Counts and Trends

In 1997, courts with juvenile jurisdiction handled an estimated 1,755,100 delinquency cases (table 1). Delinquency offenses are acts committed by juveniles that, if committed by an adult, could result in criminal prosecution. Between 1988 and 1997, the number of delinquency cases processed by U.S. juvenile courts increased 48%.

Caseloads increased between 1988 and 1997 for all four major offense categories—person, property, drug law violations, and public order (figure 1). The number of person offense cases increased 97% between 1988 and 1997, property offense cases increased 19%, drug law violation cases increased 125%, and the number of public order offense cases grew 67%. Compared with 1988, juvenile courts in 1997 handled 124% more simple assault cases, 107% more disorderly conduct cases, 78% more obstruction of justice cases, 74% more weapons offense cases, 66% more aggravated assault cases, and 55% more robbery cases. Between 1996 and 1997, caseloads dropped in several offense categories, including aggravated assault (18%), criminal homicide (17%), robbery (11%), and weapons offenses (6%).

Examination of the caseloads of juvenile courts using the FBI crime indexes indicates the number of cases involving Violent Crime Index offenses (criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) increased 61% between 1988 and 1997 but decreased 15% between 1996 and 1997. The volume of cases involving Property Crime Index offenses (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson) increased 14% between 1988 and 1997 but decreased 4% between 1996 and 1997.¹ The increases in juvenile court cases parallel the increases in arrests of persons under age 18, as reported by the FBI. Between 1988 and 1997, the number of arrests involving persons under age 18 charged with Violent Crime Index offenses increased 49%, while arrests of youth for Property Crime Index offenses increased 1%. (See Crime in the United States 1997.) According to the FBI, the number of juvenile arrests for homicide increased 11% between 1988 and 1997 but decreased 16% between 1996 and 1997, changes that correspond to the trends in juvenile court cases involving homicide charges.

The offense profile of juvenile court caseloads changed somewhat between 1988 and 1997 (table 2). The relative proportion of person offenses increased, while property offenses declined. A person offense, such as robbery or assault, was the most serious charge in 22% of delinquency cases in 1997, compared with 17% in 1988. A property offense, such as shoplifting, burglary, or vandalism, was the most serious charge in 48% of the delinquency cases handled by juvenile courts in 1997 versus 59% in 1988. The proportion of drug law violations, such as possession or sale of controlled substances, rose from 7% in 1988 to 10% in 1997, and the proportion of public order offenses, such as possession of a weapon or disorderly conduct, increased from 17% to 19%.

In 1997, juvenile courts processed 61.1 delinquency cases for every 1,000 juveniles in the population—those age 10 or older who were under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court (table 3).² Analysis of this case rate permits comparisons of juvenile court activity over time while controlling for differences in the juvenile population.

The total delinquency case rate rose 30% from 1988 to 1997.³ During the same time period, case rates increased in all four general offense categories: 74% for person offenses, 5% for property offenses, 99% for drug offenses, and 48% for public order offenses. Over the more recent 5-year period, however, the property case rate declined 2%.

2 The upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction is defined by statute in each State. See the Glossary of Terms section for a more detailed discussion on upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction. Case rates presented in this Report control for State variations in juvenile population.

3 The percent change in the number of cases disposed may not be equal to the percent change in case rates, because of the changing size of the juvenile population.