U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

J. Robert Flores, Administrator August 2008

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

Juvenile Arrests 2005
 

Howard N. Snyder 

In 2005, law enforcement agencies in the 

United States made an estimated 2.1 million arrests of persons under age 18.* 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), juveniles accounted for 16% 

of all violent crime arrests and 26% of all 

property crime arrests in 2005. The substantial growth in juvenile violent crime 

arrests that began in the late 1980s and 

peaked in 1994 was followed by 10 consecutive years of decline. Between 1994 

and 2004, the juvenile arrest rate for Violent Crime Index offenses fell 49%, reaching its lowest level since at least 1980. 

However, this long-term downward trend 

was broken in 2005 with a 2% annual increase in Violent Crime Index arrests. 

More specifically, 2005 saw an increase in 

juvenile arrests for murder and robbery, 

but continued declines in arrests for 

forcible rape and aggravated assault. 

These findings are derived from data that 

local law enforcement agencies across the 

country report annually 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: 

* Throughout this Bulletin, persons under age 18 are 

referred to as juveniles. See Notes on page 12. 

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

◆	 Of the estimated 1,650 juveniles murdered in 2005, 36% were under 5 years 

of age, 71% were male, 50% were white, 

and 50% were killed with a firearm. 

◆	 Juveniles were involved in 12% of 

all violent crimes cleared in 2005— 

specifically, 5% of murders, 11% of 

forcible rapes, 15% of robberies, and 

12% of aggravated assaults. 

◆	 In the peak year of 1993, there were 

about 3,790 juvenile arrests for murder. 

By 2004, the number of juvenile murder 

arrests had dropped to 1,110, which 

was 71% below the 1993 level. However, 

in 2005, this figure increased to 1,260. 

◆	 The violent crime arrest rate for black 

juveniles was four times greater than 

the white rate in 2004 and five times 

greater in 2005. 

◆	 Females accounted for 24% of juvenile 

arrests for aggravated assault and 33% 

of those for other assaults in 2005, far 

more than their involvement in other 

types of violent crimes. 

◆	 Between 1980 and 2005, the juvenile 

arrest rate for simple assault increased 

105% for males and 285% for females. 

◆	 Between 1996 and 2005, juvenile arrests 

for drug abuse violations fell 14% for 

males and increased 14% for females. 

◆	 The juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft declined consistently and substantially between 1990 and 2005, 

falling 68%. 

A Message From OJJDP 

Juvenile Arrests 2005 summarizes 

and analyzes national and State 

juvenile arrest data from the Federal 

Bureau of Investigation’s report Crime 

in the United States 2005. The Bulletin 

provides baseline information for monitoring the Nation’s progress in addressing juvenile crime. 

From 2004 to 2005, juvenile arrests for 

murder and robbery increased 20% 

and 11%, respectively. Although such 

increases after decade-long declines 

cannot be ignored, they should be 

viewed in perspective. In 2004, juvenile arrests for these crimes were 

close to their lowest points in a generation. The number of these arrests in 

2005 was, therefore, still far below the 

peaks of the mid-1990s. 

Although some of the recent increases 

in juvenile violent crime arrests are 

cause for vigilance, the overall large 

declines in the violent and property 

crime arrests from the mid-1990s 

through 2005 indicate a broadbased 

and general reduction in the delinquent behavior of America’s youth. 

Nevertheless, this Bulletin highlights 

remaining areas of concern. For example, between 1980 and 2005, juvenile 

arrest rates for simple assault increased more than 140%, with the 

increase twice as great for females as 

for males. Also, after declining for 10 

years, the juvenile arrest rate for 

weapons law violations increased 27% 

between 2002 and 2005, with the 

increase far greater for black youth 

(48%) than white youth (15%). 
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. Arrest statistics report the number 

of arrests that law enforcement agencies 

made 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 that arrested individuals commit because a series of crimes that one individual commits 

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 one should not use arrest statistics to indicate the relative proportion of 

crime that juveniles and adults commit. 

