U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

JUVENILE JUSTICE

STATISTICS

NATIONAL REPORT SERIES BULLETIN

Caren Harp, Administrator December 2018

Juvenile Arrests, 2016

Charles Puzzanchera

Highlights

This bulletin describes the latest trends in arrests involving juveniles (youth younger than age 18) 

covering the period from 1980 to 2016, based on analyses of data from the Federal Bureau of 

Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Overall, juvenile arrests have been on the 

decline for more than a decade, but patterns vary by offense and demographic group. 

n Juvenile arrest rates for violent crimes, such 

as robbery and aggravated assault, have 

declined in the last 5 years.

n Conversely, juvenile arrest rates for murder 

have increased since 2012.

n Juvenile arrest rates for property crimes 

have declined in recent years. By 2016, 

juvenile arrest rates for larceny-theft, 

burglary, and arson were at their lowest 

levels since at least 1980.

n Following 6 years of decline, the juvenile 

arrest rate for drug law violations in 

2016 was at its lowest level since the 

early 1990s.

n Male and female juvenile arrest rates 

have declined in the last 10 years, and 

the relative declines have been greater 

for males than for females across 

many offenses. 

n Juvenile arrest rates have declined for 

all racial groups since 2007, and the 

relative declines have been greater for 

white youth than for black youth for all 

but drug offenses.

In 2016, law enforcement agencies made an estimated 856,130 arrests of youth 

younger than 18—the fewest arrests of juveniles in nearly four decades

Access OJJDP publications online at ojjdp.gov

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,5000,00

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

Number of arrests 

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Year

Total youth arrests

•n	 Arrests of juveniles (youth ages 0–17) peaked in 1996 at nearly 2.7 million. Arrests of juveniles have 

since declined—the number in 2016 was 68% less than the 1996 peak. In comparison, arrests of 

adults fell 20% during the same period.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Juvenile Justice. 

(See data source note on page 11 for details.)
2 National Report Series Bulletin

What do arrest statistics 

count? 

Findings in this bulletin are drawn from data 

that local law enforcement agencies across 

the country report to the Federal Bureau of 

Investigation’s (FBI’s) Uniform Crime Reporting 

(UCR) program. To properly interpret the 

material presented, the reader needs a clear 

understanding of what arrest 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 the number 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 entry into the 

justice system. 

Arrest statistics also are limited in measuring 

the volume of arrests for a particular offense. 

Under the UCR Program, the FBI requires law 

enforcement agencies to classify only the 

most serious offense charged in an 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 19,420 arrests 

of young people for weapons law violations 

in 2016, it means that a weapons law 

violation was the most serious charge in 

these arrests. An unknown number of 

additional arrests in 2016 included a 

weapons charge as a lesser offense.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting 

program provides data about juvenile 

arrests

A Message From OJJDP

This bulletin summarizes recent 

trends in juvenile arrests in the 

United States based on data 

from the Federal Bureau of 

Investigation’s Uniform Crime 

Reporting program. The 

cumulative data in this bulletin 

reveal recent and long-term 

shifts in juvenile arrest rates 

based on offense, gender, and 

race. It is a useful tool for 

juvenile justice practitioners, 

researchers, policymakers, and 

others who seek to prevent, 

intervene in, and respond to 

juvenile delinquency. 

The number of arrests involving 

juveniles in 2016 was at its 

lowest level since at least 1980, 

and much of the decline has 

occurred in the past 10 years. 

Between 2007 and 2016, the 

number of juvenile arrests fell 

58%. Among violent crimes, 

arrests for aggravated assault 

and robbery declined 23% and 

11%, respectively, between 2012 

and 2016. However, juvenile 

arrests for murder increased 

18% during the same period. 

About 3 in 10 (29%) juvenile 

arrests in 2016 involved females, 

more than a quarter (28%) 

involved youth younger than 15, 

and 62% involved white youth.

OJJDP remains committed to 

supporting research, programs, 

and initiatives to combat juvenile 

delinquency and to promote 

positive youth outcomes. Visit 

the Statistical Briefing Book on 

the OJJDP website for more 

information about juvenile arrest 

rate trends. 

Caren Harp

Administrator

*In this bulletin, “juvenile” refers to persons younger than age 18. In 2016, this definition was at odds with the 

legal definition of juveniles in nine states—seven states where all 17-year-olds are defined as adults, and two 

states where all 16- and 17-year-olds are defined as adults.

