U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Jeff Slowikowski, Acting Administrator April 2009

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

Juvenile Arrests 2007 

A Message From OJJDP 

Juvenile Arrests 2007 summarizes 

the juvenile data cited in the FBI 

report Crime in the United States 

2007. Thus, this Bulletin serves as a 

baseline for comparison for juvenile 

justice professionals and others 

seeking to assess the Nation’s 

progress in addressing juvenile 

crime. 

The 2007 data bring some welcome 

news, as the recent trend of modest 

increases in juvenile arrests in 2005 

and 2006 has been broken. 

The good news is reflected not only 

in the 2% decline in overall juvenile 

arrests and the 3% decline in juvenile arrests for violent crimes from 

2006 to 2007 but also in the data for 

most offense categories, for males 

and females, and for white and 

minority youth. 

Although this general trend is indeed 

encouraging, it should not be misconstrued to provide a rationale for 

complacency. 

One area that merits our continued 

attention is disproportionate minority 

contact (DMC) with the juvenile justice system. For example, the arrest 

rate for robbery among black juveniles was more than 10 times that 

for white youth in 2007. OJJDP 

remains committed to supporting initiatives to reduce DMC, including 

improved and expanded delinquency 

prevention efforts in minority 

communities. 

Charles Puzzanchera 

In 2007, law enforcement agencies in the 

United States made an estimated 2.18 million arrests of persons under age 18.* 

Overall, there were 2% fewer juvenile arrests in 2007 than in 2006, and juvenile 

violent crime arrests declined 3%, reversing a recent upward trend. Juvenile arrest 

rates, particularly Violent Crime Index 

rates, had increased in 2005 and again in 

2006 amid fears that the Nation was on 

the brink of another juvenile crime wave. 

These latest data show increases in some 

offense categories but declines in most— 

with most changes being less than 10% in 

either direction. 

These findings are drawn from data that 

local law enforcement agencies across the 

country report to the FBI’s Uniform Crime 

Reporting (UCR) Program. Based on these 

data, the FBI prepares its annual Crime in 

the United States statistical compilation, 

which summarizes crimes known to the 

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

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

the justice system. Other recent findings 

from the UCR Program include the 

following: 

* Throughout this Bulletin, youth under age 18 are 

referred to as juveniles. See Notes on page 12. 

◆	 Juveniles accounted for 16% of all violent crime arrests and 26% of all property crime arrests in 2007. 

◆	 Juveniles were involved in 12% of all 

violent crimes cleared in 2007 and 18% 

of property crimes cleared. 

◆	 In 2007, 11% (1,810) of all murder victims were under age 18. More than 

one-third (35%) of all juvenile murder 

victims were under age 5, but this 

proportion varied widely across 

demographic groups. 

◆	 The juvenile murder arrest rate in 2007 

was 4.1 arrests per 100,000 juveniles 

ages 10 through 17. This was 24% more 

than the 2004 low of 3.3, but 72% less 

than the 1993 peak of 14.4. 

◆	 Between 1998 and 2007, juvenile arrests 

for aggravated assault decreased more 

for males than for females (22% vs. 

17%). During this period, juvenile male 

arrests for simple assault declined 4% 

and female arrests increased 10%. 

◆	 In 2007, although black youth accounted for just 17% of the youth population 

ages 10 through 17, black juveniles 

were involved in 51% of juvenile Violent 

Crime Index arrests and 32% of juvenile 

Property Crime Index arrests. 

◆	 The 2007 arrest rates for Violent Crime 

Index offenses were substantially lower 

than the rates in the 1994 peak year for 

every age group under 40. 

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

What do arrest statistics 

count? 

To interpret the material in this Bulletin 

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

Arrest statistics report the number of 

arrests that law enforcement agencies 

made in a given year—not the number of 

individuals arrested nor the number of 

crimes committed. The number of arrests 

is not the same as the number of people 

arrested because an unknown number of 

individuals are arrested more than once 

during the year. Nor do arrest statistics 

represent counts of crimes that arrested 

individuals commit because a series of 

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

crime may result in the arrest of more 

than one person. This latter situation, 

where many arrests result from one 

crime, is relatively common in juvenile 

law-violating behavior because juveniles 

are more likely than adults to commit 

crimes in groups. For this reason, one 

should not use arrest statistics to indicate 

the relative proportions of crime that 

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

of flow into the justice system. 

