Juvenile Crime Statistics Paper

Juvenile Crime Statistics Paper

Gaby Rielle

CJA/374

October 21, 2014

Mendi Leigh

Juvenile Crime Statistics Paper

As Mohandas Gandhi a spiritual leader once said: “If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.” Those words ring true, in order to make our world a better and safer place, we need to be concerned with our youth. Juvenile offenders commit crimes every day. In order  to better understand why our youth commit crimes we need to evaluate the trends.

Juvenile delinquent actions identify an individual’s participation with an illegal act that is   an infraction of  Federal, State, or Municipal laws. Individuals under the age of 18, that commit an illegal act. Statistical information pertaining to juvenile delinquent offenses  has been gathered  showing the increases and declines of delinquency within America.

Juvenile detainment for violent juvenile offenses in 2008 decreased in comparison to the 1990s static’s. Juvenile violent offenses extensively increased throughout the 1990s within the United States. This can be attributed to the increase in gang membership and an increase of an extensive narcotics trade that includes the appearance of crack cocaine in the late 1980s. In 2008 “Juveniles accounted for16% of all violent crime arrests and 26% of all property crime arrests” (Puzzanchera, 2009, p.1). “In 2008, law enforcement agencies in the United States made an estimated 2.11 million arrest of persons younger than the age of 18. Overall, there were 3% fewer juvenile arrests in 2008 than in 2007, and juvenile violent crime arrests fell 2%” (Puzzanchera, 2009, p.1).

According to information provided within the Juvenile Justice Bulletin (December, 2009) an estimated 180,100 juvenile offender were detained  for drug abuse related offenses. Of the 180,100 juvenile offender detained 15 offenders were female and 15 offenders were under the age of 15. This information shows a 21% decline in narcotics abuse  related offenses between 1999 through 2008. Juvenile aggravated assault arrests were estimated to be 56,000 for the year 2008. 24 of the juvenile offenders that were detained were female and 31 of these offenders were under the age of 15. An extensive decline was also highlighted pertaining to aggravated assault offenses ranging from 1999 to 2008 supporting an overall decrease totaling 18%.

Female juvenile offenders that were detained, have increased based on different theories; although significant links have been identified supporting extensive increase in female street gang involvement and overall aggression. “Female gang membership has continued to increase as lawmakers, law enforcement officials and community groups scramble to resist this bizarre phenomenon” (Edwards, 2005, p.1). Female offenders are becoming more aggressive because of gang affiliation. According to Catherine Edwards “The female member wear the gang colors with as much pride as their male counterparts. They even feminize their gang names. Instead of Latin Kings, they call themselves the Latin Queens. They are not just Gangster Disciples but Lady Disciplettes”(Edwards, 2005, p.2). Female juvenile offenders “are organized in white supremacist gangs, Asian gangs, Pakistani gangs, African-American gangs and Latino and Latina gangs” (Edwards, 205, p.2).