Crime in the United States

reports data on murder 

victims

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, 

murder is one crime that is nearly always 

reported. An estimated 17,250 murders were 

reported to law enforcement agencies in 

2016, or 5.3 murders for every 100,000 U.S. 

residents. The murder rate was essentially 

constant between 1999 and 2006 and then 

fell 22% through 2014, reaching its lowest 

level since at least 1980. The rate has 

increased in each of the last 2 years, 

however, so that by 2016, the rate was at 

the highest level since 2009.

Of all murder victims in 2016, 92% (or 

15,910 victims) were 18 years old or older. 

The other 1,340 murder victims were 

younger than age 18 (i.e., juveniles). The 

number of juvenile murder victims declined 

33% between 2007 and 2013, reaching its 

lowest level since at least 1980. Following 

3 years of increase, the number of juvenile 

murder victims in 2016 was 11% above the 

2013 low point and 54% below the 1993 

peak, when an estimated 2,880 juveniles 

were murdered.

Of all juveniles murdered in 2016, 38% were 

younger than age 5, 67% were male, and 

46% were white. Of all juvenile victims in 

2016, 31% of males, 52% of females, 45% 

of whites, and 30% of blacks were younger 

than age 5.
December 2018 3

In 2016, law enforcement agencies in the United States 

made more than 856,000 arrests of persons younger than 18

The number of arrests of juveniles in 2016 was 58% fewer than the number of arrests in 2007

2016 estimated number 

of juvenile arrests

Percent of total juvenile arrests Percent change

Most serious offense Female

Younger 

than 15 White 2007–2016 2012–2016 2015–2016

Total 856,130 29% 28% 62% –58% –35% –7%

Violent Crime Index* NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Murder and nonnegligent 

 manslaughter 850 9 9 36 –36 18 9

Rape* NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Robbery 19,200 11 19 29 –44 –11 4

Aggravated assault 28,060 26 32 54 –51 –23 –2

Property Crime Index 184,430 34 28 58 –56 –38 –12

Burglary 31,990 12 30 55 –61 –41 –10

Larceny-theft 134,180 41 27 60 –55 –40 –14

Motor vehicle theft 15,720 19 23 47 –47 20 8

Arson 2,550 16 57 71 –64 –42 –6

Nonindex

Other (simple) assault 128,930 37 39 58 –47 –26 –2

Forgery and counterfeiting 1,220 26 11 56 –61 –16 19

Fraud 4,640 32 21 50 –36 –2 3

Embezzlement 680 38 9 59 –59 55 16

Stolen property (buying, 

 receiving, possessing) 10,890 16 22 39 –51 –16 5

Vandalism 39,120 17 40 69 –65 –35 –6

Weapons (carrying, possessing, etc.) 19,420 11 31 54 –55 –21 1

Prostitution and commercialized vice 500 73 12 40 –67 –37 –15

Sex offense (except rape and 

 prostitution)* NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Drug abuse violation 98,490 23 15 75 –50 –30 –1

Gambling 260 12 11 25 –87 –73 –46

Offenses against the family 

 and children 3,470 40 38 59 –40 4 1

Driving under the influence 6,480 25 2 89 –64 –31 –2

Liquor law violation 36,710 40 11 88 –74 –53 –15

Drunkenness 4,770 29 12 83 –72 –52 –13

Disorderly conduct 65,710 36 38 53 –68 –45 –8

Vagrancy 780 26 24 61 –80 –45 –27

All other offenses (except traffic) 155,180 28 25 66 –59 –35 –7

Curfew and loitering 34,180 30 29 56 –76 –51 –24

•n	 The number of arrests involving juveniles in 2016 was at its lowest level since at least 1980, and much of the decline has occurred in the past 

10 years. Between 2007 and 2016, the number of juvenile arrests fell 58%.

•n	 Among violent crimes, arrests for aggravated assault and robbery declined (23% and 11%, respectively) between 2012 and 2016. 

•n	 In contrast, juvenile arrests for murder increased 18% during the same period.

•n	 In 2016, there were an estimated 134,180 juvenile arrests for larceny-theft. About 4 in 10 (41%) of these arrests involved females, more than a 

quarter (27%) involved youth younger than 15, and 60% involved white youth.

