Juvenile Victims
Highlights from Chapter 2:
- In the 10 years from 1993 to 2002 the number of juveniles murdered in the U.S. fell 44%, to the lowest level since the mid-1980s. (p. 20)
- While there was a large increase and then a large decline in the murders of male juveniles between 1980 and 2002, the annual number of murdered juvenile females remained relatively constant. (p. 21)
- On an average day in 2002 about four juveniles were murdered, roughly 2 white and 2 black youth. Adjusting for the differences in their numbers in the general population, this means that in 2002 the risk of a black youth being murdered was four times that of a white youth. (p. 22)
- Between 1980 and 2002, at least 3 of every 4 murder victims ages 15-17 were killed with a firearm. (p. 23)
- Persons ages 7-17 are about as likely to be victims of suicide as they are to be victims of homicide. (p. 25) In most States juvenile suicides are more common than juvenile homicides. (p. 26)
- Between 1980 and 2001, for every 10 white juveniles murdered, 26 were juvenile suicide victims. In contrast, for every 10 black juveniles murdered, there was one black juvenile suicide victim. For every 10 Hispanic juveniles murdered, there were three juvenile suicide victims. (p. 25)
- One of every four violent crime victims known to law enforcement is a juvenile, and most of these victims are female. (p. 31)
- More than one-third of juvenile victims of violent crime known to law enforcement are under age 12. (p. 32)
- About two-thirds of violent crimes known to law enforcement with juvenile victims occur in a residence. (p. 36)
- Few statutory rapes reported to law enforcement involve both juvenile victims and juvenile offenders. The majority of victims were females (95%)-most of whom were ages 14 or 15. Male offenders were much older than their female victims. For example, almost half (48%) of the offenders of 17-year-old females were over age 24-at least a 7-year difference in age. (p. 37)
- One-third of all kidnap victims known to law enforcement were younger than 18. The peak age for being kidnapped is 20 for females and 2 for males. The kidnappings of children younger than 12 were most likely to be committed by a family member-primarily a parent. Among female victims ages 15-17, about two-thirds were kidnapped by an acquaintance and one-quarter were kidnapped by a stranger. (p. 40)
- Annually about 19 in 1,000 children below the age of 18 are missing from caretakers. Only a small fraction of missing children were abducted (about 10 in 100)-most by family members (8 in 10). Runaway youth account for nearly half of all missing children. (p. 43)
- Teens ages 15-17 accounted for 68% of the estimated 1.7 million youth who were gone from their homes either because they had run away or because their caretakers threw them out. Fewer than 4 in 10 of all runaway/thrownaway youth were truly missing-their parents knew where they were staying. Most youth who ran away or were thrown out of their homes were gone less than a week (77%). (p. 45)
- Comparisons of NISMART-1 and NISMART-2 find no evidence of an increase in the incidence of missing children. (p. 46)
- In 2003, child protective services agencies received an estimated 2.9 million referrals alleging that children were abused or neglected. An estimated 5.5 million children were included in these referrals. This translates into a rate of 39 referrals for every 1,000 children younger than 18 in the U.S. population. (p. 51)
- In 2003, child protective services agencies conducted investigations or assessments in 68% of referrals or an estimated 1.9 million reports involving more than 3.4 million children. Nationally, 26% of investigated reports were substantiated, 4% were indicated, and 57% were unsubstantiated. (p. 52)
- Neglect was the most common form of maltreatment for victims in 2003. Law enforcement/ justice system personnel accounted for substantial proportions of victims reported to CPS for neglect (26%), sexual abuse (26%), and psychological maltreatment (30%). Medical personnel reported 27% of medical neglect victims. Nearly half of all physical abuse victims were reported by education (22%) or law enforcement/justice system (21%) personnel. (p. 53)
- The vast majority of perpetrators were parents (80%), including birth parents, adoptive parents, and stepparents. Parents were less likely to commit sexual abuse than were other types of perpetrators. (p. 55)
- Reported child maltreatment fatalities typically involve infants and toddlers and result from neglect. Most child maltreatment fatalities involved families without a recent history with CPS. (p. 56)
- Reunification with parents was the most common outcome for children exiting foster care. However, the number of children adopted from public foster care increased 40% from 1998 to 2003. Most children adopted from foster care were adopted by their foster parents. (p. 59)