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

The most serious charge in almost half of all juvenile arrests in 1999 was one of the following offenses: larceny-theft, simple assault, drug abuse violation, disorderly conduct, or curfew violation


Percent of total juvenile arrests
Most serious offense charged 1999 juvenile arrest estimates Female Under age 15 White Black American
Indian 		Asian
Total
2,468,800  
 27% 32% 72% 25% 1% 2%
Violent Crime Index
103,900   
 17      33      57      41      1      2     
    Murder and
    nonnegligent
    manslaughter
1,400   
 8      12      47      49      2      2     
    Forcible rape
5,000   
 2      38      63      35      1      1     
   Robbery
28,000   
 9      26      43      54      1      2     
    Aggravated assault
69,600   
 22      36      62      35      1      2     
Property Crime Index
541,500   
 29      39      69      27      1      2     
   Burglary
101,000   
 11      38      73      24      1      2     
   Larceny-theft
380,500   
 36      40      70      26      2      2     
   Motor vehicle theft
50,800   
 16      26      57      39      1      3     
   Arson
9,200   
 11      67      80      18      1      1     
Other (simple) assaults
237,300   
 30      43      65      32      1      1     
Forgery and counterfeiting
7,000   
 37      13      78      20      1      2     
Fraud
13,100   
 29      22      57      41      1      2     
Embezzlement
1,700   
 48      6      63      34      0      2     
Stolen property (buying, receiving, possessing)
29,100   
 13      27      59      38      1      2     
Vandalism
119,500   
 12      44      82      16      1      1     
Weapons (carrying, possessing, etc.)
42,500   
 9      32      68      30      1      2     
Prostitution and commercialized vice
1,300   
 54      14      58      40      1      2     
Sex offenses (except forcible rape and prostitution)
16,600   
 8      51      73      26      1      1     
Drug abuse violations
198,400   
 14      16      69      29      1      1     
Gambling
1,200   
 4      11      16      81      0      2     
Offenses against family and children
10,100   
 38      35      76      21      1      3     
Driving under the influence
23,000   
 17      3      92      5      2      1     
Liquor law violations
165,700   
 31      10      92      5      3      1     
Drunkenness
21,700   
 20      13      91      8      1      1     
Disorderly conduct
176,200   
 28      37      67      31      1      1     
Vagrancy
2,400   
 19      20      75      23      2      1     
All other offenses
(except traffic)
434,100   
 25      28      74      23      1      2     
Suspicion
1,900   
 22      29      72      27      0      1     
Curfew and loitering law violations
170,000   
 30      28      72      25      1      1     
Runaways
150,700   
 59      39      77      18      1      4     
U.S. population
ages 10–17
31,321,307   
 49      62      79      16      1      4     

  • Although black youth accounted for 16% of the juvenile population in 1999, they were involved in 54% of juvenile arrests for robbery and 49% of juvenile arrests for murder.

  • Females accounted for the majority of juvenile arrests for running away from home (59%) and prostitution (54%).

Notes: UCR data do not distinguish the ethnic group Hispanic; Hispanics may be of any race. In 1999, 91% of Hispanics ages 10–17 were classified racially as white. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Data source: Analyses of data presented in the FBI’s Crime in the United States 1999 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2000). National estimates of juvenile arrests were developed using FBI estimates of total arrests and juvenile arrest proportions in the reporting sample.



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