The probability of waiver to criminal court was substantially greater for cases involving older juveniles than for cases involving younger juveniles. In 1997, 1.6% of all formally processed delinquency cases involving juveniles age 16 or older were waived to criminal court, compared with 0.2% of cases involving younger juveniles (table 27). For older juveniles, the probability of waiver increased between 1988 and 1993 and then declined between 1993 and 1997. This pattern was most marked for older juveniles charged with person offenses, where the proportion of cases waived went from 3.8% to 5.6% and then down to 3.1%. For younger juveniles, the overall use of waiver remained relatively unchanged, although there were some variations across offense categories.

Once petitioned, juveniles age 15 or younger were slightly more likely to be adjudicated delinquent than were older youth (59% versus 57% in 1997). This pattern was found in all four offense categories (table 28). Between 1988 and 1997, the overall proportion of formally handled cases that resulted in adjudication declined for both age groups—from 61% to 59% among younger youth and from 59% to 57% among older youth. For both age groups, the likelihood of adjudication decreased for property offense and public order offense cases but increased for person offense cases between 1988 and 1997. For drug offense cases, the likelihood of adjudication remained the same for both age groups during this period.

In 1997, the proportion of adjudicated cases placed outside the home was just under 30% for both age groups (table 29). Between 1988 and 1997, the use of placement for adjudicated delinquency cases involving youth 16 or older declined for all offense categories except property. The use of out-of-home placement for adjudicated cases involving younger youth decreased for all four offense categories. There was, however, substantial change between 1988 and 1997 in the use of placement for drug offense cases: for both age groups, the use of placement in adjudicated drug cases decreased about 10 points between 1988 and 1993.

Once adjudicated, younger juveniles had a greater likelihood of being placed on formal probation than did older juveniles. In 1997, 57% of adjudicated cases involving younger youth resulted in probation, compared with 52% for older youth (table 30). For all offense categories, changes in the use of probation between 1988 and 1997 were relatively minor for both age groups.

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