*Beginning in 2013, the FBI broadened the definition of rape, removing the phrase “forcible” from the offense name and description. (See the text box on page 4.) Due to 

differences in agency reporting practices, national estimates for the offenses of “rape” and “sex offenses” are not available after 2012. Additionally, estimates for the 

Violent Crime Index (which included “forcible rape”) are not shown after 2012, as this category is no longer compatible with prior years.

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

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Juvenile Justice. (See data source note on page 11 for details.)
4 National Report Series Bulletin

Juvenile arrests for violent crime remain near historically 

low levels

Juvenile arrests for violent 

crimes fell 67% since 1994

For many years, the primary means of 

assessing trends in violent crime was to 

monitor four offenses that law enforcement 

agencies nationwide consistently report. 

These four crimes—murder and 

nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, 

robbery, and aggravated assault—formed 

the Violent Crime Index. Due to changes in 

the official definition of rape implemented in 

2013 (see text box), tracking violence 

through the Violent Crime Index is no longer 

tenable, as the meaning of the included 

offenses is no longer consistent before/after 

2013. In this bulletin, the author has adopted 

a modified measure of violence that includes 

the offenses of murder, robbery, and 

aggravated assault. In any given year prior to 

the definition change, these three offenses 

accounted for more than 95% of arrests for 

Violent Crime Index offenses. 

Following 10 years of decline between 1994 

and 2004, juvenile arrests for violent crimes 

increased through 2006 and then declined 

each year through 2015, reaching its lowest 

level since at least 1980. Despite a modest 

increase (less than 0.5%) in the last year, the 

number of juvenile arrests for violent crimes 

in 2016 was 67% less than the 1994 peak. 

After falling to a relatively low level in 2004, 

juvenile arrests for murder increased through 

2007, then declined 46% through 2012 to reach 

the lowest level in three decades. However, the 

number of juvenile arrests for murder has 

increased each year since 2012. Juvenile 

arrests for robbery were cut in half between 

1995 and 2002, increased through 2008, and 

then fell 47% through 2015. After reaching the 

lowest level since at least 1980, the number of 

juvenile robbery arrests increased by 4% in the 

last year. The number of juvenile arrests for 

aggravated assault, which account for 58% of 

all juvenile arrests for violent crime, fell 67% 

between 1994 and 2016 to the lowest level in 

the previous 36 years. 

Between 2007 and 2016, the number of 

arrests in all offense categories declined 

for juveniles, and the relative decline for 

juveniles exceeded that of adults.

Percent change in arrests 2007–2016

Most serious offense Juvenile Adult

Violent crime* –48% –8%

Murder –36 –10

Robbery –44 –17

Aggravated assault –51 –6

Property Crime Index –56 –2

Burglary –61 –21

Larceny-theft –55 5

Motor vehicle theft –47 –21

Simple assault –47 –11

Weapons law violations –55 –5

Drug abuse violations –50 –10

*Violent crime includes murder, robbery, and 

aggravated assault.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the 

Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center 

for Juvenile Justice. (See data source note on page 

11 for details.)

Juvenile property crime 

arrests declined for the 

eighth straight year

Law enforcement agencies nationwide 

consistently report data on four offenses that 

form the Property Crime Index—burglary, 

larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and 

arson—to determine trends in the number of 

property crime arrests. 

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 a two-decade decline. 

Between 1994 and 2016, the number of 

juvenile Property Crime Index arrests fell 76% 

and reached its lowest level since at least 

1980. Between 2007 and 2016, juvenile 

arrests declined for individual property 

offenses: burglary (61%), larceny-theft (55%), 

motor vehicle theft (47%), and arson (64%). 

As a result, juvenile arrests for Property 

Crime Index offenses in 2016 were at their 

lowest levels since at least 1980.

The definition of rape 

has changed in the FBI’s 

UCR program

Since 1927, the FBI had defined forcible 

rape as “the carnal knowledge of a 

female, forcibly and against her will.” 

Beginning in 2013, the FBI adopted a 

broader definition of rape: “Penetration, 

no matter how slight, of the vagina or 

anus with any body part or object, or 

oral penetration by a sex organ of 

another person, without the consent of 

the victim.” Unlike the definition in place 

for more than 80 years, the new 

definition does not require force and is 

gender neutral. 

