Estimated number of homicide victims of juvenile offenders, 1980-2020

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

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Homicide

Q:	How many murders are committed by youth in the United States?
A:	Known juvenile offenders were involved in about 1,122 murders in the U.S. in 2020, representing about 8% of all known murder offenders.

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Between 1994 and 2003, the estimated number of murders involving a juvenile offender fell 65% to its lowest level since at least 1980. However, between 2003 and 2006, the estimated number of juvenile murder offenders increased 28%, then fell 42% through 2013. This period of decline was followed by an 83% increase through 2020.
In the last year, murders by juveniles acting alone increased 30%, murders involving multiple juvenile offenders increased 65%, and murders committed by juveniles and adults increased 56%.
In the 1980s, 25% of the murders involving a juvenile offender also involved an adult offender. This proportion grew to 41% in the 2010s, and reached 43% in 2020.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/offenders/qa03105.asp?qaDate=2020. Released on December 09, 2021.

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