Issues Regarding Juvenile Offenders and Juvenile Justice
Issues Regarding Juvenile Offenders and Juvenile Justice
The Misconceptions
-Although there is a widespread perception that teen violence in the United States is out of control, the truth is that our overall perceptions are fueled by dramatic occurrences that do not quite reflect reality.
For example, fewer than 20 children under the age of 14 commit murder in any given year.
-Homicides committed by juveniles are relatively rare, accounting for only 14% of all homicides for which an offender was identified in 1995.
-75% of homicide victims ages 12 to 17 are killed by adults.
The Facts
-Juvenile courts in the U.S. processed nearly 1.8 million delinquency cases cases in 1996, an increase of 49% since 1987.
-Juveniles accounted for 19% of all violent crime arrests in 1994.
-Murders of juveniles increased 66% between 1985 and 1995, mainly in the group aged 12 through 16.
-Among juvenile offenders, males made up 85% of the total juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses, although the rate of increase for females (34%) from 1991 to 1995 was four times the rate of increase for males.
-African American juveniles were six times more likely than Caucasian juveniles to be victims of homicide in 1994 (61% of offenders were African American and 36% were Caucasian.
-Schools are primary settings for juvenile violence (37% of all violent crimes experienced by youths aged 12 to 15 occurred on school grounds, while 56% of all juvenile victimizations (property and violent crimes) in 1991 occurred in school or on school property.
-Gun homicides by juveniles in the U.S. tripled between 1983 and 1997, while homicides involving other weapons declined.
-According to the Centers for Disease Control (1993), 2.5 million teenagers in the U.S. carry weapons and frequently take them to school.
Limitations/Future Challenges
Successful interventions cost money and a significant investment of human resources.
It is unclear as to whether or not local, state, or federal govt. officials will commit to approaches based on valid research and knowledge, rather than on policies in order to win votes.
It is also unclear as to whether or not govt. officials will fund studies at the level they need to be in order to determine what works.