Arrest statistics also have limitations in 

measuring the volume of arrests for a 

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

agencies to classify an arrest by the 

most serious offense charged in that 

arrest. For example, the arrest of a youth 

charged with aggravated assault and 

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

assault. Therefore, when arrest statistics 

show that law enforcement agencies 

made an estimated 43,900 arrests of 

young people for weapons law violations 

in 2007, it means that a weapons law 

violation was the most serious charge in 

these 43,900 arrests. An unknown number of additional arrests in 2007 included 

a weapons charge as a lesser offense. 

What do clearance 

statistics count? 

Clearance statistics measure the proportion of reported crimes that were cleared 

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

exceptional means (such as the death of 

the offender or unwillingness of the victim 

to cooperate). A single arrest may result 

in many clearances. For example, 1 

arrest could clear 10 burglaries if the person was charged with committing all 10 

crimes. Or multiple arrests may result in 

a single clearance if a group of offenders 

committed the crime. For those interested in juvenile justice issues, the FBI also 

reports the proportion of clearances that 

involved only offenders under age 18. 

This statistic is a better indicator of the 

proportion of crime that this age group 

commits than is the proportion of arrests, 

although there are some concerns that 

even the clearance statistic overestimates the proportion of crimes committed by juveniles. 

Research has shown that juvenile 

offenders are more easily apprehended 

than adult offenders; thus, the juvenile 

proportion of clearances probably overestimates juveniles’ responsibility for 

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

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

committed by adults. Because the juvenile clearance proportions include only 

those clearances in which no adults were 

involved, they underestimate juvenile 

involvement in crime. Although these 

data do not present a definitive picture of 

juvenile involvement in crime, they are 

the closest measure generally available 

of the proportion of crime known to law 

enforcement that is attributed to persons 

under age 18. 

The juvenile proportion of arrests exceeded the juvenile proportion of 

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

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

to be arrested 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2007 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

2008), tables 28 and 38. 

Arson 

Motor vehicle theft 

Larceny-theft 

Burglary 

Aggravated assault 

Robbery 

Forcible rape 

Murder 

Property Crime Index 

Violent Crime Index 

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

Percent involving juveniles 

12% 

16% 

18% 

26% 

6% 

10% 

12% 

15% 

16% 

27% 

12% 

13% 

17% 

27% 

19% 

26% 

15% 

25% 

40% 

47% 

Clearance Arrest 
In 2007, about 1 in 10 

(1,810) murder victims 

were juveniles 

Each Crime in the United States report 

presents estimates of the number of 

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

crime that is nearly always reported. 

An estimated 16,930 murders were reported to law enforcement agencies in 2007, 

or 5.6 murders for every 100,000 U.S. residents. The murder rate was essentially 

constant between 1999 (the year with the 

fewest murders in the last three decades) 

and 2007. Prior to 1999, the last year in 

which the U.S. murder rate was less than 

6.0 was 1966. 

Of all murder victims in 2007, 89% (or 

15,120 victims) were 18 years of age or 

older. The other 1,810 murder victims 

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

number of juveniles murdered in 2007 was 

9% more than the average number of juveniles murdered in the prior 5-year period, 

and 37% less than the peak year of 1993, 

when an estimated 2,880 juveniles were 

murdered. During the same prior 5-year 

period, the estimated number of adult 

murder victims fell 30%. 

Of all juveniles murdered in 2007, 35% 

were under age 5, 69% were male, and 

49% were white. Of all juveniles murdered 

in 2007, 26% of male victims, 53% of female victims, 41% of white victims, and 

27% of black victims were under age 5. 

In 2007, 68% of all murder victims were 

killed with a firearm. Adults were more 

likely to be killed with a firearm (70%) 

than were juveniles (52%). However, the 

involvement of a firearm depended greatly 

on the age of the juvenile victim. In 2007, 

17% of murdered juveniles under age 13 

were killed with a firearm, compared with 

80% of murdered juveniles age 13 or older. 

The most common method of murdering 

children under age 5 was by physical assault: in 50% of these murders, the offenders' only weapons were their hands 

and/or feet, compared with only 2% of juvenile victims age 13 or older and 4% of 

adult victims. In 2007, knives or other cutting instruments were used in 8% of juvenile murders and 13% of adult murders. 

