This Bulletin is part of the Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report Series. Published every 4 years, the National Report offers a comprehensive statistical overview of the problems of juvenile crime, violence, and victimization and the response of the juvenile justice system. During each interim year, the Bulletins in the National Report Series provide access to the latest information on juvenile arrests, court cases, juveniles in custody, and other topics of interest. Each Bulletin in the series highlights selected topics at the forefront of juvenile justice policymaking, giving readers focused access to statistics on some of the most critical issues. Together, the National Report and this series provide a baseline of facts for juvenile justice professionals, policymakers, the media, and concerned citizens.

A Message From OJJDP

Most information about law enforcement’s response to juvenile crime comes from the FBI’s UCR Program

Murders by juveniles fell in 1999 to their lowest level since the mid-1980s

Law enforcement agencies in the U.S. made 2.5 million arrests of persons under age 18 in 1999

In 1999, approximately 1 in 6 arrests made by law enforcement agencies involved a juvenile

The female percentage of juvenile arrests increased over the last two decades in most offense categories

Public policy in the last two decades was driven by concerns about the rise in juvenile violence

The era of extraordinary rates of juvenile murder arrests appears to have ended

Forcible rape arrests indicate a decline in sexual offenders entering the juvenile justice system

In 1999, juvenile arrest rates for robbery fell to their lowest level in more than 20 years

Unlike trends for other violent crimes, juvenile arrest rates for aggravated assault remained high in 1999

Juveniles were less likely to be arrested for property crimes in 1999 than they were 20 years earlier

Juvenile arrest rates for burglary declined substantially in the 1980s and 1990s

Juvenile arrest rates for larceny-theft fell in 1999 to a level lower than any since at least 1980

The growth in juvenile motor vehicle theft arrest rates that began in 1984 was erased by 1999

More than half of all persons arrested for arson in 1999 were under age 18, and 1 in 5 was under 13

Juvenile arrest rates for simple assault grew substantially through the 1980s and 1990s

Juvenile arrest rate trends for weapons law violations have paralleled trends for violent crimes

After more than a decade of relative stability, juvenile drug arrest rates climbed 118% in 5 years

Clearance proportions give insight into the relative involvement of juveniles and adults in crime

In 1999, about two-thirds of the States had a juvenile violent crime arrest rate below the national average

High violent crime arrest rates are found in a relatively small proportion of counties

States with high juvenile property crime arrest rates in 1999 tended to have low violent crime arrest rates

Property Crime Index arrest rates are a barometer of the flow of youth into the juvenile justice system