Juvenile homicide victims by race, 1980-2010

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

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Violent Crime Victimization

Q:	Does juvenile homicide victimization vary by race?
A:	Black youth accounted for about 16% of the juvenile population between 1980 and 2010, but were the victims in 47% of juvenile homicides during the 31-year period.

Year	White	Black	Other

1980	1020	703	26
1981	976	674	28
1982	959	686	37
1983	853	644	34
1984	832	589	37
1985	862	655	48
1986	894	774	44
1987	852	810	35
1988	910	976	33
1989	987	1,094	48
1990	1,088	1,140	44
1991	1,193	1,306	62
1992	1,163	1,308	77
1993	1,249	1,487	86
1994	1,178	1,385	89
1995	1,235	1,277	92
1996	1,174	1,135	67
1997	969	961	107
1998	1024	831	53
1999	921	774	82
2000	808	712	41
2001	845	726	52
2002	796	707	55
2003	770	708	47
2004	789	709	37
2005	811	754	41
2006	872	845	46
2007	870	860	47
2008	847	805	45
2009	749	716	49
2010	682	703	43

[ Graph version ] [ Excel file ]

In the early 1980s, the homicide rate for black juveniles was about 4 times the rate for white juveniles. This disparity increased so that by 1993 the black rate was 6 times the white rate. The relatively greater decline in black juvenile homicides between 1993 and 2002 (down 52%, compared with a 36% decline for whites) dropped the disparity in black-to-white homicide rates back to 4-to-1, before increasing slightly in the 2003 through 2010 period.
Nearly half (49%) of juvenile murder victims in 2010 were black, 47% were white, and 3% were either American Indian or Asian.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02310.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.