It shows them as a rate per 1,000 juveniles in the state. Tracking the rate of reported offenses is not possible. Victims rarely know the age of the criminal. Juvenile arrests are one measure of the extent of crime by young people. This is an important benchmark.
Juvenile crime harms society and places the young person at great risk.
Juvenile crime is part of a pattern of behavior that often leads to other social problems later in life. That pattern can also include substance abuse, teen pregnancy, school dropout, and violence. The decrease graphed for 1997 is an encouraging sign. But, it is too early to tell if this is the start of a reversal or just a single dip in the upward trend. There are other benchmarks for public safety.