Arrests Of Juvenile Crimes

The Federal Bureau of Investigation tracks four offenses murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault in its Violent Crime Index. The juvenile arrest rate for each of these offenses has been declining steadily since the mid-1990s. The murder rate fell 70% from its 1993 peak through 2001 (Snyder, 2003).

Statistics: Research has shown that crimes committed by juveniles are more likely to be cleared by law enforcement than crimes committed by adults. The clearance data in the Crime in the United States series show that the proportion of violent crimes attributed to juveniles by law enforcement has declined in recent years. The proportion of violent crimes cleared by juvenile arrests grew from about 9% in the late 1980s to 14% in 1994
(Snyder 2003). Of the juvenile arrests reported in 2001 females accounted for 23% of those arrests for aggravated assault and 32% of juvenile arrests for other assaults. Females also appeared to be the leading sex in regards to runaway violations. Females were involved in 59% of all arrests for running away from home. Arrests for curfew and loitering law violations were reported at 31% for female juveniles. Females accounted for 23% of juvenile arrests for aggravated assault and 32% of juvenile arrests for other assaults (i.e., simple assaults and intimidations) in 2001. Females were involved in 59% of all arrests for running away from home and 31% of arrests for curfew and loitering law violations. (Snyder 2003) Violent Arrests of the Races: The text points out that the disparity in violent crime arrest rates for black juveniles and white juveniles declined substantially between 1980 and 2001. In 2001 the juvenile population was comprised of 78% white, 17% black, 4% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1% American Indian. Violent crime statistics showed that 55% involved white youth, 43% involved black youth, 1% involved Asian youth, and 1% involved American Indian youth. The results for property crime arrests were 68% white youth, 28% black youth, 2% Asian youth, and 1% American Indian youth. Between 1980 through 2001 black-to-white disparity in juvenile arrest rates for violent crimes show a decrease. The black juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate was 6.3 times the white rate in 1980 and in 2001; the rate disparity had declined to 3.6. The reduction in arrest rate were primarily due to the decline in black-to-white arrest disparities for robbery, which was greater than the decline for aggravated