The 2.18 million arrests of juveniles in 2007 was 20% fewer than the 

number of arrests in 1998 

2007 Percent of Total 

Estimated Juvenile Arrests Percent Change 

Most Serious Number of Under 1998– 2003– 2006– 

Offense Juvenile Arrests Female Age 15 2007 2007 2007 

Total 2,180,500 29% 28% –20% –3% –2% 

Violent Crime Index 97,100 17 28 –14 5 –3 

Murder and nonnegligent 

manslaughter 1,350 8 10 –23 26 3 

Forcible rape 3,580 2 35 –32 –13 –2 

Robbery 34,490 10 21 6 35 –1 

Aggravated assault 57,650 23 31 –21 –6 –4 

Property Crime Index 419,000 35 31 –33 –10 4 

Burglary 81,900 12 30 –30 –3 –2 

Larceny-theft 300,300 43 31 –32 –9 8 

Motor vehicle theft 29,600 16 22 –49 –30 –14 

Arson 7,200 12 59 –19 –7 –8 

Nonindex 

Other assaults 240,700 34 39 0 –1 –3 

Forgery and counterfeiting 3,100 31 12 –60 –37 –11 

Fraud 7,800 36 16 –26 –6 –2 

Embezzlement 1,700 42 4 5 43 25 

Stolen property (buying, 

receiving, possessing) 22,400 18 24 –33 –9 –4 

Vandalism 111,800 13 41 –14 4 –4 

Weapons (carrying, 

possessing, etc.) 43,900 10 32 –8 12 –7 

Prostitution and 

commercialized vice 1,500 78 13 6 1 –4 

Sex offense (except forcible 

rape and prostitution) 15,500 10 48 –15 –18 –4 

Drug abuse violations 195,700 16 15 –6 0 0 

Gambling 2,100 2 14 –27 9 –14 

Offenses against the 

family and children 5,800 38 29 –46 –16 11 

Driving under the influence 18,200 24 3 –17 –10 –6 

Liquor laws 141,000 37 9 –20 2 1 

Drunkenness 16,900 25 11 –28 3 3 

Disorderly conduct 201,200 33 38 3 –1 –5 

Vagrancy 3,800 29 31 51 –33 –21 

All other offenses 

(except traffic) 378,900 26 24 –22 –3 –3 

Suspicion (not included 

in totals) 400 24 26 –72 –25 –8 

Curfew and loitering 143,000 31 26 –30 3 –5 

Runaways 108,900 56 32 –36 –9 –3 

◆	 In 2007, there were an estimated 300,300 juvenile arrests for larceny-theft. 

Between 1998 and 2007, the number of such arrests fell by one-third (32%). 

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

murder increased in 2006–2007 (up 3%). 

◆	 In 2007, females accounted for 17% of juvenile Violent Crime Index arrests, 35% 

of juvenile Property Crime Index arrests, and 33% of juvenile disorderly conduct 

arrests. 

◆	 Youth under age 15 accounted for more than one-fourth (28%) of all juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses in 2007 and nearly one-third (31%) of all 

Property Crime Index offenses. 

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

Data source: Crime in the United States 2007 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of 

Investigation, 2008), tables 29, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. Arrest estimates were developed by the 

National Center for Juvenile Justice. 

3 
One in eight violent 

crimes were attributed 

to juveniles 

The relative responsibility of juveniles 

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

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

adults. Thus, law enforcement records 

may overestimate juvenile responsibility 

for crime. 

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

proportion of violent crimes cleared and 

attributed to juveniles has been rather 

constant in recent years, holding between 

12% and 13% from 1996 through 2007. The 

proportions of both forcible rapes and aggravated assaults attributed to juveniles 

fluctuated between 11% and 12% over this 

period, while the proportion of murders 

ranged between 5% and 6% from 1998 

through 2007. In contrast, the proportion 

of robberies attributed to juveniles varied, falling from 18% to 14% between 1996 

and 2002 and then increasing gradually to 

17% by 2007. 

In 2007, 18% of Property Crime Index offenses cleared by arrest or exceptional 

means were cleared by the arrest of a juvenile. This was one percentage point 

less than the level in 2006; the level in 

2007 was the lowest level since at least 

the mid-1960s. For comparison, the proportion of Property Crime Index offenses 

that law enforcement attributed to juveniles was 28% in 1980 and 22% in both 

1990 and 2000. 

