Juvenile Crime and Punishment. Causes of Youth Violence Complex interplay of factors Correlations, not predictions Accumulation of risk Number of resources.

Juvenile Crime and Juvenile Crime and PunishmentPunishment

Causes of Youth Causes of Youth ViolenceViolence

Complex interplay of factors

Correlations, not predictions

Accumulation of risk

Number of resources

The Development of The Development of DelinquencyDelinquency

Individual-level risk factorsSocial factorsCommunity factorsNeighborhood factors

The system ...…..The system ...….. founded on the principle of hope

designed to help youth overcome criminal tendencies

focused on rehabilitation, not punishment

based on the assumption that youth are not fully

responsible for their actions

Informal proceedings A high level of court discretion Judge acting “in the child’s best interest” Closed court proceedings

Confidential records

Charged as “delinquents” not “criminals”

Found “delinquent” not “guilty”

No imprisonment, training schools and reformatories

It is a system ...It is a system ...…..…..

The Juvenile Justice and The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, Delinquency Prevention Act,

1992 1992 Limits placement of juveniles in adult facilities

Jail removal requirement: they shall not be detained

or confined in any institution in which they have contact

with adult(s) incarcerated because they have been

convicted of a crime or are awaiting trial on criminal

charges

The Juvenile Justice and The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act Delinquency Prevention Act

Exempt are juveniles held in secure

facilities if the juvenile is being tried as a

criminal for a felony or has been convicted

as a criminal felon.

The Juvenile Justice and The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act Delinquency Prevention Act

Sight and Sound Separation: In

institutions other than adult jails or lockups,

confinement is permitted if the juvenile and

adult inmates cannot see each other and no

conversation between them is possible.

The Juvenile Justice and The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act Delinquency Prevention Act

Requires that states determine whether the

proportion of minorities in confinement exceeds

the proportion in the general state population. If

such over representation is found, states must

implement efforts to reduce it.

Sources of Crime Sources of Crime DataData

Arrest RatesVictim ReportsSelf-report Data

Outlining the problemOutlining the problem

In 1997 2.8 million arrests were made of persons <18

years

In 1997 juveniles accounted for 19% or all arrests and

17% of violent crime arrests

In 1997, despite a recent 4 year decline, violent crime

arrests were 49% higher than in 1988

A perplexing phenomenon...A perplexing phenomenon...

The number of juvenile arrests for murder decreased

39% from 1993 to 1997

The number of juvenile arrest for other violent crimes

has also declined

And, these decreases are occurring despite continuing

growth in the juvenile population!

Violent Crimes…...Violent Crimes…... Where do they occur?

What types of crimes?

Who commits them?

How are the committed?

When are they committed?

Geographic Geographic ConcentrationConcentration

85% of the 3,141 counties in the U.S. reported no

juvenile homicide offenders in 1997.

8% reported only one offender

In contrast, 25% of all known juvenile homicide

offenders were reported in just FIVE counties that

contain the following cities: LA, Chicago, New York,

Philadelphia, and Detroit.

Figure 1: Delinquency Cases Processed in Juvenile Court, 1987-1996

Murders and Murders and HomicidesHomicides

1,700 juveniles were implicated in 2,300

murders in 1997 (12% of all murders)

Males were responsible for most of the

growth in homicides by juveniles from

the mid-1980s through 1994.

Juvenile Murderers: Males offenders Juvenile Murderers: Males offenders vs. Female Offenders 1980-1997vs. Female Offenders 1980-1997

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997

Nu

mb

er o

f K

no

wn

Ju

ven

ile

Mu

rder

ers

Males

Females

Number of Juvenile Murderers by Age Number of Juvenile Murderers by Age Group 1980-1997Group 1980-1997

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996

Nu

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Ju

ven

ile

Mu

rder

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Age 17

Age 16

Age 15

Age 14 orYounger

Denver, Rochester, and Denver, Rochester, and Pittsburgh StudiesPittsburgh Studies

Age and gender differences

Juvenile Homicide Offenders by Race Juvenile Homicide Offenders by Race 1980-19971980-1997

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

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1991

1992

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1994

1995

1996

1997

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mb

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Ju

ven

ile

Off

end

ers

Black

White

Who were the victims?Who were the victims?Most victims were male (85%), slightly more

were black (49%) than white (48%), and 11%

of victims were below the age of 18.

