| Violent Crime Victimization |
| Q: |
How many juveniles are victims of murder in the United States? |
| A: |
Between 1980 and 2010, an estimated 58,850 juveniles were murdered in the United States – 1,450 in 2010. |
Juvenile homicide victims, 1980-2010
| Year |
Juvenile
offender
involved |
Adult
offender
only |
Offender
unknown |
|
| 1980 |
294 |
1089 |
430 |
|
| 1981 |
321 |
1082 |
286 |
|
| 1982 |
240 |
1106 |
341 |
|
| 1983 |
274 |
947 |
315 |
|
| 1984 |
240 |
934 |
289 |
|
| 1985 |
261 |
1,013 |
299 |
|
| 1986 |
322 |
1,054 |
343 |
|
| 1987 |
309 |
1,026 |
378 |
|
| 1988 |
358 |
1,132 |
448 |
|
| 1989 |
444 |
1,198 |
513 |
|
| 1990 |
481 |
1,212 |
602 |
|
| 1991 |
522 |
1,360 |
693 |
|
| 1992 |
539 |
1,308 |
715 |
|
| 1993 |
620 |
1,388 |
833 |
|
| 1994 |
635 |
1,285 |
743 |
|
| 1995 |
533 |
1,363 |
726 |
|
| 1996 |
478 |
1,276 |
650 |
|
| 1997 |
370 |
1,112 |
576 |
|
| 1998 |
319 |
1,111 |
497 |
|
| 1999 |
267 |
1,068 |
462 |
|
| 2000 |
220 |
1,010 |
351 |
|
| 2001 |
208 |
1,035 |
396 |
|
| 2002 |
185 |
1,036 |
351 |
|
| 2003 |
203 |
981 |
359 |
|
| 2004 |
205 |
960 |
400 |
|
| 2005 |
230 |
1,020 |
384 |
|
| 2006 |
241 |
1,059 |
484 |
|
| 2007 |
262 |
1,064 |
475 |
|
| 2008 |
241 |
1,055 |
434 |
|
| 2009 |
213 |
946 |
367 |
|
| 2010 |
165 |
948 |
335 |
|
|
[ Graph version ]
[ Excel file ]
- Homicides of juveniles peaked in 1993 at about 2,840. The number of juvenile homicide victims in 2010 was 49% below the 1993 peak and near the level of the mid-1980s. Juveniles represented about 10% of all murder victims in 2010.
- In 2010, 30% of murdered juveniles were female, 49% were black, and 49% were killed with a firearm. Of the juvenile murder victims with known offenders in 2010, 38% were killed by family members, 46% by acquaintances, and 15% by strangers.
- In 2009, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (within the Centers for Disease Control) listed homicide as the fourth leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 11 and third for youth ages 12 to 17.
- Between 1980 through 2010, juvenile offenders participated in nearly 1 of every 4 homicides of juveniles in which the offenders were known to law enforcement. In about one-fifth of the juvenile homicides in which known juvenile offenders participated, adult offenders were also involved.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02304.asp?qaDate=2010.
Released on July 31, 2012. Adapted from Puzzanchera, C. and Kang, W. (2012). Easy Access to the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports: 1980-2010. Available on-line at: http://ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezashr/. Data Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980–2010 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: FBI.
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) [accessed July 2012 from www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars].
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