In 2002, 29% of juvenile arrests involved females

Law enforcement agencies made 654,000 arrests of females under age 18 in 2002. Between 1993 and 2002, arrests of juvenile females generally increased more (or decreased less) than male arrests in most offense categories.

 
Percent Change
in Juvenile Arrests
1993–2002
Most Serious Offense
Female
Male
Aggravated assault
7%
-29%
Simple assault
41
4
Larceny-theft
-11
-38
Motor vehicle theft
-41
-52
Vandalism
-6
-36
Weapons
-26
-49
Drug abuse violations
120
51
Liquor law violations
37
9
DUI
94
37
Curfew and loitering
50
29
Runaways
-35
-41

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002, table 32.

The larger increases in female arrests for assault were also seen in adult arrest trends. Therefore, the disproportionate growth in female violent crime arrests was related to factors that affect both juveniles and adults. Although one possible reason for the disproportionate increase in female arrests is an increase in crime, arrests can increase even when crime does not increase as a result of citizens’ greater willingness to report crime to law enforcement or because a greater proportion of police contacts result in arrest.

In 2002, the percentage of juvenile arrests that involved a female was somewhat greater in central cities than in their suburbs or in the communities outside of the cities and their suburbs—a pattern most evident for larceny-theft, burglary, aggravated assault, simple assault, and running away from home.

 
Female Percent of Juvenile Arrests, 2002
Most Serious Offense
Central
Cities		 Suburban
Areas 		Other
All offenses
31%
28%
28%
Aggravated assault
26
22
21
Simple assault
35
30
30
Burglary
15
10
9
Larceny-theft
42
37
33
Runaways
62
59
58

Data source: Crime in the United States 2002, tables 45, 51, 57, and 63.

Male juvenile arrest rates for aggravated assault and simple assault fell from the mid-1990s through 2002, while female rates remained near their highest levels

Aggravated Assault
Eight charts comparing male and female juvenile arrest rates for aggravated assault, simple assault, weapons law violations, and drug abuse violations, 1980-2002.

Other (simple) assault
Eight charts comparing male and female juvenile arrest rates for aggravated assault, simple assault, weapons law violations, and drug abuse violations, 1980-2002.

Weapons
Eight charts comparing male and female juvenile arrest rates for aggravated assault, simple assault, weapons law violations, and drug abuse violations, 1980-2002.

Drug abuse violations
Eight charts comparing male and female juvenile arrest rates for aggravated assault, simple assault, weapons law violations, and drug abuse violations, 1980-2002.

  • Between 1980 and 2002, the increase in the female juvenile arrest rate was greater than the increase in the male rate for aggravated assault (99% vs. 14%), simple assault (258% vs. 99%), and weapons law violations (125% vs. 7%).

  • In contrast, the increase in the female juvenile arrest rate between 1980 and 2002 was comparable with the increase in the male rate for drug abuse violations (42% vs. 47%).

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the National Center for Health Statistics. [See data source note for detail.]

Previous Contents Next

Juvenile Arrests 2002 OJJDP Bulletin • September 2004