November 2002

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Juvenile Arrests 2000

Howard N. Snyder

A Message From OJJDP

Juvenile violent crime arrests, which

increased through the mid-1980s and

early 1990s, have maintained their

steady decline for the sixth consecutive year.

The juvenile arrest rate for violent

crime in 2000 was 41% below its

peak in 1994, reaching its lowest level

in 14 years. The juvenile arrest rate

for murder dropped 74% from its peak

in 1993 to its lowest level since the

1960s. Indeed, the number of juvenile arrests in each of the categories

tracked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its Violent Crime

Index (murder, forcible rape, robbery,

and aggravated assault) has declined

once again.

Such positive developments, however,

should not be a cause for complacency nor lead us to falter in our commitment to combat juvenile violent crime.

In particular, we must remain vigilant

in our efforts to reduce recidivism by

ensuring that serious and violent juvenile offenders who have been released

from correctional facilities are able to

make a successful reentry into their

communities.

Juvenile Arrests 2000 provides a summary and an analysis of national and

State juvenile arrest data presented

in the FBI report Crime in the United

States 2000. We hope that the detailed information this Bulletin provides

will help us to sustain the significant

progress we have made in reducing

juvenile violence.

In 2000, law enforcement agencies in the

United States made an estimated 2.4 million arrests of persons under age 18.*

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

of all arrests and 16% of all violent crime

arrests in 2000. The substantial growth in

the number of juvenile violent crime arrests that began in the late 1980s peaked

in 1994. In 2000, for the sixth consecutive

year, the rate of juvenile arrests for Violent

Crime Index offenses—murder, forcible

rape, robbery, and aggravated assault—

declined. Specifically, between 1994 and

2000, the juvenile arrest rate for Violent

Crime Index offenses fell 41%. As a result,

the juvenile violent crime arrest rate in

2000 was the lowest since 1985. The juvenile murder arrest rate fell 74% from its

peak in 1993 to 2000, when it reached its

lowest level since at least the 1960s.

These findings are derived from data

reported annually by local law enforcement agencies across the country to the

FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)

Program. Based on these data, the FBI prepares its annual Crime in the United States

report, which summarizes crimes known

to the police and arrests made during the

reporting calendar year. This information

is used to characterize the extent and

nature of juvenile crime that comes to

the attention of the justice system. Other

recent findings from the UCR Program

include the following:

◆ Of the nearly 1,600 juveniles murdered

in 2000, 38% were under 5 years of age,

68% were male, 52% were white, and

52% were killed with a firearm.

◆ Juveniles were involved in 9% of murder

arrests, 14% of aggravated assault arrests, 33% of burglary arrests, 25% of

robbery arrests, and 24% of weapons

arrests in 2000.

◆ 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 2000, juvenile arrests

for murder declined, with the number

of arrests in 2000 (1,200) less than onethird that in 1993.

◆ Juvenile arrest rates for burglary

declined 63% between 1980 and 2000.

◆ Between 1990 and 2000, the juvenile

proportion of all arrests for drug abuse

violations increased from 8% to 13%.

◆ Juvenile arrests for curfew and loitering

violations increased 81% between 1991

and 2000. In 2000, 28% of curfew arrests

involved juveniles under age 15 and

31% involved females.

◆ In 2000, 59% of arrests for running away

from home involved females and 39%

involved juveniles under age 15. 

◆ Arrests of juveniles accounted for 12%

of all violent crimes cleared by arrest in

2000—specifically, 5% of murders, 12%

of forcible rapes, 16% of robberies, and

12% of aggravated assaults.

* Throughout this Bulletin, persons under age 18 are

referred to as juveniles. See Notes on page 12.

J. Robert Flores, 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 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

203,900 arrests of young people for drug

abuse violations in 2000, it means that a

drug abuse violation was the most serious charge in these 203,900 arrests. An

unknown number of additional arrests in

2000 included a drug charge as a lesser

offense.

What do clearance 

statistics count?

Clearance statistics measure the proportion of reported crimes 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

attributed to 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 some concerns exist that

even the clearance statistic overestimates the juvenile proportion of crimes.