Juvenile arrests for 

violence declined 

between 2006 and 2007 

The FBI assesses trends in violent crimes 

by monitoring four offenses that are consistently reported by law enforcement 

agencies nationwide. These four crimes— 

murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, 

forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated 

assault—form the Violent Crime Index. 

Following 10 years of declines between 

1994 and 2004, juvenile arrests for Violent 

Crime Index offenses increased 11% from 

2004 to 2006, then declined 4% through 

2007. Given that the number of arrests in 

2004 was smaller than in any year since 

1987, the number of juvenile Violent 

Crime Index arrests in 2007 was still relatively low. In fact, the number of juvenile 

violent crime arrests in 2007 was less 

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

greater than the average annual number 

of such arrests between 2001 and 2006. 

The number of juvenile arrests in 2007 for 

forcible rape was less than in any year 

since at least 1980, and the number of juvenile aggravated assault arrests in 2007 

was less than in any year since 1988. In 

contrast, after also falling to a relatively 

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

2007. To put it in perspective, if the 2004– 

2007 increase was to continue annually 

into the future, it would take another 20 

years for the annual number of juvenile 

murder arrests to return to its peak level 

of the mid-1990s. However, juvenile arrests for robbery increased more than 

30% since 2004. If this pace continues, the 

annual number of juvenile robbery arrests 

will return to its 1995 peak in just 4 years. 

Between 1998 and 2007, the number of arrests in most offense categories declined 

more for juveniles than for adults: 

Percent Change 

in Arrests 

Most Serious 1998–2007 

Offense Juvenile Adult 

Violent Crime Index –14% –8% 

Murder –23 –10 

Forcible rape –32 –21 

Robbery 6 6 

Aggravated assault –21 –10 

Property Crime Index –33 –2 

Burglary –30 6 

Larceny-theft –42 –4 

Motor vehicle theft –53 –7 

Simple assault 0 –2 

Weapons law violations –8 –2 

Drug abuse violations –6 21 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2007, 

table 32. 

In 2007, juveniles were involved in 1 in 10 arrests for murder and about 

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

and weapons violations 

47% 

Total 

Violent Crime Index 

Property Crime Index 

Arson 

Vandalism 

Disorderly conduct 

Robbery 

Burglary 

Larceny-theft 

Motor vehicle theft 

Weapons 

Liquor laws 

Other assaults 

Sex offense 

Stolen property 

Forcible rape 

Aggravated assault 

Drug abuse violations 

Murder 

Offenses against the family 

Drunkenness 

Fraud 

Prostitution 

Driving under the influence 

5% 

3% 

3% 

2% 

1% 

15% 

16% 

26% 

28% 

27% 

27% 

26% 

25% 

23% 

22% 

18% 

18% 

18% 

15% 

13% 

11% 

10% 

38% 

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

Percent of arrests involving juveniles 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2007 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of 

Investigation, 2008), table 38. 

4 
Juvenile property crime 

arrests increased in 

2007—the first time in 

13 years 

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. These four crimes, 

which form the Property Crime Index, are 

burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, 

and arson. 

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

remained relatively constant. After this 

long period of relative stability, juvenile 

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

half to their lowest level since at least the 

1970s. However, between 2006 and 2007, 

the number of juvenile arrests for property 

crimes increased (up 4%)—for the first 

time since 1993–1994. This increase was a 

result of growth in the number of juvenile 

arrests for larceny-theft, which rose 8% 

from 2006 to 2007. Juvenile arrests for 

motor vehicle theft and arson reached 

historic lows in 2007, while arrests for 

burglary declined 2% since 2006. 

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 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 2007, 19% of arrests involving youth 

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

handled within law enforcement agencies 

and the youth were released, 70% were referred to juvenile court, and 9% were referred directly to criminal court. The others were referred to a welfare agency or to 

another police agency. In 2007, the proportion of juvenile arrests sent to juvenile 

court in cities with a population of more 

than 250,000 (68%) was similar to that in 

smaller cities (71%). 

The increase in the juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate since 2004 

was interrupted in 2007 

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

49% from its 1994 peak. This decade-long decline was followed by a 12% increase 

over the next 2 years, and then a 3% decline between 2006 and 2007. 

