| Q: |
What are the characteristics of delinquency cases handled by juvenile courts? |
| A: |
Females accounted for over one-fourth (27%) of the 508,400 delinquency cases handled by juvenile courts in 2020, youth under age 16 accounted for 53% of all cases, and white youth accounted for 43% of all cases. |
Characteristics of delinquency cases handled by juvenile courts, 2020
| Most serious offense |
Number
of cases |
Percent of cases handled by juvenile courts |
| Female |
Under 16 |
White1 |
Black 1 |
American
Indian |
Asian/
NHPI1 |
Hispanic |
| Total Delinquency |
508,400 |
27% |
53% |
43% |
35% |
2% |
1% |
19% |
| Person Offenses |
175,500 |
30% |
58% |
42% |
36% |
2% |
1% |
19% |
Violent Crime Index* |
45,900 |
17% |
50% |
29% |
45% |
2% |
1% |
23% |
Criminal homicide |
1,200 |
10% |
30% |
21% |
49% |
2% |
1% |
27% |
Rape |
6,500 |
4% |
59% |
56% |
24% |
2% |
1% |
18% |
Robbery |
16,200 |
11% |
46% |
14% |
61% |
1% |
1% |
22% |
Aggravated assault |
22,100 |
25% |
52% |
33% |
39% |
2% |
1% |
25% |
Simple assault |
105,100 |
37% |
60% |
43% |
34% |
2% |
1% |
19% |
Other violent sex offenses |
5,900 |
6% |
70% |
62% |
20% |
3% |
2% |
13% |
Other person offenses |
18,500 |
30% |
62% |
58% |
28% |
4% |
1% |
9% |
| Property Offenses |
161,000 |
24% |
54% |
43% |
37% |
2% |
1% |
16% |
Property Crime Index** |
105,600 |
25% |
52% |
40% |
40% |
2% |
1% |
17% |
Burglary |
32,200 |
12% |
54% |
38% |
41% |
2% |
1% |
18% |
Larceny-theft |
57,500 |
34% |
50% |
43% |
38% |
2% |
1% |
15% |
Motor vehicle theft |
14,500 |
22% |
53% |
31% |
46% |
2% |
1% |
21% |
Arson |
1,400 |
16% |
73% |
58% |
27% |
1% |
1% |
14% |
Vandalism |
29,800 |
20% |
59% |
56% |
24% |
3% |
1% |
16% |
Trespassing |
14,900 |
23% |
55% |
47% |
33% |
1% |
1% |
17% |
Stolen property offenses |
5,800 |
14% |
46% |
21% |
67% |
2% |
1% |
9% |
Other property offenses |
4,900 |
25% |
53% |
45% |
41% |
2% |
1% |
11% |
| Drug law violations |
56,900 |
26% |
37% |
55% |
19% |
3% |
1% |
23% |
| Public Order Offenses |
115,000 |
27% |
50% |
41% |
37% |
2% |
1% |
20% |
Obstruction of justice |
55,100 |
26% |
43% |
37% |
39% |
2% |
1% |
21% |
Disorderly conduct |
28,100 |
36% |
64% |
44% |
42% |
2% |
1% |
12% |
Weapons offenses |
12,100 |
10% |
44% |
28% |
43% |
1% |
2% |
26% |
Liquor Law Violations |
2,500 |
35% |
32% |
62% |
6% |
3% |
2% |
28% |
Nonviolent sex offense |
8,300 |
20% |
58% |
57% |
17% |
1% |
2% |
24% |
Other public order offenses |
9,000 |
23% |
54% |
52% |
21% |
1% |
3% |
24% |
* Includes criminal homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
** Includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
1Excludes persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity can be of any race.
Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. Percents are based on unrounded numbers.
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.
- Delinquency offenses are acts committed by juveniles that would be crimes if committed by adults.
- In 2020, females accounted for 34% of all larceny-theft cases, 35% of all liquor law violation cases, 36% of disorderly conduct cases, and 37% of all simple assault cases.
- Youth under age 16 accounted for nearly three-fourths (73%) of all arson cases handled in 2020, 60% of simple assault cases, and 64% of disorderly conduct cases.
- Racial and ethnic minority youth combined to account for 71% of all Violent Crime Index offense cases and 45% of all drug law violation cases.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/court/qa06206.asp?qaDate=2020.
Released on January 10, 2023. Adapted from Easy Access to Juvenile Court Statistics. Available on-line at: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezajcs/.
Data Source: National Juvenile Court Data Archive. National Center for Juvenile Justice. Pittsburgh, PA.
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