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, an agency would 

report the arrest of a youth charged with 

aggravated assault and possession of a 

controlled substance to the FBI as an 

arrest for aggravated assault. Therefore, 

when arrest statistics show that law enforcement agencies made an estimated 

191,800 arrests of young people for drug 

abuse violations in 2005, it means that a 

drug abuse violation was the most serious charge in these 191,800 arrests. An 

unknown number of additional arrests in 

2005 included a drug charge as a lesser 

offense. 

What do clearance 

statistics count? 

Clearance statistics measure the proportion of reported crimes that were resolved by an arrest or other, exceptional 

means (e.g., death of the offender, unwillingness of the victim to cooperate). 

A single arrest may result in many clearances. For example, 1 arrest could clear 

40 burglaries if the person was charged 

with committing all 40 of these crimes. 

Or multiple arrests may result in a single 

clearance if a group of offenders committed the crime. For those interested in juvenile justice issues, the FBI also reports 

information on the proportion of clearances that involved offenders under age 18. 

This statistic is a better indicator of the 

proportion of crime that this age group 

commits than is the arrest proportion, 

although there are some concerns that 

even the clearance statistic overestimates the juvenile proportion of crimes. 

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

of all robbery arrests but only 15% of all 

robberies that were cleared in 2005. 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 15% of all robberies in 2005. 

However, the offender characteristics of 

cleared and noncleared robberies may 

differ for a number of reasons. For example, research has shown that juvenile 

robbers were more easily apprehended 

than adult robbers; consequently, the 

juvenile proportion of cleared robberies 

probably overestimates the juvenile responsibility for all robberies. To add to the 

difficulty in interpreting clearance statistics, the FBI’s reporting guidelines 

require the clearance to be tied to the 

oldest offender in the group if more than 

one person is involved in the crime. 

In summary, while the interpretation of 

reported clearance proportions is not 

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

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

under age 18. 

The juvenile proportion of arrests exceeded the juvenile proportion of 

crimes cleared by arrest or exceptional means in each offense category, 

reflecting the fact that juveniles are more likely to commit crimes in 

groups and are more likely to be arrested than are adults 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2005 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

2006), 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% 

5% 

9% 

11% 

15% 

15% 

25% 

12% 

14% 

16% 

26% 

19% 

26% 

15% 

26% 

42% 

49% 

Clearances Arrests 
The number of juveniles 

murdered increased in 

2004 and 2005 

Each Crime in the United States report 

presents estimates of the number of 

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

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

always reported. 

An estimated 16,690 murders were reported to law enforcement agencies in 2005, 

or 5.6 murders for every 100,000 U.S. residents. The murder rate in the U.S. was essentially constant between 1999 (the year 

with the fewest murders in the last three 

decades) and 2005. Prior to 1999, the last 

year in which the U.S. murder rate was 

under 6.0 was 1966. 

Of all murder victims in 2005, 90% (or 

15,040 victims) were 18 years of age or 

older. The other 1,650 murder victims 

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

number of juveniles murdered in 2005 was 

3% above the average number of juveniles 

murdered in the prior 5-year period, and 

43% below the peak year of 1993, when an 

estimated 2,880 juveniles were murdered 

in the U.S. During this same period, the 

estimated number of adults murdered 

fell 31%. 

Of all juveniles murdered in 2005, 36% 

were under age 5, 71% were male, and 

50% were white. Compared with older juvenile murder victims, victims under age 

13 in 2005 were more likely to be female 

(44% vs. 16%) and less likely to be black 

(40% vs. 53%). 

In 2005, 68% of all murder victims were 

killed with a firearm. Adults were more 

likely to be killed with a firearm (70%) 

than were juveniles (50%). However, the 

involvement of a firearm depended greatly 

on the age of the juvenile victim. In 2005, 

14% 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 2005, knives or other cutting instruments were used in 8% of juvenile murders and 14% of adult murders. 