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.] 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Violent Crime Index 

The juvenile arrest rate for Property Crime Index offenses rose 4%
 

between 2006 and 2007, the first increase since 1993–1994
 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17
 

3,000
 

2,500
 

Property Crime Index
 

2,000
 

1,500 

1,000 

500 

0 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

◆	 Despite the recent increase, the 2007 juvenile Property Crime Index arrest rate 

was 51% less than the 1991 peak. The large declines over the last decade in the 

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

this period. 

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

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

5 
6 

In 2007, the juvenile arrest rates for murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault each remained 

well below their peak levels of the 1990s 

Aggravated Assault 

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

◆ This pattern of decline was interrupted recently, as the juvenile 

aggravated assault arrest rate increased 2% between 2004 

and 2006. By 2007, however, the rate declined 5%, reaching 

its lowest point since the late 1980s. 

Murder 

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

rate for murder more than doubled. 

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

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

the 1993 peak. 

◆ The growth in the juvenile murder arrest rate between 2004 

and 2007 returned it to near its 2002 level; but even with this 

increase, the rate in 2007 was 72% less than its 1993 peak. 

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 1980–2007 period, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible 

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

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

dropped annually from 1991 through 2007. By 1999, it had returned to its 1980 level. By 2007, the rate had fallen to a point 

34% less than the 1980 level and 54% less than its 1991 peak. 

Robbery 

◆ In contrast with the juvenile arrest rates for other violent crimes, 

the rate for robbery declined through much of the 1980s, reaching a low point in 1988. Then, like the violent crime arrest rate 

in general, by the mid-1990s the juvenile robbery arrest rate 

grew to a point greater than the 1980 level. 

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

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

rose again, so that by 2007 the rate was 41% greater than its 

low point in 2002 but still 47% less than its 1995 peak. 

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.] 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

0 

2 

4 

6 

8

10 

12 

14 

16 

Year 

Murder 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

25 

50 

75 

100 

125 

150 

175 

200 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Robbery 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Aggravated assault 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Forcible rape 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 
7 

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

the 1980–2007 period 

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 2007, down 69%. 

◆ This large fall in juvenile burglary arrests from 1980 through 

2007 was not replicated in the adult statistics. For example, between 1998 and 2007, the number of juvenile burglary arrests 

fell 30%, while adult burglary arrests increased 6%. In 1980, 

45% of all burglary arrests were arrests of a juvenile; in 2007, 

reflecting the greater decline in juvenile arrests, just 27% of 

burglary arrests were juvenile arrests. 

Larceny-Theft 

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft remained essentially 

constant between 1980 and 1997, then fell 47% between 

1997 and 2006, reaching its lowest point since 1980. This decline reversed in 2007, as the juvenile arrest rate for larcenytheft increased 9%. 

◆ In 2007, 72% of all juvenile arrests for Property Crime Index 

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

Index arrest trends largely reflect the pattern of larceny-theft 

arrests (which itself is dominated by shoplifting—the most 

common larceny-theft offense). 

Motor Vehicle Theft 

◆ 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 steadily through 2007, falling 

74%. In 2007, the juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft 

was lower than in any year in the 1980–2007 period. 

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

adult statistics. Between 1996 and 2007, the number of juvenile motor vehicle theft arrests fell more than 49%, while adult 

motor vehicle theft arrests decreased just 7%. 

Arson 

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

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

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for arson declined substantially between 1994 and 2007, falling 40%. 

◆ Following an 11% decline between 2006 and 2007, the juvenile arrest rate for arson in 2007 reached its lowest point since 

1980. 

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

data source note on p. 12 for detail.] 

0 

250 

500 

750 

1,000 

1,250 

1,500 

1,750 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Larceny-theft 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

350 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Motor vehicle theft 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arson 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

Burglary 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 
Although arrest trends by gender were similar for robbery, recent 

trends showed greater declines for males in other offenses 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

1,200 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

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

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

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

increased through 2007 (39% for males and 55% for females). 

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

1990s peak as much as did the male rate. As a result, in 2007, the juvenile male 

arrest rate was just 8% more than its 1980 level, while the female rate was 83% 

more than its 1980 rate. Similarly, while the male arrest rate for simple assault doubled between 1980 and 2007, the female rate more than tripled. 

