Of all delinquency cases disposed by juvenile courts in 1997, more than half (57%, or 568 of every 1,000 cases) were processed formally (figure 2). Formal processing involves the filing of a petition requesting an adjudicatory or waiver hearing. Informal cases, on the other hand, are handled without a petition and without an adjudicatory or waiver hearing. The court dismissed nearly half of the informally handled (nonpetitioned) delinquency cases. Most of the remainder resulted in voluntary probation or other dispositions, but a small proportion involved voluntary out-of-home placements.

Among person offense, drug law violation, and public order cases, about 6 in 10 cases were handled formally by juvenile courts in 1997 (figure 3). Among property offense cases, the proportion of cases processed formally was a little more than half. As a result of this differential handling, formally processed cases in 1997 involved a higher proportion of person, drug, and public order offenses and a lower proportion of property offense cases when compared with the informally handled delinquency caseload (table 8).

The likelihood of formal processing for delinquency referrals increased between 1988 and 1997, rising from 48% to 57% (table 9). The likelihood of formal processing increased for all delinquency offense categories between 1988 and 1997. For example, the proportion of public order offense cases handled formally rose from 48% to 61%, and property offense cases increased from 45% to 53%.

As a result of the increase in the number of cases referred to juvenile court intake and the greater likelihood of petitioning, the number of formally processed delinquency cases increased 75% between 1988 and 1997, from 569,000 cases to 996,000 (table 10). The single largest percent change was for drug offense cases, with juvenile courts formally processing 144% more of these cases in 1997 than in 1988. Increases over 100% were also seen in formally processed person offense and public order offense cases. The number of formally processed property offense cases increased 39% between 1988 and 1997.