The number of arrests of juveniles in 2005 (2.1 million) was 25% fewer 

than the number of arrests in 1996 

2005 Percent of Total 

Estimated Juvenile Arrests Percent Change 

Most Serious Number of Under 1996– 2001– 2004– 

Offense Juvenile Arrests Female Age 15 2005 2005 2005 

Total 2,143,700 29% 30% –25% –6% –3% 

Violent Crime Index 95,300 18 31 –25 0 2 

Murder and nonnegligent 

manslaughter 1,260 10 10 –47 16 20 

Forcible rape 3,940 2 37 –25 –15 –11 

Robbery 28,910 9 23 –34 13 11 

Aggravated assault 61,200 24 34 –20 –5 –1 

Property Crime Index 418,500 34 34 –44 –15 –8 

Burglary 78,000 12 33 –44 –13 –5 

Larceny-theft 294,900 42 35 –43 –15 –9 

Motor vehicle theft 37,700 17 23 –54 –24 –9 

Arson 7,900 14 59 –24 –12 1 

Nonindex 

Other assaults 247,900 33 41 4 9 –1 

Forgery and counterfeiting 4,200 31 12 –52 –31 –16 

Fraud 8,200 35 18 –31 –13 –2 

Embezzlement 1,200 44 6 –15 –40 8 

Stolen property (buying, 

receiving, possessing) 22,300 17 25 –48 –16 –6 

Vandalism 104,100 14 42 –28 –3 –1 

Weapons (carrying, 

possessing, etc). 44,800 11 34 –14 24 7 

Prostitution and 

commercialized vice 1,600 74 14 20 22 –12 

Sex offense (except forcible 

rape and prostitution) 16,700 9 50 –2 –11 –9 

Drug abuse violations 191,800 17 16 –10 –7 –2 

Gambling 2,000 2 14 –30 37 23 

Offenses against the 

family and children 5,400 39 32 –37 –40 –7 

Driving under the influence 17,800 22 2 –4 –13 –9 

Liquor law violations 126,400 36 9 –20 –13 –3 

Drunkenness 15,900 24 12 –39 –21 –8 

Disorderly conduct 201,400 32 40 3 14 –1 

Vagrancy 4,700 27 32 –30 109 1 

All other offenses 

(except traffic) 363,400 27 26 –17 –9 –2 

Suspicion (not included 

in totals) 500 29 24 –75 –62 –18 

Curfew and loitering 140,800 30 28 –27 0 2 

Runaways 109,000 58 35 –44 –16 –5 

◆	 In 2005, there were an estimated 61,200 juvenile arrests for aggravated assault. 

Between 1996 and 2005, the annual number of such arrests fell 20%. 

◆	 Between 1995 and 2004, murder and robbery arrests declined substantially (63% 

and 44%, respectively). As a result, the seemingly large percentage increases between 2004 and 2005 (20% and 11%, respectively) raised the annual arrest counts 

to levels that were still well below those of 1995 (56% and 38%, respectively). 

◆	 In 2005, females accounted for 29% of all juvenile arrests, 18% of juvenile Violent 

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

◆	 In 2005, youth under the age of 15 accounted for about one-third of all violent and 

property crime arrests. 

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

Data source: Crime in the United States 2005 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of 

Investigation, 2006), tables 29, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. Arrest estimates were developed by the 

National Center for Juvenile Justice. 

3 
15% 

16% 

26% 

30% 

26% 

26% 

26% 

25% 

23% 

21% 

19% 

18% 

18% 

17% 

15% 

14% 

14% 

10% 

9% 

4% 

3% 

3% 

2% 

1% 

37% 

The juvenile share of 

property crime was the 

lowest in 40 years 

The relative responsibility of juveniles 

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

clear crimes that juveniles commit than 

crimes that adults commit. Therefore, 

drawing a picture of crime from law enforcement records is likely to give a high 

estimate of juvenile responsibility for 

crime. 

Clearance data show that the proportion 

of violent crimes that law enforcement 

attributes to juveniles has declined in recent years. The juvenile proportion of 

violent crimes cleared by arrest or exceptional means grew from between 9% and 

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

1994, the proportion fell somewhat, remaining near 12% between 1997 and 2005. 

In 2005, juveniles were involved in 1 in 11 arrests for murder, 1 in 10 

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

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

49% 

All arrests 

Violent Crime Index 

Property Crime Index 

Arson 

Vandalism 

Disorderly conduct 

Burglary 

Larceny-theft 

Motor vehicle theft 

Robbery 

Weapons 

Liquor laws 

Other assault 

Sex offense 

Gambling 

Stolen property 

Forcible rape 

Vagrancy 

Aggravated assault 

Drug abuse violations 

Murder 

Offenses against the family 

Drunkenness 

Fraud 

Prostitution 

Driving under the influence 

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

Percent of arrests involving juveniles 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2005 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of 

Investigation, 2006), table 38. 