Under current reporting practices, law 

enforcement agencies may submit data 

on rape arrests based on either the new 

or legacy definition. Due to differences 

in agency reporting practices, national 

estimates for the offenses of “rape” and 

“sex offenses” are not available after 

2012. Additionally, estimates for the 

Violent Crime Index (which included 

“forcible rape”) are not shown, as this 

category is no longer compatible with 

prior years.

Find more information about these 

changes on the FBI’s website, https://

ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crimein-the-u.s.-2013/rape-addendum/rape_

addendum_final.
December 2018 5

In 2016, about 1 in 5 juvenile violent crime arrests involved 

females and more than half involved minority youth

Females accounted for 29% 

of juvenile arrests in 2016

In 2016, law enforcement agencies made 

252,520 arrests of females younger than age 18 

and 603,610 arrests of males. Although males 

accounted for the majority (71%) of juvenile 

arrests overall in 2016, the female share was 

relatively high for certain offenses, including 

larceny-theft (41%), liquor law violations (40%), 

simple assault (37%), and disorderly conduct 

(36%). Females accounted for 19% of juvenile 

violent crime arrests and 26% of aggravated 

assault arrests in 2016.

From 2007 through 2016, arrests of juvenile 

females decreased less than male arrests in 

several offense categories (e.g., aggravated and 

simple assault, robbery, vandalism, drug abuse 

violations, and liquor law violations).

Percent change in juvenile arrests 

2007–2016

Most serious offense Female Male

Violent crime* –44% –49%

Robbery –39 –45

Aggravated assault –45 –53

Simple assault –42 –49

Property Crime Index –57 –55

Burglary –60 –61

Larceny-theft –57 –53

Motor vehicle theft –41 –48

Vandalism –55 –66

Weapons –50 –56

Drug abuse violation –27 –54

Driving under influence –62 –65

Liquor law violation –72 –75

Disorderly conduct –65 –69

*Includes murder, robbery, and aggravated assault.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the 

Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center 

for Juvenile Justice. (See data source note on page 

11 for details.)

Gender differences also occurred in arrest trends 

for adults. For example, between 2007 and 

2016, adult male arrests for aggravated assault 

fell 8% while female arrests increased 4% and 

adult male arrests for simple assault fell 15% 

while adult female arrests rose 4%. Therefore, 

the female proportion of arrests grew for both 

types of assault for adults, as it did for juveniles. 

The number of drug abuse violation arrests 

declined more for juvenile males (54%) than 

females (27%) between 2007 and 2016, while it 

declined 15% for adult males and increased 9% 

for adult females. Over the same time, the 

number of disorderly conduct arrests of juvenile 

females fell 65% while it fell 69% for juvenile 

males, and adult female arrests fell 30% while 

male arrests fell 43%. 

Juvenile arrests 

disproportionately 

involved black youth

The racial composition of the U.S. juvenile 

population ages 10–17 in 2016 was 75% white, 

17% black, 6% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 2% 

American Indian.†

 More than half (53%) of all 

juvenile arrests for violent crimes in 2016 

involved black youth, 44% involved white youth, 

2% involved American Indian youth, and 1% 

involved Asian youth. For Property Crime Index 

arrests, the proportions were 58% white youth, 

In 2016, juveniles were involved in about 1 in 14 arrests for murder and 

about 1 in 5 arrests for robbery, motor vehicle theft, and vandalism

Juvenile arrests as a percentage of total arrests

Most serious offense All Male Female White Black

American 

Indian Asian

Total 8% 7% 8% 7% 10% 7% 7%

Murder 7 7 6 6 8 8 9

Robbery 20 21 15 13 25 14 22

Aggravated assault 7 7 8 6 9 6 5

Burglary 15 17 10 12 22 22 15

Larceny-theft 13 13 12 11 17 12 17

Motor vehicle theft 18 19 16 13 30 19 11

Arson 26 28 19 26 27 22 28

Other (simple) assault 12 11 16 11 15 9 8

Vandalism 20 21 16 20 20 18 16

Weapon 12 12 15 12 13 14 14

Drug abuse violation 6 6 6 7 5 10 7

Liquor law violation 16 13 21 17 7 13 13

Disorderly conduct 18 16 22 15 24 8 14

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for 

Juvenile Justice. (See data source note on page 11 for details.)

