Violent Juvenile Offenders

Rates of Violent Juvenile Offending

Although juvenile violence occurs at many different ages, the average age of a juvenile's first court appearance is 14. Behavior problems are known to develop around age 7, and crimes are committed around age 12. Of the various types of violent crimes, murder is the most severe form of all violent crimes. Firearms are used in the majority of the murders committed by juveniles. When the access to obtaining firearms became easier, the rates of murder began to rise. Firearms are more likely to be involved in murders by male offenders than by female offenders and in murders by Black offenders than by White offenders.

The nature of murders committed by juvenile offenders varies by race, gender, and age. A greater percentage of the victims of male juvenile murder offenders are adults than are the victims of female offenders. According to National Center for Juvenile Justice statistics from 2002, adults are typically the victims of 70% of White juvenile murder offenders and 77% of Black juvenile murder offenders. Although 76% of the victims of Black juvenile murder offenders are Black, Black murder offenders are much more likely than White offenders to have victims of another race. Juvenile murder offenders' age and gender are unrelated to the race of the victim. Female juvenile murder offenders are more likely than male juvenile murder offenders to have female victims and to have victims who were family members. Female juvenile murder offenders are more likely than male offenders to commit their crimes alone.

The 1990s saw a dramatic rise in the arrests of juvenile females; increases in girls' arrests dramatically outstripped those of boys for most of the past decade. In 2000, girls accounted for 27% of juvenile arrests, up from 22% at the beginning of the past decade. These shifts bring into sharp focus the need to better understand the dynamics involved in female delinquency and the need to tailor societal responses to the circumstances of girls growing up in the new millennium.

Risk Factors

Research defines risk factors as individual characteristics or factors found in family, school, community, and among peers that place youth at risk for becoming serious violent offenders. It is rare that a single factor can influence a child enough to commit a violent crime; usually more than one factor is needed for violent behavior to occur.