Since 1980, the juvenile proportion of 

murders cleared peaked in 1994 at 10%. 

Between 2000 and 2005, the proportion 

was 5%—the lowest proportion since 

1987 and slightly above the levels of the 

mid-1980s. The juvenile proportion of 

cleared forcible rapes peaked in 1995 

(15%) and then fell; however, the 2005 

proportion (11%) was still above the levels of the late 1980s (9%). The juvenile 

proportion of robbery clearances also 

peaked in 1995 (20%) and then fell; the 

proportion in 2005 (15%) was halfway between the peak level in 1995 and the low 

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

clearances in 2005 (12%) was slightly below its peak in 1994 (13%) and substantially above the levels of the late 1980s 

(8%). The juvenile proportion of Property 

Crime Index offenses cleared by arrest or 

exceptional means in 2005 (18%) was at its 

lowest level since at least the mid-1960s. 

Juvenile arrests for 

violence increased 

slightly in 2005 

The FBI assesses trends in the volume of 

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—together form the Violent Crime Index. 

Following annual declines between 1994 

and 2004, juvenile arrests for a Violent 

Crime Index offense increased 2% between 

2004 and 2005. Given that the annual number of arrests in 2004 was smaller than in 

any year since 1987, the number of juvenile Violent Crime Index arrests in 2005 

was still relatively small, and the increase 

should not be characterized as indicative 

of an upcoming juvenile crime wave. 

The number of juvenile arrests in 2005 for 

forcible rape was lower than in any year 

since at least 1980. The number of juvenile 

aggravated assault arrests in 2005 was 

lower than in any year since 1988. In contrast, after also falling to relatively low levels in 2004, juvenile arrests for robbery 

and murder both increased in 2005 (11% 

and 20%, respectively). It should be emphasized that both these increases are 

from low points. To put these increases in 

perspective, if the 2004–2005 increase was 

to continue annually into the future, it 

would take another 16 years for juvenile 

murder arrests to return to their peak level of the mid-1990s. 

In the 10-year period of 1996–2005, the 

number of arrests in most offense categories either declined more for juveniles 

than adults or increased less: 

Percent Change 

in Arrests 

Most Serious 1996–2005 

Offense Juvenile Adult 

Violent Crime Index –25% –9% 

Murder –47 –11 

Forcible rape –25 –18 

Robbery –34 –8 

Aggravated assault –20 –9 

Property Crime Index –44 –9 

Burglary –44 –1 

Larceny-theft –43 –13 

Motor vehicle theft –54 9 

Simple assault 4 –4 

Weapons law violations –14 –15 

Drug abuse violations 16 30 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2005, 

table 32. 

4 
Juvenile arrests for 

property crimes in 2005 

were the lowest in at 

least three decades 

As with violent crime, the FBI monitors 

four offenses that are consistently reported by law enforcement agencies nationwide and are pervasive in all geographical 

areas of the country to assess trends in 

the volume of property crimes. 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 arrest rates increased 

substantially, juvenile property crime arrest rates remained relatively constant. 

After this long period of relative stability, 

juvenile property crime arrest rates began 

to fall. Between 1994 and 2005, the juvenile 

Property Crime Index arrest rate dropped 

51%, to its lowest level since at least the 

1970s. This period also saw large declines 

in juvenile arrest rates for individual property offenses—burglary (52%), larcenytheft (49%), motor vehicle theft (64%), and 

arson (34%). Taking a longer view, arrest 

rates in 2005 for each property crime were 

at their lowest level since at least the 1970s. 

Most arrested juveniles 

were referred to court 

In most States, some persons younger 

than age 18 are, because of their age or by 

statutory exclusion, under the jurisdiction 

of the criminal justice system. For arrested 

persons younger than age 18 and under 

the original jurisdiction of their State’s juvenile justice system, the FBI’s UCR Program monitors what happens as a result of 

the arrest. This is the only instance in the 

UCR Program in which the statistics on arrests coincide with State variations in the 

legal definition of a juvenile. 

