Over the period from 1980 through 2004, the black-to-white disparity in juvenile arrest rates for violent crimes declined. In 1980, the black juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate was 6.3 times the white rate; in 2004, the rate disparity had declined to 4.1. This reduction in arrest rate disparities between 1980 and 2004 was primarily the result of the decline in the disparity for robbery (from 11.5 in 1980 to 8.4 in 2004), because the disparity for aggravated assault changed little (3.2 versus 3.1).

From Juvenile Arrests 2004.

For more information on disproportionate minority contact, see the article "Conference, Resource Tools Address Disproportionate Minority Contact" in this issue, or visit OJJDP's Disproportionate Minority Contact Web site.