Juvenile arrests for violent crimes will more than double by the year 2010 if recent national trends continue, The number of youths arrested for murder is expected to increase by 145 percent by the year 2010. For more information on Juvenile Crime click here. While the national rate of violent crime has leveled off and the nation's population of juveniles has fallen, violent crimes committed by juveniles have risen sharply. More than one-third of all murders are committed by offenders under the age of 21. By the time the juvenile justice system finally incarcerates an older teenager for a violent crime, the offender often has a rap sheet from his early teens - or before.
Actual lockups are rare.
The demographics will soon change to favor even more youth violence. The number of male teenagers has been declining since about 1980, and in 1995 America has its fewest number since 1965. But the male teenage population will rebound by the turn of the century. Today's juvenile justice system is oriented toward rehabilitation and away from accountability. The statistics indicate that this must change.