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 

120 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

Aggravated assault 

Other (simple) assault 

Robbery 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

1,200 

1,400 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

Drug abuse violations 

In 2007, females 

accounted for 29% 

of juvenile arrests 

Law enforcement agencies made 641,000 

arrests of females under age 18 in 2007. 

From 1998 through 2007, arrests of juvenile females decreased less than male 

arrests in most offense categories (e.g., 

aggravated assault, burglary, and larcenytheft); in some categories (e.g., simple 

assault, drug abuse violations, and DUI), 

female arrests increased, while male 

arrests decreased. 

Percent Change in 

Juvenile Arrests 

Most Serious 1998–2007 

Offense Female Male 

Violent Crime Index –13% –14% 

Aggravated assault –17 –22 

Simple assault 10 –4 

Property Crime Index –18 –39 

Burglary –24 –31 

Larceny-theft –15 –41 

Motor vehicle theft –50 –49 

Vandalism –4 –15 

Weapons –1 –9 

Drug abuse violations 6 –8 

Liquor law violations –2 –28 

DUI 14 –24 

Disorderly conduct 20 –5 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2007, 

table 33. 

Gender differences also occurred in the 

assault arrest trends for adults. Between 

1998 and 2007, adult male arrests for aggravated assault fell 12%, while female arrests fell 1%. Similarly, adult male arrests 

for simple assault fell 6% between 1998 

and 2007, while adult female arrests rose 

11%. Therefore, the female proportion of 

arrests grew for both types of assault. It 

is likely that the disproportionate growth 

in female assault arrests over this period 

was related to factors that affected both 

juveniles and adults. 

Gender differences in arrest trends also 

increased the proportion of arrests involving females in other offense categories for both juveniles and adults. The 

number of drug abuse violation arrests of 

juvenile females grew 6% between 1998 

and 2007, while juvenile male arrests declined 8%. Drug abuse violation arrests of 

adult females grew more than adult male 

arrests (31% and 19%, respectively). The 

greater decline in male than in female arrests for Property Crime Index offenses 

seen for juveniles between 1998 and 2007 

was also seen in adult arrests, with adult 

male arrests falling 7% and adult female 

arrests increasing 9%. 

8 
Juvenile arrests 

disproportionately 

involved minorities 

The racial composition of the U.S. juvenile 

population ages 10–17 in 2007 was 78% 

white, 17% black, 5% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1% American Indian. Most juveniles of Hispanic ethnicity were included 

in the white racial category. Of all juvenile 

arrests for violent crimes in 2007, 47% involved white youth, 51% involved black 

youth, 1% involved Asian youth, and 1% 

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

66% white youth, 32% black youth, 1% 

Asian youth, and 1% American Indian 

youth. Black youth were overrepresented 

in juvenile arrests. 

Most Serious Black Proportion of 

Offense Juvenile Arrests in 2007 

Murder 57% 

Forcible rape 37 

Robbery 68 

Aggravated assault 41 

Simple assault 40 

Burglary 33 

Larceny-theft 31 

Motor vehicle theft 42 

Weapons 38 

Drug abuse violations 30 

Vandalism 19 

Liquor laws 5 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2007, 

table 43. 

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

arrests per 100,000 juveniles in the racial 

group) in 2007 for black juveniles (903) 

was about 5 times the rates for white juveniles (180) and American Indian juveniles 

(183) and 16 times the rate for Asian juveniles (57). For Property Crime Index arrests, the rate for black juveniles (2,453) 

was more than double the rates for white 

juveniles (1,081) and American Indian 

juveniles (1,147) and more than 6 times 

the rate for Asian juveniles (371). 

In the 1980s, the Violent Crime Index 

arrest rate for black juveniles was between 6 and 7 times the white rate. This 

ratio declined during the 1990s, falling to 

4-to-1 in 1999. Between 1999 and 2007, the 

racial disparity in the rates increased, 

reaching 5-to-1 in 2007. This increase resulted from an increase in the black rate 

(5%) and a decline in the white rate (25%). 

More specifically, the robbery arrest rate 

increased 37% for black juveniles while 

the white rate declined 17%, and the aggravated assault rate declined less for 

black (12%) than for white juveniles (27%). 

