993 and 1998, the juvenile arrest rates for

both murder and weapons law violations declined substantially, with the juvenile murder arrest rate falling by

half and the weapon arrest rate dropping by one-third.

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

data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. [See data source note on

page 12 for detail.]

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

50

100

150

200

250

Weapons

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Drug abuse

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

◆ Like juvenile arrest rate trends for aggravated assault,

the simple assault rates increased consistently between 1980 and 1994.

◆ Unlike aggravated assault, however, the simple assault

arrest rate continued to increase between 1994 and

1998.

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

data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. [See data source note on

page 12 for detail.]

The juvenile arrest rate for simple assault increased

consistently and substantially from the early

1980’s to the late 1990’s

◆ The peak level for the juvenile arrest rate for curfew and

loitering violations reached in 1996 was maintained in

1997 and 1998.

◆ Of all juveniles arrested for curfew and loitering violations in 1998, 71% were white, 30% were female, and

27% were under age 15.

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

data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. [See data source note on

page 12 for detail.]

After years of stability, the juvenile arrest rate for

curfew and loitering violations nearly doubled

between 1993 and 1996

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Simple assault

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Curfew and loitering

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17
11

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

behavior, and/or community standards

1998 Arrest Rate a 1998 Arrest Rate a

Violent Property Violent Property

Reporting Crime Crime Drug Alcohol Reporting Crime Crime Drug Alcohol

State Coverage Index Index Abuse Violationb State Coverage Index Index Abuse Violationb

Total U.S. 74%c 394 2,130 699 636 Missouri 52% 416 2,667 766 417

Alabama 94 191 1,050 294 269 Montana 37 121 1,647 157 1,891

Alaska 87 363 2,862 665 790 Nebraska 89 160 2,943 634 1,641

Arizona 87 393 2,841 1,093 1,385 Nevada 40 431 3,297 1,289 1,189

Arkansas 89 277 1,898 445 498 New Hampshire 32 154 1,961 804 1,939

California 100 529 1,906 680 380 New Jersey 95 483 1,647 1,084 517

Colorado 96 284 2,850 758 1,330 New Mexico 57 372 2,369 740 1,162

Connecticut 86 468 2,123 1,036 292 New York 38 369 1,833 703 262

Delaware 90 641 2,169 483 556 North Carolina 94 375 1,828 544 318

District of Columbia 0 NA NA NA NA North Dakota 78 72 2,246 309 2,598

Florida 100 680 4,095 930 157 Ohio 51 285 1,783 441 681

Georgia 36 307 1,635 750 362 Oklahoma 100 278 2,228 489 662

Hawaii 100 258 2,369 587 282 Oregon 88 240 2,940 571 1,529

Idaho 99 245 3,095 596 1,625 Pennsylvania 83 448 1,535 530 889

Illinois 23 910 2,461 3,292 193 Rhode Island 95 272 1,873 662 277

Indiana 61 423 2,053 553 868 South Carolina 99 387 1,842 762 364

Iowa 87 241 2,028 385 1,320 South Dakota 65 162 2,658 541 3,483

Kansas 0 NA NA NA NA Tennessee 51 242 1,814 500 431

Kentucky 19 566 2,543 843 630 Texas 99 261 1,872 628 598

Louisiana 85 473 2,318 697 234 Utah 76 275 2,943 656 1,438

Maine 95 118 2,882 472 705 Vermont 67 41 774 143 908

Maryland 97 555 2,338 1,313 377 Virginia 77 223 1,960 486 563

Massachusetts 79 526 863 433 371 Washington 69 368 3,542 521 1,072

Michigan 88 225 1,091 342 589 West Virginia 100 71 1,054 224 436

Minnesota 91 308 2,660 783 2,168 Wisconsin 0 NA NA NA NA

Mississippi 39 197 2,023 589 429 Wyoming 96 116 2,570 880 3,569

a 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 2% 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.

b Alcohol violations include liquor law violations, drunkenness, and driving under the influence.

c The reporting coverage for the total U.S. in this table (74%) includes all States reporting arrests of persons under age 18. This is greater than the

coverage in the rest of the Bulletin (69%) because Florida was able to provide arrest counts of persons under age 18 but was not able to provide the

age detail required to support most other presentations in Crime in the United States 1998.

NA = Crime in the United States 1998 reported no arrest counts for this State.

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 1998 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999), tables

5 and 69, and population data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census’ Population of the U.S. and States by Single Year of Age and Sex: July 1, 1998

[machine-readable data file released in June 1999].
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Notes

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

odds with the legal definition of juveniles

in 1998 in 13 States—10 States where all

17-year-olds 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. The proportion of the U.S. population covered by

these reporting agencies ranged from 68%

to 86% between 1980 and 1998, with the

1998 coverage being 69%.

Estimates of the number of persons in

each age group in the reporting agencies’

resident population assume that their

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.

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.

This Bulletin was prepared under cooperative agreement number 95–JN–FX–K008 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.

Data source note

Analysis of arrest data from unpublished FBI reports for 1980 through 1994

and from Crime in the United States reports for 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998

(Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999, respectively); population data from the Bureau of the Census for 1980 through 1989

from Current Population Reports, P25–

1095 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Commerce, 1993), and for 1990 through

1998 from Population of the U.S. and

States by Single Year of Age and Sex: July

1, 1998 [machine-readable data files released June 1999].

Acknowledgments

This Bulletin was written by Howard

N. Snyder, Director of Systems Research at the National Center for Juvenile Justice, with funds provided by

OJJDP to support the Juvenile Justice Statistics and Systems Development Program. Janet Chiancone is

the OJJDP Program Manager for this

work. The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by the

FBI’s Criminal Justice Information

Services Division, specifically, Yoshio

Akiyama, Ken Candell, Tom Edwards,

Victoria Major, James Nolan, and

Maryvictoria Pyne.