In 2005, 20% of arrests involving youth eligible in their State for processing in the juvenile justice system were handled within law 

enforcement agencies and released, 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 

juvenile arrests sent to juvenile court increased from 1980 to 2005 (from 58% to 

71%). In 2005, the proportion of juvenile arrests sent to juvenile court in cities with a 

population of more than 250,000 (68%) was 

lower than the proportion sent to juvenile 

court in smaller cities (71%). 

Following a year when it fell to its lowest level since at least 1980, the
 

juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate increased in 2005
 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17
 

600
 

500
 

Violent Crime Index
 

400
 

300 

200 

100 

0 

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

Year 

◆	 The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate increased 5% between 2004 and 2005. 

This increase follows a year in which the rate had reached an historically low level. 

To place the extent of this increase in perspective, if the rate continued to increase 

annually by the same amount, it would be almost 20 years before it once again 

reached the peak level of 1994. 

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

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

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

rate began a decline in the mid-1990s that continued through 2005 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17
 

3000
 

2500
 

Property Crime Index
 

2000
 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 

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

Year 

◆	 The juvenile arrest rate for Property Crime Index offenses in 2005 was half of what 

it was in 1980—down 51% over the period. The large declines over the last decade 

in the two arrest Indexes that have traditionally been used to monitor juvenile crime 

indicates 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 2005, the juvenile arrest rates for murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault were each 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. After many years of decline, the rate 

increased slightly (1%) in 2005. 

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault declined 38% 

from 1994 through 2005. 

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

Crime Index, the rate for aggravated assault in 2005 was not 

below its levels in the early 1980s. The rate in 2005 was, in 

fact, 25% more than its 1980 level. 

Murder 

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

rate for murder more than doubled; since then, a steep decline 

has occurred. 

◆ With two exceptions (2001 and 2005), the juvenile arrest rate 

for murder fell each year after 1993, so that by 2005 it was 

74% below the peak 1993 rate. 

◆ The 20% growth in the number of juvenile murder arrests between 2004 and 2005 increased the number to 1,260 arrests; 

even with this increase, the 2005 level was still well below the 

1993 estimate of 3,790 arrests. 

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 1980–2005 period, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible 

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

◆ From 1991, with minor exceptions, the juvenile arrest rate for 

forcible rape dropped annually through 2005. By 1999, it had 

returned to its 1980 level. By 2005, the rate had fallen to a point 

27% below the 1980 level, 49% below its 1991 peak, and to its 

lowest level in more than a generation. 

Robbery 

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

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

point in 1988, 30% below its 1980 level. 

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

and 1994–1995 moved the rate above the 1980 level, a pattern 

found in each of the other Violent Crime Index offenses. 

◆ Like the juvenile arrest rates for other Violent Crime Index 

offenses, the rate for robbery declined substantially after its 

mid-1990s peak. The rate fell 56% between 1995 and 2005; 

however, it did increase between 2002 and 2005, returning in 

2005 to its 2000 level. 

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 

0 

2 

4 

6 

8 

10 

12 

14 

16 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Murder 

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

0 

25 

50 

75 

100 

125 

150 

175 

200 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Robbery 

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

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Aggravated assault 

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

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Forcible rape 
7 

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

patterns over the 1980–2005 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 2005. The 2005 rate was 

less than one-third of the 1980 rate, down 71%. 

◆ This large fall in juvenile arrests from 1980 through 2005 was 

not replicated in the adult statistics. Between 1996 and 2005, 

the number of juvenile burglary arrests fell 44%, while adult 

burglary arrests remained essentially the same. In the prior 

10-year period, the juvenile and adult patterns were the same; 

between 1986 and 1995, both juvenile and adult arrests for 

burglary fell 18%. 

Larceny-Theft 

◆ The juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft remained essentially 

constant between 1980 and 1997, then fell 45% between 1997 

and 2005. 

◆ In 2005, 70% of all juvenile arrests for Property Crime Index 

offenses were for larceny-theft. Therefore, the annual trends 

of juvenile arrests for Property Crime Index offenses largely 

reflect the pattern of larceny-theft arrests (which itself is dominated by shoplifting—the most common larceny-theft violation). As can be seen on this page, the juvenile arrest trends 

for individual property crimes vary considerably and, therefore, 

should be considered separately. 

