Americans and Californians believe today's youth are uniquely criminal, violent, and out of control. California crime rates generally have fallen over the last two decades. The reason is that declines in crime by youths and young adults under age 25 have offset large crime increases among adults age 30 and older. Most promising of all, the youngest teens and children show the largest declines in crime of any age group, foretelling a law abiding coming generation.
Youth crime is strongly related to socioeconomic status.
The sharp rise in adult crime remains a mystery. Among adults age 30 and older, felony crime rates have doubled and felony arrests have quadrupled in the last quarter century, reaching a staggering 250,000 arrests in 1998. The rise is not related to social class. In fact, White adults 30 and older show the largest increase in felony arrest and imprisonment of any racial or age group. The surge in violent, property, and other felony arrests of over-30 adults appears to be tied to increased drug abuse among aging Baby Boomers and, for violent crime, to increased enforcement of domestic violence laws.