†

Not all agencies provide ethnicity data through the Uniform Crime Reporting program; therefore, arrest estimates 

for juveniles of Hispanic ethnicity are not available.

38% black youth, 2% Asian youth, and 2% 

American Indian youth. 

Black proportion of juvenile arrests in 

2016

Most serious offense Black proportion

Violent crime* 53%

Murder 61

Robbery 69

Aggravated assault 43

Simple assault 40

Property Crime Index 38

Burglary 42

Larceny-theft 36

Motor vehicle theft 50

Vandalism 28

Weapons 44

Drug abuse violation 22

Liquor law violation 7

*Includes murder, robbery, and aggravated assault.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the 

Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center 

for Juvenile Justice. (See data source note on page 

11 for details.)
6 National Report Series Bulletin

Juvenile arrest rates for murder, robbery, and aggravated 

assault were at or near historic lows

•n	 Unlike the pattern for robbery, the juvenile arrest rate for 

aggravated assault declined steadily for more than two decades. 

Following a 49% decline in the last 10 years, the rate in 2016 was 

its lowest level since at least 1980 and 70% below the 1994 peak. 

•n	 Although juvenile arrest rates for aggravated assault and simple 

assault each declined in the last 10 years, the relative decline was 

greater for aggravated assault (49%) than for simple assault 

(45%). 

0

100

50

150

250

200

300

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Aggravated assault

Aggravated assault rate

•n	 The simple assault arrest rate declined steadily since 2004, falling 

47% through 2016. Despite this decline, the rate in 2016 remained 

well above the 1981 low point. 

•n	 Since 2004, the relative decline in the number of juvenile arrests 

for simple assault outpaced that of adults (49% vs. 8%). As a 

result, 12% of simple assault arrests in 2016 involved a juvenile, 

compared with 20% in 2004.

0

400

300

200

100

500

700

600

800

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Simple assault

Simple assault rate

Murder rate

•n	 The juvenile murder arrest rate fell 44% between 2007 and 2012, 

when it reached its lowest level since at least 1980. This decline 

was followed by an 18% increase through 2016. 

•n	 The growth in the juvenile murder arrest rate between 2012 and 

2016 returned it to near its 2011 level; but even with this increase, 

the rate in 2016 was 80% less than its 1993 peak.

0

3

6

9

12

15

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Murder

Robbery rate

•n	 The juvenile robbery arrest rate in 2015 reached its lowest level in more 

than three decades, but then increased 4% in the last year. In 2016, the 

rate was 43% below the 2007 rate and 69% below the 1994 peak.

•n	 Juvenile robbery arrest rates declined for all gender and racial 

subgroups since 2007: 43% for males, 37% for females, 50% for 

Asians, 44% for whites, 30% for blacks, and 30% for American Indians.

0

50

100

150

200

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Robbery

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

the National Center for Health Statistics. (See data source note on page 11 for details.)
December 2018 7

Juvenile arrest rates for larceny-theft, burglary, and 

arson reached historic lows in 2016

Larceny-theft rate

•n	 The juvenile larceny-theft arrest rate declined steadily from the 

mid-1990s through 2006. This decline was interrupted by 2 years 

of increase, and then followed by 8 consecutive years of decline. 

By 2016, the rate was 54% below the level 10 years prior and at 

its lowest level since at least 1980. 

•n	 Juvenile larceny-theft arrest rates declined for all racial subgroups 

since 2007: 63% for Asians, 58% for whites, 45% for American 

Indians, and 43% for blacks.

0

1,000

750

500

250

1,250

1,750

1,500

2,000

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Larceny-theft

•n	 For much of the past two decades, the juvenile arrest rate for arson 

has alternated between periods of increase and decline. Following 5 

consecutive years of decline, the juvenile arson arrest rate in 2016 fell 

to its lowest level of the 1980–2016 period. 

•n	 Arson is the criminal act with the largest proportion of juvenile arrestees. 

In 2016, 26% of all arson arrests were arrests of juveniles, and most 

of these juvenile arrests (58%) involved youth younger than 15. In 

comparison, 13% of all larceny-theft arrests in 2016 involved juveniles, 

but only 27% of these juvenile arrests involved youth younger than 15.

