Most arrested juveniles were referred to court

In most states, some persons under age 18 are, because of their age or by statutory exclusion, under the jurisdiction of the criminal justice system. For arrested persons under age 18 and under the original jurisdiction of their state’s juvenile justice system, the FBI’s UCR Program monitors what happens as a result of the arrest. This is the only instance in the UCR Program in which the statistics on arrests coincide with state variations in the legal definition of a juvenile.

In 2003, 20% of arrests involving youth eligible in their state for processing in the juvenile justice system were handled within law enforcement agencies, 71% were referred to juvenile court, and 7% were referred directly to criminal court. The others were referred to a welfare agency or to another police agency. In general, the proportion of juvenile arrests sent to juvenile court increased from 1980 to 2003 (from 58% to 71%). In 2003, the proportion of juvenile arrests sent to juvenile court was similar in cities (70%) and nonmetropolitan (i.e., rural) counties (71%) and somewhat higher in metropolitan (i.e., suburban) counties (75%).

In 2003, juvenile arrest rates for murder, forcible rape, and robbery were at or near their lowest levels since at least 1980; the same was not true for the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault Murder In the period between 1980 and 2003, the juvenile arrest rate for murder peaked in 1993. In that year, there were about 3,800 arrests of juveniles for murder. Between the mid-1980s and 1993, the juvenile arrest rate for murder more than doubled. The juvenile arrest rate for murder fell each year from 1993 through 2000. After holding constant in 2001 and 2002, the juvenile arrest rate for murder fell in 2003 to a level 77% below the peak year of 1993 and to half of what it was in 1980. Forcible Rape The juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape did not vary as much as the rates for other violent crimes over the period 1980–2003, although it did follow the same general pattern of growth and decline. In 1991, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape peaked for the 1980–2003 period at 44% above its level in 1980. After 1993, the rate fell each year through 2000, then held constant through 2002. In 2003, the juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape then fell again, to its lowest level of the 1980–2003 period. Robbery The juvenile arrest rate for robbery declined during much of the 1980s, falling 30% between 1980 and 1988. In 1989, this trend changed and the rate grew to its highest level of the 1980–2003 period in 1995, 69% above the 1988 level and 19% above its 1980 level. Between 1995 and 2003, the juvenile arrest rate for robbery fell 62%—to a point that was 55% below its 1980 level and 36% below its previous low point in 1988. Aggravated Assault The juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault doubled between 1980 and 1994, generally paralleling the arrest rate trends for murder and robbery. Unlike the juvenile arrest rate trends for murder and robbery, the decline (38%) in the juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault between 1994 and 2003 did not erase the increase that began in the mid-1980s. The juvenile arrest rate for aggravated assault in 2003 was still 26% above the 1980 level. 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.]

Juvenile arrest rate trends for the four offenses that make up the Property Crime Index show very different patterns over the 1980–2003 period Burglary Unlike the arrest rate trend for any other Property Crime Index offense, the juvenile arrest rate for burglary declined consistently and substantially between 1980 and 2003. In 2003, the juvenile arrest rate for burglary was less than one-third of what it had been in 1980. Between 1994 and 2003, the number of arrests for burglary declined for both juveniles and adults (40% and 14%, respectively). Similarly, in the 10-year period 1985–1994, the decline was greater for juveniles (19%) than for adults (11%). Larceny-Theft In 2003, 70% of all juvenile Property Crime Index arrests were for larceny-theft. Therefore, the Property Crime Index arrest rate trend primarily reflects the trend in larceny-theft (including shoplifting—the most common larceny-theft violation) and is influenced to a much lesser degree by the generally more serious property crimes of burglary, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft remained relatively constant between 1980 and 1997, then fell 39% in the brief period between 1997 and 2003. Motor Vehicle Theft The juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft soared between 1983 and 1990, increasing 137%. After the peak years of 1990 and 1991, the juvenile arrest rate for motor vehicle theft declined substantially and consistently through 2003—falling 62%. So, that by 2003, the rate was at its lowest level since at least 1980. Between 1994 and 2003, the number of arrests for motor vehicle theft declined 52% for juveniles and just 6% for adults. Arson After being relatively stable for most of the 1980s, the juvenile arrest rate for arson grew 55% between 1987 and 1994. The juvenile arrest rate for arson declined substantially between 1994 and 2003, falling in 2003 to a level 33% below the peak year of 1994 and, with the exception of 2002, to its lowest level since 1987. 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.]

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Juvenile Arrests 2003	OJJDP Bulletin • August 2005