Demographic characteristics of cases handled by juvenile courts
| Year | Total | 12 & under | 13 to 15 | 16 | 17 & over | Male | Female | White | Minority | Black | American Indian | Asian/NHPI | Hispanic* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 437,300 | 32,300 | 197,500 | 108,200 | 99,400 | 320,800 | 116,500 | 194,300 | 243,100 | 154,200 | 9,100 | 4,900 | 74,900 |
| 2020 | 504,800 | 38,300 | 226,600 | 123,300 | 116,600 | 369,200 | 135,600 | 219,200 | 285,600 | 175,100 | 10,500 | 6,000 | 94,000 |
| 2019 | 711,900 | 60,900 | 326,800 | 169,200 | 155,000 | 513,700 | 198,200 | 303,300 | 408,600 | 251,700 | 13,300 | 8,400 | 135,200 |
| 2018 | 737,200 | 62,400 | 328,700 | 179,900 | 166,100 | 535,600 | 201,500 | 324,100 | 413,100 | 253,900 | 13,200 | 8,400 | 137,600 |
| 2017 | 782,700 | 62,600 | 345,800 | 195,900 | 178,400 | 571,600 | 211,100 | 345,100 | 437,700 | 272,900 | 13,400 | 8,500 | 142,900 |
| 2016 | 828,600 | 63,800 | 367,900 | 207,700 | 189,200 | 601,300 | 227,300 | 359,800 | 468,800 | 292,500 | 14,300 | 8,800 | 153,200 |
| 2015 | 882,600 | 68,400 | 394,700 | 222,100 | 197,500 | 640,700 | 241,900 | 384,400 | 498,200 | 311,300 | 14,400 | 9,500 | 163,000 |
| 2014 | 931,800 | 73,500 | 416,500 | 230,200 | 211,600 | 677,700 | 254,100 | 398,900 | 532,800 | 334,600 | 15,500 | 10,500 | 172,300 |
| 2013 | 999,900 | 80,700 | 451,500 | 248,600 | 219,200 | 726,800 | 273,100 | 435,900 | 564,000 | 354,100 | 16,100 | 11,700 | 182,100 |
| 2012 | 1,105,200 | 89,500 | 500,500 | 278,400 | 236,900 | 799,100 | 306,100 | 499,200 | 606,100 | 374,800 | 17,400 | 13,600 | 200,300 |
| 2011 | 1,202,900 | 95,400 | 539,500 | 305,900 | 262,200 | 869,400 | 333,500 | 539,900 | 663,000 | 404,100 | 18,200 | 15,400 | 225,300 |
| 2010 | 1,320,900 | 100,900 | 590,600 | 340,000 | 289,400 | 952,800 | 368,000 | 594,800 | 726,100 | 442,500 | 19,300 | 17,100 | 247,200 |
| 2009 | 1,440,900 | 104,400 | 646,700 | 373,000 | 316,800 | 1,037,800 | 403,100 | 654,300 | 786,700 | 489,300 | 20,100 | 18,600 | 258,600 |
| 2008 | 1,571,600 | 114,500 | 717,900 | 401,300 | 338,000 | 1,140,600 | 431,000 | 718,400 | 853,200 | 538,200 | 21,300 | 19,900 | 273,700 |
| 2007 | 1,591,300 | 121,000 | 742,600 | 399,000 | 328,700 | 1,159,300 | 432,100 | 740,600 | 850,800 | 539,100 | 22,400 | 20,200 | 269,100 |
| 2006 | 1,583,700 | 128,000 | 757,200 | 387,600 | 310,800 | 1,162,100 | 421,600 | 748,400 | 835,200 | 533,700 | 22,400 | 21,100 | 258,000 |
| 2005 | 1,645,000 | 142,500 | 800,700 | 388,800 | 313,100 | 1,192,000 | 453,000 | 790,800 | 854,200 | 546,800 | 23,600 | 22,200 | 261,700 |
| 2004 | 1,650,000 | 155,400 | 798,200 | 386,900 | 309,500 | 1,203,200 | 446,800 | 1,074,700 | 575,400 | 527,900 | 24,500 | 23,000 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1,650,800 | 166,900 | 792,100 | 381,900 | 309,900 | 1,213,700 | 437,000 | 1,096,500 | 554,200 | 506,300 | 24,700 | 23,200 | 0 |
| 2002 | 1,655,300 | 175,800 | 787,000 | 385,800 | 306,700 | 1,219,300 | 436,000 | 1,110,900 | 544,400 | 495,700 | 25,800 | 22,900 | 0 |
| 2001 | 1,668,600 | 184,200 | 792,600 | 386,600 | 305,200 | 1,238,000 | 430,500 | 1,131,100 | 537,400 | 488,800 | 25,100 | 23,500 | 0 |
| 2000 | 1,692,600 | 185,000 | 801,900 | 387,900 | 317,700 | 1,266,200 | 426,400 | 1,153,300 | 539,300 | 491,000 | 25,500 | 22,800 | 0 |
| 1999 | 1,710,300 | 183,400 | 808,700 | 403,500 | 314,600 | 1,296,300 | 414,000 | 1,165,200 | 545,100 | 496,500 | 26,900 | 21,700 | 0 |
| 1998 | 1,770,000 | 183,900 | 845,600 | 417,200 | 323,400 | 1,347,800 | 422,200 | 1,212,600 | 557,400 | 505,400 | 29,100 | 22,900 | 0 |
| 1997 | 1,855,800 | 192,400 | 893,100 | 441,100 | 329,200 | 1,423,500 | 432,300 | 1,253,800 | 602,000 | 549,200 | 28,400 | 24,400 | 0 |