For example, the FBI reports that persons under age 18 accounted for 25%

of all robbery arrests but only 16% of all

robberies cleared in 2000. 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 2000. However,

the offender characteristics of cleared

and noncleared robberies may differ for

a number of reasons. If, for example, juvenile robbers were more easily apprehended than adult robbers, the proportion of robberies cleared by the arrest of

persons under age 18 would overestimate the juvenile responsibility for all

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

to be tied to the oldest offender in the

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

In summary, while the interpretation of

reported clearance proportions is not

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

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

under age 18.

The juvenile proportion of arrests exceeded the juvenile proportion of

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

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

more likely to be arrested than are adults

Data source: Crime in the United States 2000 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2001), tables 28 and 38.

Arson

Motor vehicle theft

Larceny-theft

Burglary

Aggravated assault

Robbery

Forcible rape

Murder

Property Crime Index

Violent Crime Index

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

20%

28%

12%

16%

22%

32%

5%

9%

12%

16%

16%

25%

12%

14%

19%

33%

23%

31%

20%

34%

46%

53%

Clearance Arrest

Crime Index

Percent involving juveniles
3

The murder rate in

2000 was the lowest

since 1965

Each Crime in the United States report presents estimates of the number of crimes

reported to law enforcement agencies.

A large portion of most crimes are never

reported to law enforcement. Murder, however, is one crime that is nearly always

reported. Therefore, murder is the crime

for which the FBI data are most complete

and most valid.

There were an estimated 15,517 murders

reported to law enforcement agencies in

2000, a slight decline from 1999. This estimate means that there were 5.5 murders

for every 100,000 U.S. residents in 2000.

One would have to go back to 1969 to find

a lower annual number of murder victims

and to 1965 to find a lower annual murder

rate. Between 1960 and 2000, the number

of murders peaked in 1993 (24,526 murders, yielding a murder rate of 9.5), and

the murder rate was at its highest level in

1980 (23,040 murders, yielding a murder

rate of 10.2).

Ninety percent of murder victims in 2000

(or about 13,900 victims) were 18 years of

age or older. The other nearly 1,600 murder victims were under the age of 18. This

figure is substantially less than that of the

peak year of 1993, when almost 2,900 juveniles were murdered. The last year in

which fewer than 1,600 juveniles were murdered was 1985.

Of all juveniles murdered in 2000, about

600 (or 38%) were under age 5. More than

half (56%) of these murdered children

were male, and 55% were white. About

half (51%) of murdered juveniles were

ages 13 to 17. Forty-seven percent of

these murdered teenagers were white,

and 20% were female.

In 2000, 70% of all murder victims were

killed with a firearm. Adults were more

likely to be killed with a firearm (72%)

than were juveniles (52%). However, the

involvement of a firearm depended greatly

on the age of the juvenile victim. Whereas

18% of murdered juveniles under age 13

were killed with a firearm in 2000, 81% of

murdered juveniles age 13 or older were

killed with a firearm. The most common

method of murdering children under the

age of 5 was by physical assault; in 61%

of such murders, the offenders’ only

weapons were their hands and/or feet.