Arrest rate trends from 1980 through 2007 were similar across racial 

groups; the differences were in the volume of arrests 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Black 

White 

0 

1 

2 

3

4 

5 

6 

7 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Black 

White 

0 

1,000 

2,000 

3,000 

4,000 

5,000 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Black 

White 

◆ The white juvenile murder rate in 2007 was near its lowest level since at least 

1980, having fallen 67% since its 1993 peak. The black rate in 2007 was well below (76%) its 1993 peak, even though it increased since 2004. 

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

substantially for all four racial groups. 

◆ From 1994 through 2007, the Property Crime Index arrest rates dropped dramatically for juveniles in all racial groups—declining 45% or more. 

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

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

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and 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 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

Amer. Indian 

Asian 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

Amer. Indian 

Asian 

0 

500 

1,000 

1,500 

2,000 

2,500 

3,000 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

Amer. Indian 

Asian 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Black 

White 

Robbery 

Aggravated assault 

Property Crime Index 

Murder 

9 
10 

The decline in the juvenile arrest rate for weapons 

law violations between 2006 and 2007 broke the 

trend of increasing rates that began in 2003 

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

abuse violations increased 145%. The rate declined 21% 

between 1997 and 2007, but the 2007 rate was still almost double the 1990 rate. 

◆ Over the 1980–2007 period, the juvenile drug arrest rate 

for whites peaked in 1997 and then held relatively constant through 2007 (down 10%). In contrast, the rate for 

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

recent increase—23% since 2002—the rate in 2007 was 

37% less than the 1995 peak. 

After a period of substantial growth during the 

1990s, the juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse 

violations declined after 1997 

◆ Between 1980 and 1993, the juvenile arrest rate for 

weapons law violations increased more than 140%. Then 

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

14% more than the 1980 level. 

◆ However, between 2002 and 2006, the juvenile weapons 

arrest rate grew 35%, then fell 7% through 2007. As a result, the rate in 2007 was 43% more than the 1980 level 

and 41% less than its 1993 peak. Between 2006 and 2007, 

the rate declined more for females (10%) than for males 

(6%), and more for whites (8%) than for blacks (5%). 

The juvenile arrest rate for simple assault has 

changed little since 2000, fluctuating less than 4% 

in any given year 

Between the 1994 peak and 2007, arrest rates for 

Violent Crime Index offenses fell substantially for 

every age group younger than 40 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Weapons

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Drug abuse 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 

Year 

Other (simple) assault 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

1,200 

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

Age 

1994 

2007 

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 156% 

between 1980 and 1997, declined slightly through 2002, 

then rose again through 2006. The rate dropped 3% in 

2007 to a level 6% less than the 1997 peak. 

◆ Unlike the trend for simple assault, the juvenile aggravated 

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

falling 41% between 1994 and 2007. 

◆ The 2007 juvenile arrest rate for simple assault was substantially greater than the 1980 rate for most racial groups. 

◆ Juveniles showed the largest decline—falling nearly 50% 

in each age group from 10 through 17. Between 1994 and 

2007, the Violent Crime Index arrest rates for 18-year-olds 

fell 39%. The Violent Crime Index arrest rates for persons 

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

◆ Over the 1994–2007 period, the Violent Crime Index arrest 

rates for persons age 40–54 changed little, while the arrest rates for persons age 55–64 declined. 
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 