| 1996 | 1,837,100 | 189,700 | 902,600 | 433,300 | 311,500 | 1,423,500 | 413,600 | 1,244,500 | 592,600 | 540,800 | 28,300 | 23,500 | 0 |
| 1995 | 1,799,600 | 199,600 | 897,200 | 403,400 | 299,400 | 1,403,700 | 396,000 | 1,208,500 | 591,100 | 543,000 | 25,500 | 22,700 | 0 |
| 1994 | 1,688,500 | 188,500 | 846,700 | 376,700 | 276,600 | 1,330,800 | 357,600 | 1,130,000 | 558,400 | 507,100 | 28,400 | 22,900 | 0 |
| 1993 | 1,552,600 | 178,100 | 774,800 | 342,200 | 257,400 | 1,237,200 | 315,400 | 1,037,800 | 514,800 | 469,600 | 24,900 | 20,300 | 0 |
| 1992 | 1,497,900 | 185,800 | 739,600 | 323,800 | 248,700 | 1,207,600 | 290,400 | 1,006,900 | 491,000 | 442,900 | 28,100 | 20,000 | 0 |
| 1991 | 1,425,700 | 178,300 | 695,100 | 316,600 | 235,700 | 1,155,800 | 269,900 | 957,700 | 468,000 | 422,700 | 25,900 | 19,300 | 0 |
| 1990 | 1,304,100 | 161,500 | 629,300 | 290,400 | 223,000 | 1,056,500 | 247,600 | 885,700 | 418,300 | 383,800 | 20,100 | 14,400 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1,231,400 | 152,900 | 580,900 | 276,800 | 220,800 | 1,000,900 | 230,600 | 843,900 | 387,600 | 352,000 | 22,200 | 13,300 | 0 |
| 1988 | 1,207,800 | 141,800 | 556,100 | 277,600 | 232,300 | 979,000 | 228,800 | 835,600 | 372,200 | 339,400 | 19,700 | 13,100 | 0 |
| 1987 | 1,200,200 | 138,900 | 554,700 | 290,500 | 216,100 | 969,600 | 230,600 | 854,500 | 345,700 | 313,500 | 20,300 | 12,000 | 0 |
| 1986 | 1,197,000 | 130,300 | 571,300 | 284,600 | 210,800 | 969,500 | 227,500 | 864,900 | 332,100 | 301,700 | 19,800 | 10,600 | 0 |
| 1985 | 1,161,500 | 138,000 | 569,200 | 260,100 | 194,200 | 937,300 | 224,100 | 851,000 | 310,500 | 280,500 | 20,000 | 10,000 | 0 |
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Note: The estimates in this table are rounded to the nearest 100. With the release of the 2014 data in March 2017, detailed race estimates developed by the National Juvenile Court Data Archive (Archive) project were expanded to include estimates for cases involving Hispanic youth for data years 2005-2014. As a result of this change, the race data shown in this table are not comparable across all data years. For the 1985-2004 data period, the Archive project developed race estimates for 4 race groups (White, Black/African-American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Asian/Pacific Islanders) without consideration of ethnicity; that is, during this data period, persons of Hispanic ethnicity can be of any race and are included within each of the four racial groups. Beginning with the 2005 data year, persons of Hispanic ethnicity are treated as a distinct race group and are excluded from the other race groups. For this reason, race estimates for the 1985-2004 data period are not comparable to the race estimates for the 2005-present data period. An important exception must be noted. Data provided to the project did not always allow for identification of Hispanic ethnicity for cases involving American Indian youth. Specifically, data from many jurisdictions did not include any means to determine the ethnicity of American Indian youth. Rather than assume ethnicity for these youth, they are classified solely on their racial classification; as such, the American Indian group includes an unknown proportion of Hispanic youth. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March 2020, may have impacted the policies, procedures, and data collection activities regarding referrals to and processing of youth by juvenile courts for an indeterminate period of time. Additionally, stay-at-home orders and school closures likely impacted the volume and type of law-violating behavior by youth referred to juvenile court. Suggested citation: Puzzanchera, C., Sladky, A., and Kang, W. (2023). "Easy Access to Juvenile Court Statistics: 1985-2021." Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezajcs/ |