| 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 57,700 petitioned status offense cases handled by juvenile courts in 2020, youth under age 16 accounted for 60%, and white youth accounted for 60%. |
Characteristics of petitioned status offense cases handled by juvenile courts, 2020
| Most serious offense |
Number
of cases |
Percent of cases handled by juvenile courts |
| Female |
Under 16 |
White1 |
Black1 |
American
Indian |
Asian/NHPI1 |
Hispanic |
| Total* |
57,400 |
44% |
60% |
60% |
22% |
4% |
3% |
12% |
| Runaway |
6,500 |
55% |
55% |
45% |
42% |
2% |
2% |
10% |
| Truancy |
33,400 |
45% |
66% |
59% |
19% |
4% |
3% |
14% |
| Curfew |
2,800 |
31% |
56% |
55% |
33% |
3% |
1% |
9% |
| Ungovernable |
4,800 |
45% |
66% |
61% |
33% |
1% |
1% |
5% |
| Liquor law violations |
6,000 |
42% |
31% |
72% |
7% |
10% |
2% |
10% |
* 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.
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.
- Status offenses are acts that are illegal only because the persons committing them are of juvenile status.
- In 2020, females accounted for more than half (55%) of all runaway cases, 31% of all curfew violation cases, and 40% or more of all other status offense cases.
- Youth under age 16 accounted for more than 60% of truancy and ungovernability cases in 2020.
- With the exception of runaway cases, white youth accounted for at least half of petitioned status offenses cases in 2020.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/court/qa06603.asp?qaDate=2020.
Released on January 10, 2023.
Data Source: National Juvenile Court Data Archive. National Center for Juvenile Justice. Pittsburgh, PA.
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