Motor Vehicle Theft 

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

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

for motor vehicle theft declined substantially and consistently 

through 2005, falling 68%. In 2005, the juvenile arrest rate for 

motor vehicle theft was lower than in any year in the 

1980–2005 period. 

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

adult statistics. Between 1996 and 2005, the number of juvenile 

motor vehicle theft arrests fell more than 54%, while adult motor vehicle theft arrests increased 8%. 

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 2005, falling 34%. 

◆ In the 26 years from 1980 through 2005, only 5 years had a 

lower juvenile arrest rate for arson than did 2005. The 2005 

rate was just 5% above the lowest rate in the 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.] 

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

0 

250 

500 

750 

1,000 

1,250 

1,500 

1,750 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Larceny-theft 

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

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

350 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Motor vehicle theft 

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

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Arson 

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

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

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

assault and weapons law violations in 2005 were near their low points 

for the 1980–2005 period 

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

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

120 

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

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 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

◆ Comparing juvenile arrest rates in 2005 with those in 1980, the growth in the rates 

is considerably greater for females than males for the offenses of aggravated assault (97% vs. 12%), simple assault (285% vs. 105%), and weapons law violations 

(175% vs. 36%). 

◆ In contrast, the increase between 1980 and 2005 in the female juvenile arrest rate 

for drug abuse violations was similar to the increase in the male rate (52% vs. 48%). 

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

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

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

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

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

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

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 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Male 

Female 

Other (simple) assault 

Weapons 

Aggravated assault 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

1,200 

1,400 

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

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 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Female 

Drug abuse violations 

In 2005, 29% of 

juvenile arrests 

involved females 

Law enforcement agencies made 630,000 

arrests of females under age 18 in 2005. 

From 1996 through 2005, arrests of juvenile females decreased less than male arrests in most offense categories; in some 

categories, female arrests increased while 

male arrests decreased. 

Percent Change in 

Juvenile Arrests 

Most Serious 1996–2005 

Offense Female Male 

Violent Crime Index –10% –28% 

Aggravated assault –5 –23 

Simple assault 24 –4 

Property Crime Index –29 –49 

Burglary –34 –46 

Larceny-theft –28 –50 

Motor vehicle theft –47 –55 

Vandalism –10 –30 

Weapons 15 –16 

Drug abuse violations 14 –14 

Liquor law violations –5 –26 

DUI 31 –11 

Disorderly conduct 29 –6 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2005, 

table 33. 

Gender differences also occurred in the 

assault arrest trends for adults. Between 

1996 and 2005, adult male arrests for aggravated assault fell 12%, while female arrests rose 8%. While adult male arrests 

for simple assault fell 8% between 1996 

and 2005, adult female arrests rose 13%. 

Therefore, the disproportionate growth in 

female assault arrests over this period 

was related to factors that affect both 

juveniles and adults. In contrast, while 

juvenile female arrests for weapons law 

violations grew 15% over the 1996–2005 

period, weapons-related arrests of juvenile males, adult males, and adult females 

all fell (16%, 7%, and 12%, respectively). 

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

Crime Index offenses seen for juveniles 

between 1996 and 2005 was also seen in 

adult arrests, with adult male arrests 

falling 13% and adult female arrests falling 

1%. Similarly, while juvenile female drug 

abuse violation arrests grew disproportionately between 1996 and 2005 (increasing 14% compared with a 14% decline in 

male arrests), adult female drug abuse violation arrests also grew more than male 

arrests (45% and 27%, respectively). 

8 
Juvenile arrests 

disproportionately 

involved minorities 

The racial composition of the U.S. juvenile 

population in 2005 was 78% white, 17% 

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

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

as white. Of all juvenile arrests for violent 

crimes in 2005, 48% involved white youth, 

50% involved black youth, 1% involved 

Asian youth, and 1% involved American 

Indian youth. For property crime arrests, 

the proportions were 67% white youth, 

30% black youth, 2% Asian youth, and 1% 

American Indian youth. Black youth were 

overrepresented in juvenile arrests. 