In 1997, 11% of victims were family members,

56% were acquaintances, and 34% were

strangers

Homicides by Juveniles by Homicides by Juveniles by Offender’s Relationship to Victim Offender’s Relationship to Victim

1980-1997 1980-1997

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

19

80

19

81

19

82

19

83

19

84

19

85

19

86

19

87

19

88

19

89

19

90

19

91

19

92

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97N

um

ber

of

Kn

ow

n J

uve

nil

e O

ffen

der

s

Acquaintance

Stranger

Family

Type of CrimeType of Crime

In 1997, fifty-six percent of victims of

juvenile homicides were killed with a

firearm, 29% decline from 1995

Homicides by JuvenilesHomicides by Juvenilesby Weapon Used 1980-1997by Weapon Used 1980-1997

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

19

80

19

81

19

82

19

83

19

84

19

85

19

86

19

87

19

88

19

89

19

90

19

91

19

92

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

Nu

mb

er o

f Ju

ven

ile

Off

end

ers

Firearm

No Firearm

1997 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Youth Risk Behavior SurveySurvey

9% of high school students had carried a weapon on

school property in the past month

In a year, 7% of high school kids were threatened or

injured with a weapon at school

Fear of school-related violence kept 4% of high school

kids home at least once in the past month

What type of crimes do What type of crimes do juveniles commit?juveniles commit?

5.38 % violent crime (murder, rape, robbery,

and aggravated assault)

26.80% property crime (burglary, arson, theft)

67.82% other crimes (top categories are

vandalism, prostitution, DWI, liquor law

violations, drug possession/abuse)

Prevalence of Prevalence of crimes by juvenilescrimes by juveniles

Most of the data are provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention and relate to ARREST RATES

Prevalence of crimes by Prevalence of crimes by juvenilesjuveniles

While juveniles below age 13 were involved in only 9% of all juvenile arrests, these very young juveniles were involved in a higher proportions of the following

crimes: arson (35%), nonviolent sex offense (18%), larceny-theft (15%), simple

assault (13%), burglary (12%), and forcible rape (11%).

Prevalence of crimes by Prevalence of crimes by juvenilesjuveniles

Black youth made up 15% of the juvenile population in 1997 but they were involved in

28% of all juvenile arrests. Black youth were disproportionately involved in juvenile

arrests for murder (56%), forcible rape (45%), robbery (60%), aggravated assault (42%), motor vehicle theft (38%), fraud

(42%), and gambling (77%).

Time of Day Juvenile Violent Time of Day Juvenile Violent Crimes Are CommittedCrimes Are Committed

Percent of all juvenile Violent Crime Index Offenses

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

6AM 9AM 12PM 3PM 6PM 9PM 12AM 3AM 6AM

Pe

rce

nt

of

Off

en

se

s School DaysNon-School Days

Time of Day Juvenile Gang Time of Day Juvenile Gang Crimes Are CommittedCrimes Are Committed

Percent of all juvenile gang crimes

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

6AM 9AM 12PM 3PM 6PM 9PM 12AM 3AM 6AM

Pe

rce

nt

of

Ga

ng

Cri

me

s

School Days

Non-School Days

When are violent crimes When are violent crimes likely to be committed?likely to be committed?

Juveniles are more likely to commit violent crimes on school days than on

non-school days, and directly after school than at any other time of day.

Rate of Growth in Rate of Growth in Juvenile CrimeJuvenile Crime

While changing little between 1973-1989, the rate at which juveniles committed violent crimes

increased nearly 70% from 1987 to 1994--then declined and returned to the 1989 level in 1995 and then continued to decline through 1997.

The Good NewsThe Good NewsSerious violent crimes by juveniles dropped

25% between 1994-1995 and has continued to

drop since then.