The number of juvenile arrests in 2000—2.4 million—was 5% below

the 1999 level and 15% below the 1996 level

2000 Percent of Total

Estimated Juvenile Arrests Percent Change

Most Serious Number of Under 1991– 1996– 1999–

Offense Juvenile Arrests Female Age 15 2000 2000 2000

Total 2,369,400 28% 32% 3% –15% –5%

Crime Index total 617,600 28 38 –28 –27 –5

Violent Crime Index 98,900 18 33 –17 –23 –4

Murder and nonnegligent 

manslaughter 1,200 11 13 –65 –55 –13

Forcible rape 4,500 1 39 –26 –17 –5

Robbery 26,800 9 27 –29 –38 –5

Aggravated assault 66,300 23 36 –7 –14 –4

Property Crime Index 518,800 30 39 –30 –28 –5

Burglary 95,800 12 39 –38 –30 –5

Larceny-theft 363,500 37 40 –24 –27 –6

Motor vehicle theft 50,800 17 26 –51 –34 –3

Arson 8,700 12 65 –7 –17 –7

Nonindex

Other assaults 236,800 31 43 37 –1 0

Forgery and counterfeiting 6,400 34 12 –20 –24 –7

Fraud 10,700 32 18 –3 –15 –5

Embezzlement 2,000 47 6 132 48 11

Stolen property (buying, 

receiving, possessing) 27,700 16 29 –40 –33 –1

Vandalism 114,100 12 44 –21 –19 –4

Weapons (carrying, 

possessing, etc.) 37,600 10 33 –26 –28 –10

Prostitution and 

commercialized vice 1,300 55 13 –13 –4 –3

Sex offense (except forcible

rape and prostitution) 17,400 7 52 –4 8 5

Drug abuse violations 203,900 15 17 145 –4 0

Gambling 1,500 4 18 –27 –30 –22

Offenses against the 

family and children 9,400 37 38 92 –8 2

Driving under the influence 21,000 17 3 14 13 –3

Liquor law violations 159,400 31 10 20 4 –6

Drunkenness 21,700 20 13 –3 –19 –3

Disorderly conduct 165,700 28 38 33 –9 –8

Vagrancy 3,000 23 28 –33 –7 27

All other offenses 

(except traffic) 414,200 26 28 35 –5 –5

Suspicion 1,200 22 23 –76 –53 –29

Curfew and loitering 154,700 31 28 81 –16 –11

Runaways 142,000 59 39 –18 –29 –6

◆ In 2000, there were an estimated 1,200 juvenile arrests for murder. Between 1996

and 2000, juvenile arrests for murder fell 55%.

◆ Females accounted for 23% of juvenile arrests for aggravated assault and 31% of

juvenile arrests for other assaults (i.e., simple assaults and intimidations) in 2000.

Females were involved in 59% of all arrests for running away from home and 31%

of arrests for curfew and loitering law violations.

◆ Between 1991 and 2000, there were substantial declines in juvenile arrests for

murder (65%), motor vehicle theft (51%), and burglary (38%) and major increases

in juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations (145%) and curfew and loitering law

violations (81%).

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

Data source: Crime in the United States 2000 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2001), tables 29, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. Arrest estimates were developed by the

National Center for Juvenile Justice.
4

Juvenile arrests for 

violence in 2000 were

the lowest since 1988

The FBI assesses trends in the volume of

violent crimes by monitoring four offenses

that are consistently reported by law

enforcement agencies nationwide and are

pervasive in all geographical areas of the

country. These four crimes—murder and

nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape,

robbery, and aggravated assault—together

form the Violent Crime Index. 

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

the increase in these arrests between 1988

and 1994 focused national attention on the

problem of juvenile violence. After peaking

in 1994, these arrests dropped each year

from 1995 through 2000. For all Violent

Crime Index offenses combined, the number of juvenile arrests in 2000 was the lowest since 1988. Looking more closely, the

number of juvenile robbery arrests in 2000

was lower than in any year since 1990.

However, arrests in each of the other three

violent crime categories (murder, forcible

rape, and aggravated assault) were lower

than in any year since at least the early

1970s.

Between 1991 and 2000, the decline in the

number of violent crime arrests was greater

for juveniles than adults:

Most Serious

Offense Juvenile Adult

Violent Crime Index –17% –10%

Murder –65 –37

Forcible rape –26 –30

Robbery –29 –32

Aggravated assault –7 –1

Data source: Crime in the United States 2000,

table 32.

Few juveniles were

arrested for violent

crime

There were 309 arrests for Violent Crime

Index offenses for every 100,000 youth

between 10 and 17 years of age. If each of

these arrests involved a different juvenile

(which is unlikely), then no more than 1 in

every 320 persons ages 10 through 17 was

arrested for a Violent Crime Index offense

in 2000. This means that about one-third of

1% of juveniles ages 10–17 were arrested

for a violent crime in 2000.

The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate in 2000 was at its lowest

level since 1985—41% below the peak year of 1994

◆ All the growth in the juvenile violent crime arrest rate that began in the latter part of

the 1980s was erased by 2000.

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 relative stability, the juvenile arrest rate for Property

Crime Index offenses fell 37% between 1994 and 2000

◆ The relatively stable juvenile arrest rate trend between 1980 and 1997 for Property

Crime Index offenses stands in stark contrast to the Violent Crime Index arrest rate

trend.

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 2000

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Violent Crime Index

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Property Crime Index

Percent Change

in Arrests 

1991–2000
5

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

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

2000

1980

Arrests per 100,000 population

1994 Aggravated assault

Juveniles Adults

Age

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

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

Age

2000

1980

Arrests per 100,000 population

1994

Robbery

Juveniles Adults

Juvenile arrests for

property crimes in 2000

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 2000, the

juvenile Property Crime Index arrest rate

dropped 37%, to its lowest level since at

least the 1960s. Specifically, juvenile burglary arrest rates declined throughout the

1980s and 1990s, the juvenile larceny-theft

arrest rate was at its lowest level in 20

years, and juvenile motor vehicle theft and

arson arrest rates were near their 20-year

lows.

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 2000, 20% of arrests involving youth eligible in their State for processing in the

juvenile justice system were handled within law enforcement agencies, 71% were

referred to juvenile court, and 7% were

referred directly to criminal court. The

others were referred to a welfare agency or

to another police agency. The proportion

of arrests sent to juvenile court has increased gradually from 1990 to 2000 (64%

to 71%). In 2000, the proportion of juvenile

arrests sent to juvenile court was similar

in cities (70%), suburban areas (70%), and

rural counties (71%). 

◆ By 2000, murder and robbery arrest rates for all age groups had fallen below their

1980 levels, while aggravated assault arrest rates were still higher than the 1980

rates for all age groups.

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 increases in robbery and murder arrest rates between 1980 and

1994 were a juvenile and young adult phenomenon, while increases in

aggravated assault arrest rates were common across all age groups

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

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

Age

2000

1980

Arrests per 100,000 population

1994 Murder

Juveniles Adults
6

Among the four Violent Crime Index offenses, only aggravated assault had a juvenile arrest rate in 2000 that

was not at its lowest level in two decades

Aggravated Assault

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault doubled between 1980 and 1994. Its increase between the mid-1980s

and the mid-1990s generally paralleled the increases for murder and robbery.

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

however, the decline in the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated

assault between 1994 and 2000 did not erase the increase

that began in the mid-1980s. While the juvenile arrest rate for

aggravated assault fell 30% between 1994 and 2000, the 2000

rate was still 42% more than the 1980 level.

Murder

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for murder peaked in 1993. In that

year, there were about 3,800 arrests of persons under age

18 for murder.

◆ In the 7 years prior to this peak, the juvenile arrest rate for

murder more than doubled.

◆ In the 7 years following the peak, the juvenile arrest rate for

murder fell 74%, dropping to its lowest level in more than two

decades and erasing all of the earlier growth.

Forcible Rape

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

as the rates for the other violent crimes over the period of

1980 to 2000, although it did follow the general pattern of

growth and decline over the period.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape increased 44%

between 1980 and 1991 and then fell; by 2000, it was

13% less than the 1980 rate, at its lowest level in at least 

two decades.

Robbery

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for robbery declined during much of

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

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for robbery increased 70% between

the low year of 1988 and the peak years of 1994 and 1995, to

a level 19% more than the 1980 rate.

◆ Between the peak years and 2000, the juvenile arrest rate for

robbery declined substantially (57%), falling to its lowest level

in two decades.

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 2000

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Murder

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

50

100

150

200

250

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Robbery

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Aggravated assault

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

5

10

15

20

25

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Forcible rape
7

Juvenile arrest rate trends for the four Property Crime Index offenses show very different patterns over the

1980–2000 period

Burglary

◆ Unlike the juvenile arrest rates for any of the other Index

offenses, the rate for burglary declined consistently and substantially between 1980 and 2000. Over this period, the burglary arrest rate was cut by nearly two-thirds (63%).

◆ In 1980, there were an estimated 230,500 juvenile arrests for

burglary; by 2000, this figure had fallen to 95,800.

◆ Between 1991 and 2000, the number of arrests for burglary

declined substantially for both juveniles and adults (38% and

36%, respectively).

Larceny-Theft

◆ The relatively large volume of larceny-theft arrests ensures

that the Property Crime Index arrest trends will reflect the 

larceny-theft trends. Therefore, it should be recognized that

the juvenile Property Crime Index arrest trends may not (and

in this period did not) reflect the juvenile arrest trends for the

other crimes in the Index.

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft remained relatively

constant between 1980 and 1997, then fell by almost one-third

(29%) in the brief period between 1997 and 2000.

Motor Vehicle Theft

◆ After falling between 1980 and 1983, the juvenile arrest rate for

motor vehicle theft soared, increasing nearly 138% between

1983 and 1990.

