U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

J. Robert Flores, Administrator November 2006 #03

Person Offenses in Juvenile Court,


1985–2002


by Anne L. Stahl 

Person offenses accounted for 24% of all delinquency 

cases in 2002 

In 2002, U.S. juvenile courts handled an estimated 387,500 

delinquency cases in which the most serious charge was an 

offense against a person. (Person offenses include assault, 

robbery, rape, and homicide.) Although the number of person 

offense cases in 2002 was more than double the number in 1985, 

the number decreased 2% between 1998 and 2002. In 2002, 

person offense cases accounted for 24% of the delinquency 

caseload, compared with 16% in 1985. 

Juvenile courts handled 12.4 person offense cases for every 1,000 

juveniles age 10 through the upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction 

Person offense cases handled by U.S. juvenile courts,


1985–2002


Percent change 

Cases disposed 1985 1998 2002 1985–2002 1998–2002 

Total person offenses* 181,900 396,500 387,500 113% –2% 

Violent Crime Index 66,300 97,600 75,300 13% –23% 

Criminal homicide 1,200 2,100 1,700 41% –19% 

Forcible rape 4,300 5,200 4,700 8% –9% 

Robbery 24,900 30,000 21,500 –13% –28% 

Aggravated assault 35,900 60,300 47,400 32% –21% 

Simple assault 98,700 260,800 270,700 174% 4% 

Case Rate** 1985 1998 2002 1985–2002 1998–2002 

in 2002, an increase of 79% over the rate in 1985. Although person 

offense case rates have declined recently for all racial groups, the 

rate for black youth remained substantially higher than the rates 

for whites and youth of other races. In 2002, the person offense 

case rate for white youth decreased 9% from the peak rate in 

1998 (10.4 vs. 9.5), the rate for black youth decreased 18% from 

its 1995 peak (34.3 vs. 28.2), and the rate for youth of other races 

decreased 17% from its 1994 peak (8.1 vs. 6.7). 

Across all age groups, male person offense case rates 

exceeded rates for females 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Females

Males

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Cases per 1,000 in age group, 2002 

Age 

Homicide was the most serious charge in 1,700 cases handled in 

2002—0.4 % of all person offense cases handled by juvenile 

courts in that year. The majority (70%) of person offense cases 

involved charges of simple assault, 12% involved aggravated 

assault, and 6% involved robbery. Compared with 1998, the number of juvenile court cases involving criminal homicide decreased 

19%, aggravated assault decreased 21%, and robbery decreased 

28%. In contrast, between 1998 and 2002, the number of cases 

involving simple assault increased 4%. 

Total person offenses 6.9 13.3 12.4 79% –7% 

Violent Crime Index 2.5 3.3 2.4 –5% –27% 

Criminal homicide 0.1 0.1 0.1 19% –23% 

Forcible rape 0.2 0.2 0.1 –9% –14% 

Robbery 1.0 1.0 0.7 –27% –32% 

Aggravated assault 1.4 2.0 1.5 11% –25% 

Simple assault 3.8 8.7 8.6 130% –1% 

Percent change figures are based on unrounded numbers. 

* Total includes other person offense categories not listed. 

** Per 1,000 youth age 10 through the upper age of juvenile court 

jurisdiction. 

Office of Justice Programs • Partnerships for Safer Communities • www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Characteristics of offenders 

Compared with 1985, juveniles involved in person offense cases 

in 2002 were slightly younger and more likely to be female. In 

2002, 64% of person offense cases involved juveniles younger 

than 16, compared with 61% in 1985. Females were involved in 

28% of person offense cases in 2002, compared with 20% in 

1985. Compared with males, the 2002 female delinquency caseload had a greater proportion of simple assault cases (21% vs. 

15%) and an equal proportion of aggravated assault cases (3%). 

Between 1985 and 2002, the relative increase in the female caseload outpaced that of males for person offenses (202% vs. 91%). 

As a result, the female share of the person offense caseload has 

grown since 1985. For example, females accounted for 20% of 

person offense cases for each year between 1985 and 1991. 

Between 1991 and 2002, the female proportion of the person 

offense caseload steadily increased to 28%. 

In 2002, female person case rates remained at their highest level, while male person case rates fell 8% between 

1998 and 2002 

Person cases per 1,000 youth ages 10–upper age 

1985

1986

1987

198

1989

19 0

19 1

19 2

19 3

19 4

19 5

19 6

19 7

19 8

19

20

20 1

20 2

0

2.5

5.0

7.5

10.0

12.5

15.0

17.5

20.0

Females

Males

Case processing 

Of the 387,500 person offense cases disposed by U.S. juvenile 

courts in 2002, 60% (233,200) were handled formally (i.e., a 

petition was filed requesting an adjudicatory or transfer hearing). 

The number of person offense cases judicially waived to 

criminal court peaked in 1994 

Number of cases

1985

1986

1987

198

1989

19 0

19 1

19 2

19 3

19 4

19 5

19 6

19 7

19 8

19

20

20 1

20 2

0

1,500

3,000

4,500

6,000

Of these petitioned cases, 1.3% (2,900) were judicially waived to 

criminal court, 62% (145,800) were formally adjudicated delinquent in the juvenile justice system, and 36% (84,600) were petitioned but not adjudicated delinquent. 

The proportion of judicially waived person offense cases 

decreased between 1985 and 1988 and then increased steadily, 

peaking in 1994 when almost 3% (5,500) of such cases were 

waived. In 2002, a little more than 1% (2,900) of petitioned person offense cases were waived. 

In 2002, males charged with person offenses were six times as 

likely as females to have their cases judicially waived to criminal 

court. In each year from 1996 to 2002, the number of person 

offense cases judicially waived to adult court was greater for 

white youth than for black youth. Regardless of race, person 

offense cases in 2002 were more likely to be waived than cases 

involving other offenses, and cases involving juveniles age 16 or 

older were more likely to be waived than were those involving 

juveniles 15 or younger. 

In 25% (37,200) of the 145,800 person offense cases formally 

adjudicated by juvenile courts in 2002, the most severe disposition 

imposed by the court was placement out of the home in a residential facility. Probation was ordered in 63% (92,000) of the cases, 

while 9% (13,800) resulted in other sanctions, including referral to 

an outside agency, fines, community service, and restitution. 

Among the 2002 person offense cases that were formally petitioned by the court but not adjudicated, 72% (60,700) were dismissed. In 8% (7,000) of these petitioned cases, the youth agreed 

to informal probation; 20% (16,900) of these cases resulted in 

other dispositions. 

In 2002, of the 154,200 person offense cases handled informally 

(without a petition), 45% (68,700) were dismissed, 31% (47,300) 

resulted in voluntary probation, and 25% (38,200) resulted in 

other dispositions. 

For further information 

This Fact Sheet is based on the forthcoming report, Juvenile 

Court Statistics 2001–2002, which will be available on the 

OJJDP Web site. To learn more about juvenile court cases, visit 

OJJDP’s online Statistical Briefing Book and click on “Juveniles 

in Court.” OJJDP also supports Easy Access to Juvenile Court 

Statistics, a Web-based application that analyzes the data files 

used for the Juvenile Court Statistics report. This application 

is available from the Statistical Briefing Book. 

Anne L. Stahl is a Research Associate with the National Juvenile Court 

Data Archive, which is supported by an OJJDP grant. 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component 

of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice 

Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, 

and the Office for Victims of Crime. 

Fact Sheet FS–200603