0

15

10

5

20

25

30

35

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Arson

Arson rate

•n	 Like the larceny-theft pattern, the juvenile motor vehicle theft 

arrest rate declined considerably since the mid-1990s. However, 

unlike larceny-theft, the motor vehicle theft arrest rate increased in 

each of the last 3 years. After reaching its lowest level in 2013, the 

juvenile motor vehicle theft arrest rate increased 35%.

•n	 The juvenile motor vehicle theft arrest rates increased for all 

demographic subgroups in the last 3 years: 44% for females, 33% 

for males, 56% for blacks, 46% for American Indians, 41% for 

Asians, and 18% for whites.

0

100

50

150

250

200

300

350

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Motor vehicle theft 

Motor vehicle theft rate

Burglary rate

•n	 Unlike the pattern for other property crimes, the trend in the 

juvenile arrest rate for burglary was a steady decline since 1980. 

By 2016, the rate reached its lowest level of the 37-year period.

•n	 The large decline in juvenile burglary arrests was not reflected in 

the adult statistics. For example, between 2007 and 2016, the 

number of juvenile burglary arrests fell 61%, while adult burglary 

arrests fell 21%. As a result of this decline, 15% of all burglary 

arrests in 2016 were juvenile arrests, compared with 27% in 2007.

0

400

300

200

100

500

700

600

800

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Burglary

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

National Center for Health Statistics. (See data source note on page 11 for details.)
8 National Report Series Bulletin

In 2016, juvenile arrest rates for weapons, drugs, and 

vandalism were at or near their lowest levels

•n	 Regardless of age, the violent crime (murder, robbery, and aggravated 

assault) arrest rate grew substantially between 1980 and 1994. During 

this period, the relative increase was greater for juveniles than adults.

•n	 By 2016, arrest rates for violent crimes fell substantially from the 1994 

peak for every age group younger than 45. Juveniles showed the 

largest decline—falling more than 65% in each age group from 10 

through 17. In comparison, the rates dropped an average of 55% for 

young adults ages 18–21, 43% for adults ages 22–24, 36% for those 

ages 25–29, and 31% for those ages 30–39.

Violent crime age rate

•n	 Following 10 consecutive years of decline, the juvenile vandalism 

arrest rate in 2016 fell to its lowest level since at least 1980 and 

76% below the 1994 peak.

•n	 Since 2006, the relative decline in the number of juvenile arrests 

for vandalism outpaced that of adults (67% vs. 14%). As a result, 

20% of vandalism arrests in 2016 involved a juvenile, compared 

with 39% in 2006.

0

400

300

200

100

500

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Vandalism

Vandalism rate

Weapons law violation rate

•n	 Similar to robbery, the juvenile arrest rate for weapons law violations 

declined considerably since the mid-1990s. This decline was 

interrupted between 2002 and 2006, when the juvenile weapons law 

violation arrest rate increased 32%. The rate has since fallen 58%, 

bringing the 2016 rate near its lowest level of the 37-year period. 

•n	 The relative decline in weapons law violation arrests in the last 10 years 

was greater for juveniles than adults. Since 2007, the number of juvenile 

weapons law violation arrests fell 55%, while adult arrests fell 5%.

0

100

50

150

200

250

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Weapons

Drug abuse violation rate

•n	 Following a period of relative stability between 2000 and 2006, 

the juvenile drug abuse arrest rate declined 48% through 2016, 

reaching its lowest level since the early 1990s, and just 10% 

above the 1983 low point. 

•n	 The juvenile drug abuse arrest rate declined for all race groups in 

the last 10 years, falling 60% for black youth, 43% for white youth, 

35% for Asian youth, and 10% for American Indian youth.

0

400

300

200

100

500

700

600

800

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Drug abuse violation

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

the National Center for Health Statistics. (See data source note on page 11 for details.)

0

1,000

800

600

400

200

1,200

Arrests per 100,000 population in age group

Age

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

Violent crime offense

1994

2016

1980
December 2018 9

The decline in juvenile arrest rates varied by gender 

and race

Gender rates Race rates

•n	 Regardless of gender, arrest rates have declined in recent years; 

for most offenses, the relative decline was greater for males than 

for females. For example, since 2007, the male aggravated 

assault rate fell 51%, compared with a 44% decrease for 

females. Similarly, the male simple assault arrest rate fell 48%, 

compared with 40% for females. Conversely, the decline in 

larceny theft arrest rates since 2007 was greater for females 

(56%) than males (52%). 