Most Serious Black Proportion of 

Offense Juvenile Arrests in 2005 

Murder 54% 

Forcible rape 34 

Robbery 68 

Aggravated assault 42 

Simple assault 39 

Burglary 31 

Larceny-theft 28 

Motor vehicle theft 43 

Weapons 37 

Drug abuse violations 29 

Vandalism 20 

Liquor laws 5 

Data source: Crime in the United States 2005, 

table 43. 

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

arrests per 100,000 juveniles in the racial 

group) in 2005 for black juveniles (851) 

was almost 5 times the rates for American 

Indian juveniles (181) and white juveniles 

(176) and about 12 times the rate for 

Asian juveniles (71). For Property Crime 

Index arrests, the rate for black juveniles 

(2,244) was about double the rates for 

American Indian juveniles (1,191) and 

white juveniles (1,083) and about 5 times 

the rate for Asian juveniles (465). 

From 1980 through 2005, the black-to-white 

disparity in juvenile Violent Crime Index 

arrest rates declined. In 1980, the black 

rate was 6.3 times the white rate; in 2004, 

the rate ratio had declined to 4.1. But in 

2005, the ratio jumped to 4.8, returning to 

the levels of the mid-1990s. The 2004–2005 

increase in violent arrest rate disparities 

was the result of larger changes in black 

rates than white rates. For example, the 

black robbery rate increased about 20% 

while the white rate held constant. Similarly, while the black aggravated assault 

arrest rate increased about 10%, the white 

rate fell about 5%. 

The trends in annual arrest rates for white juveniles and black 

juveniles were similar over the 1980–2005 period 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

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

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

Black 

0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

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

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 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

Black 

0 

1,000 

2,000 

3,000 

4,000 

5,000 

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

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

Black 

◆ The juvenile murder arrest rate in 2004 was at its lowest level since at least 1980 

for white youth and near the lowest level for black youth. Between 2004 and 2005, 

however, the black rate increased 23%, while the white rate grew just 4%. 

◆ After falling to relatively low levels between 1980 and 2004, the robbery arrest rate 

between 2004 and 2005 increased 1% for white juveniles and 22% for black juveniles. Between 2004 and 2005, the Property Crime Index arrest rates for both 

white and black youth continued to decline. 

◆ Between 2004 and 2005, the aggravated assault arrest rate for white youth continued its decline (4%), while the black rate increased (10%). 

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 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

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

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

0 

500 

1,000 

1,500 

2,000 

2,500 

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

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

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

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

White 

Black 

Robbery 

Aggravated assault 

Property Crime Index 

Murder 

9 
10 

In 2005, the juvenile arrest rate for weapons law 

violations continued an increase that began in 

2003 

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

abuse violations increased 145%. The rate declined 24% 

between 1997 and 2005, but the 2005 rate was still almost double the 1990 rate. 

◆ Over the 1980–2005 period, the white juvenile arrest rate 

for drug abuse violations peaked in 1997 and then held 

relatively constant through 2005 (down 13%). In contrast, 

the black rate peaked in 1995, and, by 2002, had fallen 

49%; from 2002 to 2005, the black rate grew 17%. 

After a considerable rise in the 1990s, the juvenile 

arrest rate for drug abuse violations has trended 

downward from 1997 through 2005 

◆ 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% above the 1980 level. 

◆ However, between 2002 and 2005, the juvenile weapons 

arrest rate grew 27%. During this period, the white arrest 

rate grew 15% and the black rate grew 48%. 

Unlike the aggravated assault rate, the juvenile 

arrest rate for simple assault did not decline 

substantially after the mid-1990s 

Between 1994 and 2005, the age-specific arrest 

rates for Violent Crime Index offenses fell 

substantially for all ages under 40 

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

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Weapons 

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

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Drug abuse 

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

0 

100 

200 

300 

400 

500 

600 

700 

800 

Year 

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10–17 

Simple assault 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1,000 

1,200 

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

Age 

1994 

2005 

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 more 

than 140% between 1980 and 2005. The rate held constant between 1994 and 2005, while the juvenile aggravated assault arrest rate fell almost 40%. 

◆ This pattern was seen across races. Between 1980 and 

2005, the juvenile arrest rate for simple assault more than 

doubled for both white youth and black youth (126% and 

155%, respectively). Between 1994 and 2005, the rates remained essentially constant, while aggravated assault arrest rates fell for both races (36% and 43%, respectively). 