◆ After the 1990 peak, the juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle

theft declined both consistently and substantially, so that by

2000 the rate was just 10% above its lowest level of 1983 and

54% below its 1990 peak.

◆ Between 1991 and 2000, the number of arrests for motor vehicle theft declined 51% for juveniles and 23% for adults.

Arson

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

arson arrest rate grew 56% between 1987 and 1994. The rate

then declined each year between 1994 and 2000, falling 30%

from the 1994 peak and returning to the level of 1988.

◆ With the exception of running away from home and curfew and

loitering law violations (crimes for which only juveniles can be

arrested), arson is the offense with the greatest proportion of

juvenile arrests. In the 1980s, an annual average of 41% of all

arson arrests involved juveniles. In the 1990s, the percentage

grew to 50%; in 2000, it was 53%.

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 2000

0

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1,500

1,750

2,000

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Larceny-theft

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Motor vehicle theft

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Arson

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Burglary
8

Trends in juvenile arrest rates for weapons law

violations and for murder were similar between

1980 and 2000

◆ Between 1980 and 1993, the juvenile arrest rate remained

within a limited range. Between 1993 and 1997, however,

the rate grew 78%. By 2000, the rate had fallen somewhat

(14%) from its 1997 high.

◆ During the period from 1991 to 2000, juvenile arrests for

drug abuse violations increased 145%, while adult arrests

grew 42%.

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

soared in the mid-1990s

◆ The juvenile arrest rates for weapons law violations and

for murder more than doubled between 1987 and the

peak year of 1993.

◆ After 1993, both rates fell. The juvenile arrest rate for

murder fell 74% between 1993 and 2000. The arrest rate

for weapons law violations was cut in half, falling 48% and

returning to the 1987 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.] 

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for simple assault increased substantially between the early 1980s and the late 1990s—

more than 150% between 1983 and 1997.

◆ The rate fell slightly (6%) between 1997 and 2000,

remaining in 2000 near its historically high levels.

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.] 

Unlike juvenile arrest rates for other violent

crimes, the rate for simple assault did not decline

substantially in the latter part of the 1990s 

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for vandalism rose 27% between

1988 and 1994, its peak year in the 1980–2000 period.

◆ Between 1994 and 2000, the rate declined 31%, erasing

all of the earlier growth.

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 vandalism in 2000 was

at its lowest level in two decades

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

50

100

150

200

250

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Weapons

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Drug abuse

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Simple assault

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

0

100

200

300

400

500

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Vandalism
9

In 2000, 28% of juvenile

arrests were arrests of

females

Law enforcement agencies made 655,700

arrests of females under age 18 in 2000.

Between 1991 and 2000, arrests of juvenile

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

offense categories.

Most Serious

Offense Female Male

Robbery –20% –30%

Aggravated assault 44 –16

Burglary –15 –40

Larceny-theft –2 –32

Motor vehicle theft –28 –54

Simple assault 78 24

Vandalism 18 –25

Weapons 18 –29

Drug abuse violations 220 135

Liquor law violations 38 13

Curfew and loitering 111 70

Runaways –16 –20

Data source: Crime in the United States 2000,

table 33.

Females were a larger

proportion of juvenile

arrests in early teens

In 2000, girls were involved in one-third

of all arrests of youth ages 13 to 15,

compared with one-quarter of arrests of

younger and older juveniles. This general

pattern is found in some specific offense

categories, whereas others show a decreasing female proportion of arrests with

age.

Female Percent of

Arrests in 2000

Most Serious Age Age Age

Offense <13 13–15 16–17

All offenses 25% 32% 25%

Aggravated assault 19 26 22

Simple assault 24 34 30

Burglary 13 13 10

Larceny-theft 31 39 37

Weapons 13 13 7

Vandalism 12 13 12

Drug abuse 21 17 13

Disorderly conduct 26 33 24

Runaways 48 62 56

Data source: Crime in the United States 2000,

tables 39 and 40.

Between 1980 and 2000, juvenile arrest rates increased proportionately

more for females than for males, especially for violent crimes

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

0

100

200

300

400

500

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

0

100

200

300

400

500

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

◆ Between 1980 and 2000, the arrest rate for all offenses increased 35% for juvenile

females and declined 11% for juvenile males.