•n	 Arrest rates have declined for all races in recent years. However, 

violent crime arrest rates for black youth were greater than those 

for white youth, and the rates decreased less than those for white 

youth between 2007 and 2016 (28% and 41%, respectively, for 

murder and 40% and 44% for robbery).

•n	 Although arrest rates for liquor law violations declined more for 

white youth than black youth between 2007 and 2016 (73% and 

63%, respectively), rates for white youth were greater than those 

for black youth across all years.

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

the National Center for Health Statistics. (See data source note on page 11 for details.)

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

0

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

Male

Year

400

200

600

800

1,000

1,200

Simple assault 

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

0

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

Male

Year

Larceny-theft

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

0

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

Robbery

Black

White American Indian Asian

400

200

100

300

500

600

700

800

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

0

100

200

300

400

500

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Female

Male

Year

Aggravated assault

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

0

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

Liquor law violation

Black

American Indian

White

Asian

400

200

600

800

1,000

1,200

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

0

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17

Year

Murder

20

10

30

40

50

60

Black

American Indian

White Asian
10 National Report Series Bulletin

Among states with at least minimally adequate reporting (above 74%), those with the highest juvenile drug abuse 

violation arrest rates in 2016 were Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming

2016 

reporting 

population 

coverage

Arrests of juveniles under age 18 

per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17, 2016

2016 

reporting 

population 

coverage

Arrests of juveniles under age 18 

per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17, 2016

State

Aggravated 

assault

LarcenytheftDrug 

abuse Weapons State

Aggravated 

assault

LarcenytheftDrug 

abuse Weapons

U.S. total 86% 85 577 293 57 Missouri 95% 85 717 412 49

Alabama 78% 42 314 49 24 Montana 99% 61 858 360 6

Alaska 100% 191 619 259 30 Nebraska 90% 27 1,268 695 50

Arizona 92% 91 751 454 32 Nevada 100% 205 466 277 55

Arkansas 93% 94 607 260 41 New Hampshire 96% 35 334 527 1

California 99% 100 310 156 84 New Jersey 98% 77 311 398 74

Colorado 90% 88 921 473 57 New Mexico 72% 131 667 319 41

Connecticut 99% 62 527 161 49 New York 54% 78 526 330 39

Delaware 100% 229 770 367 106 North Carolina 62% 58 679 189 91

District of Columbia 0% NA NA NA NA North Dakota 99% 61 884 624 31

Florida 100% 108 944 298 43 Ohio 77% 35 450 195 34

Georgia 79% 73 616 264 61 Oklahoma 95% 70 561 328 41

Hawaii 100% 61 532 351 12 Oregon 91% 59 622 525 30

Idaho 79% 55 656 466 49 Pennsylvania 92% 124 489 279 69

Illinois 22% 85 980 444 244 Rhode Island 100% 55 505 82 138

Indiana 65% 92 659 236 55 South Carolina 97% 68 692 435 91

Iowa 90% 140 871 319 41 South Dakota 91% 110 1,199 1,015 59

Kansas 60% 56 479 351 28 Tennessee 97% 148 616 379 59

Kentucky 100% 29 323 110 21 Texas 97% 66 475 337 27

Louisiana 89% 194 1,062 335 103 Utah 92% 38 737 480 55

Maine 100% 20 677 318 12 Vermont 56% 29 192 74 22

Maryland 86% 150 930 414 122 Washington 89% 62 496 214 37

Massachusetts 94% 104 211 37 26 West Virginia 68% 30 130 94 21

Michigan 98% 75 480 221 35 Wisconsin 98% 90 1,058 544 103

Minnesota 95% 79 913 279 72 Wyoming 94% 30 982 956 67

Mississippi 46% 20 537 179 86

NA = Arrest counts were not available for the District of Columbia in the FBI’s Crime in the United States, 2016.

