Known juvenile homicide offenders by race, 1980-2020

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Homicide

Q:	How does homicide offending by youth vary by race?
A:	The number of known juvenile murder offenders in 2020 was well below the mind-1990s peak for white and black youth.

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The number of known juvenile homicide offenders peaked in 1993 for black youth and 1994 for white youth. Between 1984 and their respective peaks, the number of known white juvenile murder offenders nearly doubled and the number of known black offenders quadrupled.
Since their respective peaks, the number of known juvenile homicide offenders declined through the early 2000s for both race groups. By 2020, the number of known white juvenile homicide offenders was twice their 2013 low point and 51% below the 1994 peak. Similarly, the number of known black juvenile homicide offenders in 2020 was 90% above their 2012 low point and 55% below the 1993 peak.
The number of known juvenile homicide offenders declined for both race groups between 2018 and 2019, and then increased in the last year: 34% for white juveniles and 42% for black juveniles.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/offenders/qa03101.asp?qaDate=2020. Released on December 09, 2021.

Adapted from Puzzanchera, C., Chamberlin, G. and Kang, W. (2021). Easy Access to the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports. Available on-line at: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezashr/.

Data Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980–2020 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: FBI.