| Petitioned Status Offense Cases |
| Q: |
What are the characteristics of petitioned status offense cases handled by juvenile courts? |
| A: |
Females accounted for 44% of the estimated 97,800 petitioned status offense handled by juvenile courts in 2018, youth under age 16 accounted for 57%, and white youth accounted for 61%. |
Characteristics of petitioned status offense cases handled by juvenile courts, 2018
| Most serious offense |
Number
of cases |
Percent of cases handled by juvenile courts |
| Female |
Under 16 |
White1 |
Black1 |
American
Indian |
Asian1 |
Hispanic |
| Total* |
97,800 |
44% |
57% |
61% |
23% |
3% |
2% |
11% |
| Runaway |
9,500 |
54% |
52% |
43% |
46% |
1% |
1% |
9% |
| Truancy |
61,000 |
45% |
62% |
61% |
20% |
3% |
3% |
13% |
| Curfew |
4,300 |
30% |
47% |
50% |
40% |
3% |
1% |
6% |
| Ungovernable |
8,400 |
42% |
65% |
59% |
36% |
1% |
1% |
4% |
| Liquor law violations |
8,900 |
42% |
31% |
75% |
6% |
9% |
1% |
9% |
* Includes other offenses not shown.
1Excludes persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity can be of any race.
Note: Percents are based on unrounded numbers.
- Status offenses are acts that are illegal only because the persons committing them are of juvenile status.
- In 2018, females accounted for more than half of all runaway cases, and 40% or more of all truancy, ungovernability, and liquor law violation cases.
- With the exception of curfew and liquor law violation cases, youth under age 16 accounted for more than half of cases involving other status offenses.
- With the exception of runaway cases, white youth accounted for at least half of petitioned status offenses cases in 2018.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/court/qa06603.asp?qaDate=2018.
Released on March 31, 2020.
Data Source: National Juvenile Court Data Archive. National Center for Juvenile Justice. Pittsburgh, PA.
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