Most encouraging is the nearly 20% decline in

murders by juveniles between 1993-1995

The Good NewsThe Good News

In 1997, juvenile homicides were

the lowest in the decade but still

21% above the average of the

1980s

Violent Crimes Committed Violent Crimes Committed by Juveniles 1973-1997by Juveniles 1973-1997

Victimizations by juveniles per 100,000 persons aged 10-17

(Includes rape, sexual assault, robbery & aggravated assault w/ victims aged12+)

0500

100015002000250030003500400045005000

1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1996 1997

Violent Crimes

Juvenile Arrest Rate for Juvenile Arrest Rate for Forcible Rape 1975-1997Forcible Rape 1975-1997

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10-17

0

5

10

15

20

25

1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1996 1997

Juvenile Arrest Rate

Juvenile Arrest Rate for Juvenile Arrest Rate for Robbery 1975-1997Robbery 1975-1997

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10-17

0

50

100

150

200

250

1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997

Juvenile Arrest Rate

Juvenile Arrest Rate for Juvenile Arrest Rate for Aggravated Assault 1975-Aggravated Assault 1975-

19971997Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10-17

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997

Juvenile Arrest Rate

However…….However…….

While the wave of juvenile violence has subsided somewhat this is not to say that we

have solved the problem of juvenile crime. The current level of juvenile violence is still at an

unacceptable level

What happened in What happened in 1995?1995?

For the first time in 8 years the juvenile violent

crime arrest rate declined in 1995.

A substantial drop of 17% over 1994 numbers!

Nearly all the decline was in homicides was by

black juvenile males

Nearly all the decline was in fire-arm related

homicides

What happened in What happened in 1995?1995?

Nearly all the decline from 1994 to 1995

was in arrests for younger juveniles (-2%

for 15-17 year olds, -5% for younger

juveniles)

Trend Continued Through Trend Continued Through 19971997

By 1997, the juvenile violent crime arrest rate was at its lowest level in the 1990s

In 1997, both the male and female juvenile violent crime arrest rate decreased since 1995

The violent crime arrest rates for very young juveniles (10-12) also declined from 1994-1997.

State ResponsesState Responses

Study by the National Center of Juvenile Justice

(1992-1997)

Change in the Juvenile Change in the Juvenile Justice SystemJustice System

to punish, hold accountable, and incarcerate for longer periods of time

those juveniles who, by history or type of offense, passed a threshold of tolerated

juvenile law violating behavior.

State Changes to:State Changes to:jurisdictional authority (juvenile to

criminal court)sentencing authority (new sentencing

options)confidentiality (removal of traditional

confidentiality provisions)victim's rights (increased the role of

victims in court hearings)

Changes to sentencing Changes to sentencing options:options:

judicial waivers (waive juvenile court

jurisdiction)

prosecutor discretion (at the will of state

prosecutor)

legislative exclusion (state statutes exclude

certain juvenile offenders from juvenile court

jurisdiction)

Juvenile Court Processing of Delinquency Cases, 1996

Delinquency Cases Waived to Criminal Court, 1987-1996

From 1992 - 1997 all but 5 states enacted or expanded provisions for transferring juveniles from juvenile court jurisdiction to criminal court

for prosecution.

A trend away from traditional juvenile dispositions is emerging, and "blended sentencing” options at the

state level are creating a middle-ground between traditional juvenile

and adult sanctions

As many states have shifted away from rehabilitation and toward punishment, accountability, and public safety. The emerging trend is one of dispositions based on the offense. Retribution and deterrence have replaced rehabilitation

as the primary juvenile justice goals

Problems that might force the Problems that might force the issue:issue:

many more juveniles are being held in crowded

secure public facilities in 1997 than in 1991

crowding in juvenile facilities (detention

facilities, training schools) has increased as the

juvenile custody population has grown.

in 1997 half of all public detention centers were

operating above their design capacity.

Problems that might force the Problems that might force the issue:issue:

Minority youth (10-17 years) are over

represented in custody facilities. In 1997 they

made up 34% of the population as a whole, but

62% of the detention population.