Victimizations per 1,000 juveniles ages 12-17

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

Printer-friendly

Violent Crime Victimization

Q:	What are the trends in serious violent crime victimization of youth?
A:	The serious violent victimization rate for juveniles ages 12-17 increased from 1985 to 1993 and then dropped substantially.

Serious violent victimizations per 1,000 juveniles in age group, 1980-2003

Serious violent victimizations per 1,000 juveniles ages 12-17, 1980-2003

Note: Serious violent crimes include aggravated assault, rape, robbery, and homicide. Aggravated assault, rape, and robbery data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey and homicide data are from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
*Reporting standards were not met for the 2007 estimate for female or black juveniles.
** Due to changes in methodology, 2006 crime victimization rates are not comparable to other years and cannot be used for yearly trend comparisons.
***Data from 2003 onward are collected under the 1997 OMB Standards. Persons could select one or more of five racial groups and are not directly comparable with data from earlier years. Data on race and Hispanic origin are now collected separately.

[ Text only ] [ Excel file ]

The rate of serious violent victimization for youth ages 12-17 in 2009 was about one-quarter the rate in 1993.
From 1980 through 2009, the serious violent crime victimization rate for youth age 15-17 averaged about 25% more than the rate for youth ages 12-14, the average rate for juvenile males was more than double the female rate, and the rate for black juveniles averaged nearly 70% above the white rate***.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02501.asp?qaDate=2009. Released on October 16, 2011.

Data source: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics' America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2011. [Table PHY6 located at http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/tables.asp]