Estimated number of juvenile arrests, 2000

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Working for Youth Justice and Safety

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Juvenile Arrests

Q:	How many arrests are made of persons under age 18?
A:	In 2000, law enforcement agencies made an estimated 2.2 million arrests of persons under the age of 18.

Most serious offense		Number of juvenile arrests	Percent of total juvenile arrests
			Female		Under age 15		Percent change
			Female		Under age 15		1991-00		1996-00		1999-00

Total		2,157,200	25	%	32	%	1	%	-19	%	-2	%
Violent Crime Index		99,200	18		33		-19		-27		-5
	Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter	1,200	11		12		-65		-58		-17
	Forcible rape	4,400	1		38		-30		-21		-7
	Robbery	27,500	9		27		-38		-45		-7
	Aggravated assault	66,100	23		36		-3		-14		-4
Property Crime Index		516,600	30		39		-29		-29		-2
	Burglary	95,200	11		38		-36		-30		-3
	Larceny-theft	362,500	37		40		-24		-28		-2
	Motor vehicle theft	50,400	17		26		-44		-31		1
	Arson	8,500	12		65		-9		-16		-5
Nonindex
	Other assaults	234,300	31		43		43		0		1
	Forgery and counterfeiting	6,300	32		13		-31		-27		-5
	Fraud	16,200	28		27		11		-30		-8
	Embezzlement	1,900	48		6		85		48		18
	Stolen property (buying, receiving, possessing)	26,100	15		28		-43		-36		-7
	Vandalism	113,600	12		44		-20		-20		-2
	Weapons (carrying, possessing, etc.)	36,500	11		34		-25		-31		-12
	Prostitution and commercialized vice	1,400	55		13		3		5		4
	Sex offenses (except forcible rape and prostitution)	17,500	7		52		-8		-2		5
	Drug abuse violations	197,500	15		16		146		-7		3
	Gambling	1,100	5		16		-24		-61		10
	Offenses against the family and children	8,800	38		38		128		1		-6
	Driving under the influence	21,300	17		3		14		16		-5
	Liquor law violations	130,400	31		10		-10		-18		-5
	Drunkenness	21,900	20		13		-1		-8		6
	Disorderly conduct	160,700	28		38		21		-26		-3
	Vagrancy	3,600	20		23		18		-6		19
	All other offenses (except traffic)	387,800	25		28		16		-15		-3
	Curfew and loitering	154,700	31		28		66		-16		-7
	Runaways*	142,000	59		38		-20		-27		-4

*As of 2010, the FBI no longer reports arrests for running away. As a result of this change, all versions of this table prior to 2010 have been revised to remove the estimated number of runaway arrests from the estimated number of all juvenile arrests.

[ Excel file ]

In 2000, there were an estimated 1,200 juvenile arrests for murder. Between 1996 and 2000, juvenile arrests for murder fell 58%.
Females accounted for 23% of juvenile arrests for aggravated assault and 31% of juvenile arrests for other assaults (i.e., simple assaults and intimidations) in 2000. Females were involved in 59% of all arrests for running away from home and 31% of arrests for curfew and loitering violations.
Between 1991 and 2000, there were substantial declines in juvenile arrests for murder (65%), motor vehicle theft (44%), and burglary (36%) and major increases in juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations (146%) and curfew and loitering violations (66%).
Youth under the age of 15 accounted for 65% of all juvenile arrests for arson in 2000.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/qa05101.asp?qaDate=2000. Revised on December 17, 2012.

Data Source: Arrest estimates developed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and disseminated through “Arrest Data Analysis Tool.” Online. Available from the BJS website.