◆ Juvenile ages showed the largest decline—falling about 

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

1994 and 2005, the Violent Crime Index arrest rates for 

youth ages 10–12 and for 18-year-olds both fell about 

40%. The Violent Crime Index arrest rates for those ages 

19–34 fell close to 30% for each age group. 

◆ Over the period from 1994 to 2005, the Violent Crime Index arrest rates for ages 40–54 changed very little, while 

the arrest rates for ages 55–64 declined about 20%. 
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 

2005 Juvenile Arrest Rate* 2005 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 79%† 296 1,289 581 134 Missouri 63% 357 1,359 627 118 

Alabama 71 130 720 291 28 Montana 83 134 2,039 431 50 

Alaska 97 238 1,574 388 79 Nebraska 90 105 1,935 656 95 

Arizona 90 249 1,672 852 81 Nevada 100 181 1,315 271 70 

Arkansas 78 201 1,288 413 67 New Hampshire 83 77 956 576 26 

California 99 346 1,026 493 207 New Jersey 96 340 823 660 205 

Colorado 92 220 1,848 777 153 New Mexico 74 242 1,110 696 170 

Connecticut 88 306 1,107 526 127 New York 51 301 1,070 543 92 

Delaware 100 578 1,563 840 153 North Carolina 86 305 1,319 412 188 

District of Columbia 0 NA NA NA NA North Dakota 86 91 1,695 415 72 

Florida 100 463 1,792 752 148 Ohio 57 163 1,059 413 72 

Georgia 37 344 1,430 653 203 Oklahoma 94 189 1,310 442 89 

Hawaii 82 212 1,137 306 30 Oregon 94 196 1,784 612 89 

Idaho 63 159 1,876 532 112 Pennsylvania 85 442 1,091 546 146 

Illinois 23 1,075 1,851 2,567 356 Rhode Island 81 215 1,057 532 147 

Indiana 75 290 1,280 457 36 South Carolina 91 380 1,366 707 209 

Iowa 89 287 1,865 412 38 South Dakota 36 133 1,700 291 161 

Kansas 47 122 740 393 38 Tennessee 78 324 1,288 636 147 

Kentucky 64 208 1,095 694 54 Texas 96 191 1,159 546 71 

Louisiana 54 372 1,618 651 104 Utah 85 140 2,193 518 154 

Maine 99 80 1,499 425 32 Vermont 87 65 622 272 19 

Maryland 99 494 1,804 1,189 255 Virginia 77 166 870 353 102 

Massachusetts 77 255 489 343 36 Washington 86 222 1,766 456 115 

Michigan 97 206 985 326 82 West Virginia 85 69 486 227 27 

Minnesota 94 237 1,605 569 145 Wisconsin 68 210 2,614 769 207 

Mississippi 50 97 1,306 538 108 Wyoming 98 131 1,837 901 127 

* 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 (79%) includes all States reporting arrests of persons under age 18. This is greater 

than the coverage in the rest of the Bulletin (73%) 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 2005. 

NA = Crime in the United States 2005 reported no arrest counts for the District of Columbia. 

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 2005 (Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2006), 

tables 5 and 69, and population data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ Estimates of the July 1, 2000–July 1, 2005, United States 

Resident Population From the Vintage 2005 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 8/16/2006]. 

11 
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 

*NCJ~218096*
 

PRESORTED STANDARD
 

POSTAGE & FEES PAID
 

DOJ/OJJDP
 

PERMIT NO. G–91
 

Bulletin NCJ 218096

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 and 2005 that are available 

online at www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#cius, released September 2006; population data for 

1980–1989 from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, U.S. Population Estimates by Age, Sex, 

Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1980 to 1999 [machine-readable data files available online, released 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, Singleyear 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 2000–2005 

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, 2005, United States 

Resident Population From the Vintage 2005 

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 August 16, 2006]. 

Notes 

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

odds with the legal definition of juveniles 

in 2005 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 2005, with the 2005 coverage being 73%. 

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. 

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 that the 

FBI’s Criminal Justice Information 

Services Division provided. 

This Bulletin was prepared under cooperative 

agreement number 2005–JF–FX–K022 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).