◆ The change in the female juvenile arrest rate between 1980 and 2000 was greater

than the change in the male rate for aggravated assault (121% vs. 28%), simple

assault (257% vs. 109%), and weapons law violations (134% vs. 20%).

◆ In some offense categories, the male arrest rate increased more than the female

rate (e.g., for drug abuse violations, it was 70% vs. 47%, respectively).

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.] 

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

0

100

200

300

400

500

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

0

10

20

30

40

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

0

50

100

150

200

250

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Male

Female

Other (simple) assault

Weapons

Drug abuse

Aggravated assault

Percent Change in

Juvenile Arrests

1991–2000
10

Juvenile arrests 

disproportionately

involved minorities

The racial composition of the juvenile population in 2000 was 79% white, 16% black,

4% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1% American Indian. Most Hispanics (an ethnic

designation, not a race) were classified as

white. In contrast to their representation

in the population, black youth were overrepresented in juvenile arrests for violent

crimes, and, to a lesser extent, property

crimes. Of all juvenile arrests for violent

crimes, 55% involved white youth, 42%

involved black youth, 2% involved Asian

youth, and 1% involved American Indian

youth. For property crime arrests, the proportions were 69% white youth, 27% black

youth, 2% Asian youth, and 1% American

Indian youth.

Most Serious Black Proportion of

Offense Juvenile Arrests in 2000

Murder 50%

Forcible rape 35

Robbery 56

Aggravated assault 37

Burglary 25

Larceny-theft 26

Motor vehicle theft 41

Weapons 31

Drug abuse violations 28

Curfew and loitering 25

Runaways 18

Data source: Crime in the United States 2000,

table 43.

Converting arrest counts to arrest rates

(i.e., arrests/100,000 juveniles in the racial

group), the Violent Crime Index arrest rate

in 2000 for black juveniles (555) was nearly

4 times the rate for American Indian juveniles (151) and white juveniles (146), and

7 times the rate for Asian juveniles (75).

For Property Crime Index arrests, the rate

for black juveniles (1,885) was two-thirds

greater than the rate for American Indian

juveniles (1,149), about double the rate for

white juveniles (958), and about 4 times

the rate for Asian juveniles (512).

The juvenile contribution

to crime has declined

The relative responsibility of juveniles and

adults for crime is hard to determine.

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

cleared by law enforcement than are

crimes committed by adults. Therefore,

drawing a picture of crime from law

enforcement records is likely to give a high

estimate of the juvenile responsibility for

crime. 

The clearance data in the Crime in the

United States series show that the proportion of violent crimes law enforcement

attributed to juveniles has declined in

recent years. The proportion of violent

crimes cleared by juvenile arrests grew

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

1994 and then declined to 12% in 2000. 

In the period since 1980, the proportion

of murders cleared by juvenile arrests

peaked in 1994 at 10% then dropped to 5%

in 2000—the lowest level since 1987 but

still more than the levels of the mid-1980s.

The juvenile proportion of cleared forcible

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

with the 2000 proportion (12%) near the

lowest level in the decade but still more

than the levels of the late 1980s (9%). The

juvenile proportion of robbery clearances

also peaked in 1995 (20%); it fell substantially by 2000 (16%) but was still more than

the levels of the late 1980s (10%). The juvenile proportion of aggravated assault

clearances in 2000 (12%) was less than its

peak in 1994 (13%) but still more than the

levels of the late 1980s (8%). The proportion of Property Crime Index offenses

cleared by juvenile arrests in 2000 (22%)

was less than the average of the 1980s and

1990s.

In 2000, juveniles were involved in about 1 in 11 arrests for murder,

1 in 8 arrests for a drug abuse violation, and 1 in 3 arrests for burglary

or motor vehicle theft

Data source: Crime in the United States 2000 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2001), table 38.

