A Message From OJJDP

In 2002, the juvenile arrest rate for Violent Crime Index offenses reached its lowest level since at least 1980. The rate, which grew substantially during the late 1980s and peaked in 1994, has decreased for 8 consecutive years. In 2002, it was nearly half its 1994 peak level.

The Violent Crime Index tracks murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The juvenile arrest rate for each of these offenses has declined steadily since the mid-1990s. The relative decrease in the number of arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses has been nearly three times greater for juveniles than for adults.

Although the statistic trends are encouraging, juvenile crime remains a problem. An estimated 2,261,000 arrests of juveniles took place in 2002, including 92,160 for Violent Crime Index offenses. Arrest trends show that females are an increasing proportion of the juvenile justice population. Disproportionate involvement of minorities in juvenile arrests persisted; however, the black-to-white disparity in violent crime arrest rates declined substantially between 1980 and 2002.

Juvenile Arrests 2002 provides a summary and an analysis of national and state juvenile arrest data presented in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's report Crime in the United States 2002.This Bulletin offers baseline information for those interested in monitoring the nation's progress in addressing serious juvenile crime.