2007 Juvenile Arrest Rate* 2007 Juvenile Arrest Rate* 

State 

Reporting 

Coverage 

Violent 

Crime 

Index 

Property 

Crime 

Index 

Drug 

Abuse Weapons State 

Reporting 

Coverage 

Violent 

Crime 

Index 

Property 

Crime 

Index 

Drug 

Abuse Weapons 

United States 81%† 301 1,293 590 128 Missouri 85% 257 1,573 641 97 

Alabama 75 180 757 249 46 Montana 84 90 1,745 378 41 

Alaska 96 220 1,559 328 68 Nebraska 85 138 1,823 644 109 

Arizona 94 228 1,546 784 84 Nevada 96 238 1,313 517 152 

Arkansas 66 147 1,012 381 60 New Hampshire 68 86 692 540 30 

California 98 410 1,074 519 202 New Jersey 97 334 864 689 185 

Colorado 90 173 1,621 741 137 New Mexico 71 279 1,045 752 178 

Connecticut 93 282 1,017 442 89 New York 55 270 1,002 520 66 

Delaware 99 591 1,647 819 137 North Carolina 77 318 1,431 508 215 

District of Columbia 0 NA NA NA NA North Dakota 88 79 1,874 436 43 

Florida 100 477 1,864 763 106 Ohio 60 150 1,001 414 70 

Georgia 62 294 1,342 591 223 Oklahoma 100 178 1,122 503 87 

Hawaii 0 NA NA NA NA Oregon 94 230 1,855 603 94 

Idaho 92 141 1,823 544 110 Pennsylvania 92 426 1,075 523 127 

Illinois 23 913 1,547 2,152 294 Rhode Island 83 86 960 386 117 

Indiana 71 209 1,510 486 59 South Carolina 95 294 1,120 705 168 

Iowa 86 258 1,860 450 45 South Dakota 49 95 1,461 476 68 

Kansas 64 168 952 533 77 Tennessee 79 332 1,249 626 144 

Kentucky 20 343 2,168 1,360 127 Texas 91 188 1,087 593 64 

Louisiana 61 364 1,617 623 113 Utah 88 120 1,879 506 133 

Maine 100 63 1,477 417 44 Vermont 98 65 570 286 35 

Maryland 99 548 1,876 1,192 221 Virginia 95 146 784 359 88 

Massachusetts 91 307 521 377 46 Washington 75 267 1,897 540 144 

Michigan 92 224 1,024 337 89 West Virginia 77 42 368 161 16 

Minnesota 98 217 1,758 507 135 Wisconsin 98 298 2,634 806 233 

Mississippi 37 138 1,227 495 120 Wyoming 99 124 1,748 994 85 

* 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 (81%) includes all States reporting arrests of persons under age 18. This is greater 

than the coverage in the rest of the Bulletin (75%) for various reasons. For example, Florida provided arrest counts of persons under age 18 but did 

not provide the age detail required to support other presentations in Crime in the United States 2007. 

NA = Crime in the United States 2007 reported no arrest counts for the District of Columbia and Hawaii. 

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 2007 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2008), 

tables 5 and 69, and population data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ Estimates of the July 1, 2000–July 1, 2007, United States 

Resident Population From the Vintage 2007 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 9/5/2008]. 

11 
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Pr Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention *NCJ~225344*

Washington, DC Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

PRESORTED STANDARD
 PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID
 POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/OJJDP
 DOJ/OJJDP

PERMIT NO. PERMIT NO G–91
. 

Bulletin NCJ 225344

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 Crime in the United States reports 

for 2004 through 2007, which are available 

online at www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#cius, released September 2008; population data for 

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

Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race, and 

Hispanic Origin: 1980 to 1999 [machine-readable data files available online, released April 

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

the National Center for Health Statistics (prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau with support from the National Cancer Institute), 

Bridged-race Intercensal Estimates of the July 1, 

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

and Hispanic Origin [machine-readable data 

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

about/major/dvs/popbridge/popbridge.htm, released July 26, 2004]; and population data for 

2000–2007 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, 

2007, United States Resident Population From 

the Vintage 2007 Postcensal Series by Year, 

County, Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin 

[machine-readable data files available online 

at www. cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/ 

popbridge/popbridge.htm, released September 5, 2008]. 

Notes 

In this Bulletin, “juvenile” refers to persons 

under age 18. This definition is at odds with 

the legal definition of juveniles in 2007 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 2007, with 2007 coverage of 

75%. 

Estimates of the number of persons in each 

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

population age profiles are like the Nation’s. 

Reporting agencies’ total populations were 

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

current estimate of the proportion of the 

U.S. population for each age group. 

Additional juvenile arrest statistics are available online: 

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

Acknowledgments 

This Bulletin was written by Charles 

Puzzanchera, Senior Research Associate, with assistance from Melissa 

Sickmund, Ph.D., Chief of Systems 

Research, and Ben Adams, Research 

Assistant, at the National Center for 

Juvenile Justice, with funds provided 

by OJJDP to support the National 

Juvenile Justice Data Analysis Project. 

This Bulletin was prepared under cooperative 

agreement number 2007–JF–FX–K003 from the 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention (OJJDP), 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 Community Capacity 

Development Office; the National Institute of 

Justice; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the 

Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, 

Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking 

(SMART).