Notes: Arrest rates for jurisdictions with less than complete reporting may not be representative of the entire state. Although juvenile arrest rates may largely reflect juvenile 

behavior, many other factors can affect the magnitude of these rates. Arrest rates are calculated by dividing the number of youth arrests made in the year by the number of youth 

living in the jurisdiction. Therefore, jurisdictions that arrest a relatively large number of nonresident juveniles would have a higher arrest rate than jurisdictions where resident 

youth behave similarly. Jurisdictions (especially small ones) that are vacation destinations or that are centers for economic activity in a region may have arrest rates that reflect 

the behavior of nonresident youth more than that of resident youth. Other factors that influence arrest rates in a given area include the attitudes of citizens toward crime, the 

policies of local law enforcement agencies, and the policies of other components of the justice system. In many areas, not all law enforcement agencies report their arrest data 

to the FBI. Rates for such areas are necessarily based on partial information and may not be accurate. Comparisons of juvenile arrest rates across jurisdictions can be 

informative. Because of the factors noted, however, comparisons should be made with caution.

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from Crime in the United States, 2016 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2017) tables 3 and 22, and population data from the 

National Center for Health Statistics’ Vintage 2016 Postcensal Estimates of the Resident Population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010–July 1, 2016), by Year, County, 

Single-Year of Age (0, 1, 2, . . . , 85 Years and Over), Bridged Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex [machine-readable data files available online at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.

htm, as of June 26, 2017].

Many factors can influence state variations in juvenile 

arrest rates
December 2018 11

Notes

Data source

The Bureau of Justice Statistics developed 

arrest estimates for 1980–2014 using the 

Arrest Data Analysis Tool [available online at 

www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=datool&surl=/

arrests/index.cfm, retrieved September 29, 

2017]; the National Center for Juvenile Justice 

developed arrest estimates for 2015–2016 

based on data published in the FBI’s Crime in 

the United States reports for the respective 

years; population data for 1980–1989 is 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 is 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/nvss/

bridged_race.htm, released July 26, 2004]; 

population data for 2000–2009 is from the 

National Center for Health Statistics (prepared 

under a collaborative arrangement with the 

U.S. Census Bureau), Intercensal Estimates of 

the Resident Population of the United States 

for July 1, 2000–July 1, 2009, by Year, County, 

Single-Year of Age (0, 1, 2, . . . , 85 Years and 

Over), Bridged Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex

[machine-readable data files available online 

at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm, 

as of October 26, 2012, following release by 

the U.S. Census Bureau of the revised 

unbridged intercensal estimates by 5-year 

age group on October 9, 2012]; and 

population data for 2010–2016 is from the 

National Center for Health Statistics (prepared 

under a collaborative arrangement with the 

U.S. Census Bureau), Vintage 2016 

Postcensal Estimates of the Resident 

Population of the United States (April 1, 2010, 

July 1, 2010–July 1, 2016), by Year, County, 

Single-Year of Age (0, 1, 2, . . . , 85 Years and 

Over), Bridged Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex

[machine-readable data files available online 

at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm, 

as of June 26, 2017, following release by the 

U.S. Census Bureau of the unbridged vintage 

2016 postcensal estimates by 5-year age 

group, retrieved on July 8, 2017].

Data coverage

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, 2016 for 

offense definitions.) The proportion of the U.S. 

population covered by these reporting 

agencies ranged from 72% to 86% between 

1980 and 2016, with 2016 coverage of 80%.

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. 

The reporting coverage for the total United 

States (86%) in the table on pages 10–11 

includes all states reporting arrests of 

persons younger than age 18. This is greater 

than the coverage in the rest of the bulletin 

(80%) for various reasons. For example, a 

state may provide arrest counts of persons 

younger than age 18 but not provide the age 

detail required to support other 

subpopulation estimates.

Visit OJJDP’s Statistical Briefing Book for more information 

on juvenile arrests

OJJDP’s online Statistical Briefing Book (SBB) offers access to a wealth of information about 

juvenile crime and victimization and about youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Visit the 

“Law Enforcement and Juvenile Crime” section of the SBB at ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/faqs.asp for 

more information about juvenile arrest rate trends detailed by offense, gender, and race, including 

a spreadsheet of all juvenile arrest rates used in this bulletin.

Acknowledgments

This bulletin was written by Charles 

Puzzanchera, Senior Research Associate 

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 grant number 

2016–JF–FX–K001 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 National Institute of Justice; the 

Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex 

Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, 

Registering, and Tracking.
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