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

Based on the FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Report (SHR) data, 15,530 persons were murdered in the U.S. in 1999—the lowest number since 1969. Of these murders, about 1,040 were determined by law enforcement to involve a juvenile offender; however, the actual number is greater than this. In 1999, the FBI had no information on the offender(s) for about 5,630 reported murders (36% of the total). These may have been murders for which no one was arrested or the offender was otherwise not identified, or they may have been cases for which the local agency did not report complete information to the FBI. Regardless, the number of murders committed by juveniles in 1999 was undoubtedly greater than 1,040, but just how much greater is difficult to determine. If it is assumed that the involvement of juveniles in murders without offender information is similar to their involvement in murders with offender information, then about 1,630 murders (or 11% of all murders) in 1999 had at least one offender who was under the age of 18 at the time of the crime.

The 1,040 murders known to involve a juvenile offender in 1999 involved about 1,280 juveniles and 540 adults. Of all murders involving a juvenile offender, 32% also involved an adult and 9% involved another juvenile. In all, 41% of all murders involving a juvenile in 1999 involved more than one person and 59% involved a lone juvenile.

Between 1980 and 1999, the proportion of murders by juveniles that also involved adult offenders increased In the peak year of 1994, 31% of the 2,320 murders that involved a juvenile offender also involved an adult offender. Between 1984 and 1994, the number of murders involving only juvenile offenders increased by 150%, while murders involving both juveniles and adults increased 300%. Data source: Analysis of the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980 through 1999 [machine-readable data files].

Between 1980 and 1999, most victims of murders involving juvenile offenders were male (83%). Slightly more victims were white (51%) than black (47%). In 27% of murders by juveniles, the victim was also a juvenile. Victims in 70% of murders by juveniles were killed with a firearm; 25% were murdered with another type of weapon (e.g., knife, blunt object); and 5% were murdered with hands or feet. Of all victims killed by juveniles, 2% were parents, 12% were other family members, 55% were acquaintances, and 31% were strangers.

Between 1980 and 1999, the large majority (93%) of known juvenile murder offenders were male. More than half (56%) were black. Of known juvenile murder offenders, 42% were age 17, 29% were age 16, and 17% were age 15; 88% were age 15 or older.

Between 1980 and 1999, the annual number of family members killed by juveniles did not change The overall growth and decline in the annual number of murders by juveniles during this period were attributable to trends in murders of acquaintances and, to a lesser extent, strangers. Data source: Analysis of the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980 through 1999 [machine-readable data files].

Between 1980 and 1999, an annual average of about 35 juveniles age 12 or younger were identified as participants in murders—a figure that remained essentially constant over the time period. The majority of these young murder offenders were male (83%), and half (51%) were black. For young offenders, the victim was more likely to be an acquaintance (46%) than a family member (37%) or a stranger (17%). A firearm was involved in 53% of the murders committed by these young offenders.

Between 1980 and 1999, 1 in 4 victims killed by juvenile offenders was age 16–19 The modal age for murder victims killed by juveniles was 17. More than half (52%) of the victims murdered by juveniles were between ages 14 and 25. Of all persons murdered by juvenile offenders, 9% were over age 50. Data source: Analysis of the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980 through 1999 [machine-readable data files].

Between 1980 and 1999, 55% of male juvenile murder offenders killed an acquaintance, 37% killed a stranger, and 9% killed a family member. Compared with males, female juvenile murder offenders were far more likely to kill family members (39%) and less likely to kill strangers (15%) or acquaintances (46%).

Between 1980 and 1999, a juvenile offender participated in 47% of the murders of 14-year-olds—the age group with the greatest proportion of juvenile-involved murders Between 1980 and 1999, fewer than 10% of murder victims ages 23 through 76 were killed by a juvenile. Data source: Analysis of the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980 through 1999 [machine-readable data files].

Between 1980 and 1999, about 2% of male offenders killed persons under age 6, while 21% of female offenders killed young children. Because there were so many more male offenders than female offenders, however, roughly equal numbers of male and female juvenile offenders were involved in the murder of young children. Annually between 1980 and 1999, 10% of male and 12% of female juvenile offenders were involved in the death of a person age 50 or older.

Males were far more likely than females to kill with a firearm. Between 1980 and 1999, 72% of male juvenile murder offenders used a firearm, while 13% used a knife. In contrast, 38% of female juvenile murder offenders used a firearm, and 29% used a knife.

Youth were most likely to kill persons of their own race. Between 1980 and 1999, 82% of juvenile murder offenders were involved in murders of persons of their own race. Same-race killing was most common for white youth (90%) and less common for blacks (77%), Asian/Pacific Islanders (59%), and American Indians (45%).

Males—not females—drove the trends in murders by juveniles between 1980 and 1999 Between 1980 and 1999, 93% of known juvenile murder offenders were male. Throughout this period, females were never more than 13% of known juvenile murder offenders. The 13% peak was in 1983. Data source: Analysis of the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980 through 1999 [machine-readable data files].

The numbers of white and black juvenile murder offenders were equal between 1980 and 1986—a circumstance that did not occur again until 1998 Between 1986 and 1994, the number of white juvenile murder offenders increased 64%, compared with 185% for blacks. By 1999, the numbers of white and black juvenile murder offenders had nearly fallen back to their 1985 levels. Data source: Analysis of the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980 through 1999 [machine-readable data files].

Overall, female offenders were more likely than males to kill within their own race (90% vs. 81%). Proportions of same-race murder victims were similar for white male and female juvenile offenders (90% and 91%, respectively) but differed for black male and female offenders (76% and 90%, respectively).

Between 1980 and 1999, 76% of black juvenile murder offenders used a firearm in their crimes. This proportion was lower for Asian/Pacific Islander (71%), white (62%), and American Indian (48%) youth.

A greater proportion of white and American Indian youth killed family members than did youth of other races: white (16%), American Indian (16%), black (7%), and Asian/Pacific Islander (7%).

Between 1980 and 1999, 50% of all juvenile murder offenders acted alone, while 20% committed their acts with other juveniles and 30% with adults. Older offenders were more likely than younger offenders to commit their acts with adults.

Percent of juvenile murder offenders
Age of offender	Acted alone	With juveniles	With adults
Total	50%	20%	30%
<12	79	13	8
12	69	20	12
13	57	26	17
14	50	27	23
15	48	25	27
16	49	22	29
17	50	16	34
Note: Detail may not total 100% because of rounding.

The overall trend in murders by juveniles between 1980 and 1999 is all firearm related In 1983, the number of juveniles who killed with a firearm was roughly equal to the number who killed using all other instruments (e.g., knives, clubs, fists, feet). In the peak year of 1994, 81% of juvenile murder offenders killed with a firearm. In 1999, 67% of juvenile murder offenders killed with a firearm. Data source: Analysis of the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980 through 1999 [machine-readable data files].

Firearm use increased between 1980 and 1994 for white, black, and male juvenile murder offenders but not for females Each year from 1980 to 1999, juvenile male murder offenders were more likely than female offenders to use a firearm, with the gender disparity increasing in the 1990s. Each year from 1980 to 1999, black juvenile murder offenders were more likely than white offenders to use a firearm. Data source: Analysis of the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980 through 1999 [machine-readable data files].

Law Enforcement and Juvenile Crime	OJJDP National Report Series Bulletin December 2001