U.S. Department of Justice, Office Of Justice Programs, Innovation - Partnerships - Safer Neighborhoods
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities
OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book logo jump over products navigation bar
OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book logoAbout SSBFrequently Asked QuestionsPublicationsData Analysis ToolsNational Data SetsOther ResourcesAsk a Question

Juvenile Population Characteristics
Juveniles as Victims
Juveniles as Offenders
Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process
Law Enforcement & Juvenile Crime
Juveniles in Court
Juveniles on Probation
Juveniles in Corrections
Juvenile Reentry & Aftercare
Special Topics
Data Snapshot
Statistical Briefing Book Home

OJJDP logo

Printer-priendlyPrinter-friendly
Juveniles in Court
Delinquency Cases
Q: Do delinquency case rates vary by age and offense?
A: Delinquency case rates generally increase with the age of the youth; however, within offense categories, there are variations in the pattern of age-specific case rates.
It is important to note that 2020 was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have impacted policies, procedures, and data collection activities regarding referrals to and processing of youth by juvenile courts. Additionally, stay-at-home orders and school closures likely impacted the volume and type of law-violating behavior by youth referred to juvenile court in 2020.

[ Text only ]  [ CSV file ]

  • Case rates for drug offenses increased continuously through age 17, while case rates for person, property, and public order offense cases peaked at age 16 in 2020.
  • The increase in case rates between age 13 and age 17 was sharpest for drug offenses. In 2020, the drug offense case rate for 17-year-olds was seven times the rate for 13-year-olds.
  • For public order offenses, the case rate for 17-year-olds was nearly three times the rate for 13-year-olds; for person offenses, the rate for 17-year-olds was nearly twice the rate for 13-year-olds.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/court/qa06202.asp?qaDate=2020. Released on January 10, 2023.

Data Source: National Juvenile Court Data Archive. National Center for Juvenile Justice. Pittsburgh, PA.

 

USA.gov | Privacy | Policies & Disclaimers | FOIA | Site Map | Ask a Question | OJJDP Home
A component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice