The number of juvenile arrests have been declining. A lot of this change has to do with the declining teenage population. There are 6 million fewer teenagers today than 20 years ago. Violent crime has seen a tremendous increase.
Crime is generally a young person's game.
Property crime peaks at age 16, violent crime peaks at age 18. All crime drops off dramatically at about age 30. There are some disturbing trends. More than 500 kids under 12 were arrested for rape in 1991. These statistics should be viewed with caution.