Males were involved in 77% of the delinquency cases handled by juvenile courts in 1997 (table 31). Male juveniles were responsible for 74% of person offense cases, 76% of property offense cases, 85% of drug law violation cases, and 76% of public order offense cases. The offense characteristics of the male and female juvenile court caseloads were similar (table 32), although cases involving female juveniles were less likely to involve drug law violations (7% compared with 12%) and more likely to involve person offenses (25% versus 21%).

Between 1988 and 1997, the number of delinquency cases involving males increased 39%, while the number of cases involving females increased 83% (table 33). Both males and females showed considerable growth in the number of person offense cases (82% and 155%, respectively). Among males, the largest percent change was in drug offense cases (up 124% between 1988 and 1997). Among females, there was also a large increase in the number of drug offense cases (132%), but the largest change was in person offense cases.

In 1997, the delinquency case rate for males was more than three times greater than the rate for females—91.1 compared with 29.5. In 1988, however, the male case rate was about four times greater. Between 1988 and 1997, the relative change in delinquency case rates was greater for females than for males in all the major offense categories. Case rates for person offenses increased 126% for females and 61% for males, rates for drug offenses increased 106% for females and 98% for males, rates for public order offenses increased 71% for females and 41% for males, and rates for property offenses increased 36% for females and decreased 2% for males.

In 1997, overall delinquency case rates for both males and females increased with age through age 16. Rates for 17-year-old males were equal to those for 16-year-olds, while rates for 17-year-old females were less than those for 16-year-olds (figure 9). Male case rates increased continuously through age 17 in two of the four delinquency offense categories: drug law violations and public order (figure 10). For females, only the drug offense case rate increased continuously through age 17.