Driving under the influence

Prostitution

Fraud

Drunkenness

Murder

Drug abuse

Aggravated assault

Forcible rape

Other assault

Sex offense

Liquor laws

Stolen property

Weapons

Robbery

Disorderly conduct

Larceny-theft

Burglary

Motor vehicle theft

Vandalism

Arson

Property Crime Index

Violent Crime Index

All arrests

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

17%

16%

32%

53%

41%

34%

33%

31%

26%

25%

24%

23%

23%

19%

18%

16%

14%

13%

9%

3%

3%

2%

1%

Percent of arrests involving juveniles
11

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

behavior, and/or community standards

2000 Juvenile Arrest Rate* 2000 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 72%† 330 1,686 649 116 Missouri 52% 329 2,229 789 125

Alabama 71 149 822 264 59 Montana 38 379 1,883 333 58

Alaska 91 243 2,565 517 101 Nebraska 91 118 2,483 719 106

Arizona 91 294 2,185 894 81 Nevada 98 254 2,409 777 191

Arkansas 86 183 1,477 321 85 New Hampshire 59 96 1,022 690 34

California 100 405 1,411 583 160 New Jersey 97 360 1,269 876 172

Colorado 76 238 2,628 805 188 New Mexico 63 281 1,467 581 143

Connecticut 76 279 1,555 671 106 New York 35 315 1,437 635 96

Delaware 50 1,053 3,571 1,387 262 North Carolina 79 317 1,697 507 159

District of Columbia 0 NA NA NA NA North Dakota 89 32 2,220 354 40

Florida 98 612 2,443 884 109 Ohio 52 218 1,488 422 86

Georgia 48 272 1,381 490 115 Oklahoma 100 248 1,675 500 90

Hawaii 88 247 1,744 422 45 Oregon 81 201 2,503 653 94

Idaho 99 176 2,461 483 132 Pennsylvania 75 462 1,451 557 100

Illinois 23 939 2,763 2,868 427 Rhode Island 95 274 1,430 641 108

Indiana 64 350 1,722 523 44 South Carolina 28 322 1,700 682 118

Iowa 88 244 1,943 413 47 South Dakota 79 138 2,220 675 93

Kansas 0 NA NA NA NA Tennessee 69 176 1,044 423 65

Kentucky 6 206 1,984 623 73 Texas 96 215 1,553 601 69

Louisiana 69 408 1,810 568 89 Utah 70 213 2,888 580 143

Maine 98 121 1,907 619 28 Vermont 81 57 926 312 15

Maryland 84 528 1,904 1,281 188 Virginia 73 158 1,006 398 102

Massachusetts 76 449 686 419 39 Washington 69 328 2,933 598 153

Michigan 85 149 1,092 342 56 West Virginia 49 85 884 185 27

Minnesota 94 283 2,174 889 153 Wisconsin 0 NA NA NA NA

Mississippi 50 147 1,945 617 93 Wyoming 100 159 1,895 765 88

* 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.

† The reporting coverage for the total United States in this table (72%) includes all States reporting arrests of persons under age 18. This is greater

than the coverage in the rest of the Bulletin (65%) 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 2000.

NA = Crime in the United States 2000 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 2000 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2001),

tables 5 and 69, and population data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census’ Census 2000 Summary File 1, table P14, Sex by Age for the Population

Under 20 Years [Web site data files].
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.

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 191729

PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/OJJDP

PERMIT NO. G–91

This Bulletin was prepared under cooperative

agreement number 1999–JN–FX–K002 from the

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice.

Points of view or opinions expressed in this

document are those of the author and do not

necessarily represent the official position or

policies of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of

Justice.

Notes

In this Bulletin, “juvenile” refers to persons

under age 18. This definition is at odds

with the statutory age criteria for original

juvenile court jurisdiction in delinquency

matters in several States. In 10 States, all

17-year-olds are considered adults for purposes of criminal prosecution; in 3 States,

all 16- and 17-year-olds are considered

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 63% to

94% between 1980 and 2000, with the 2000

coverage being 65%.

Estimates of the number of persons in

each age group in the reporting agencies’

resident populations assume that the resident population age profiles are similar to

the Nation’s. Reporting agencies’ total populations were multiplied by the U.S. Bureau

of the Census’ most current estimate of the

proportion of the U.S. population for each

age group.

Data source note

Analysis of arrest data from unpublished

FBI reports for 1980 through 1997 and from

Crime in the United States reports for 1998,

1999, and 2000 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999, 2000, and

2001, respectively); population data from

the U.S. Bureau of the Census, U.S. Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1980 to 1999 (With Short-term

Projection to Dates in 2000) [machinereadable data files available online, released April 11, 2000]. 

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, specifically, Maryvictoria

Pyne and Ken Candell.

*NCJ~191729*