Juvenile Crime and Victimization

Findings from the National Survey of Adolescents indicate that as of 1995, 1.8 million youths age 12 to 17 had been sexually assaulted; 3.9 million had been severely physically assaulted; 2.1 had been punished by physical abuse; and 8.8 million had witnessed someone being shot, stabbed, sexually assaulted, physically assaulted or threatened with a weapon. (National Institute of Justice 2003. Youth Victimization: Prevalence and implications. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the overall rate of violence against youths age 16 to 19 was higher than persons of other age categories, a rate of 58.2 victimizations per 1000 persons. (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2003. Criminal Victimization, 2002. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Youths age 16-19 experienced rape in 2002 at a rate of 5.5 victimizations per 1000; robbery at a rate of 4.0 victimizations per 1000; and aggravated assault at a rate of 11.9 victimizations per 1000. (Ibid.)

Youths age 12-15 experienced rape in 2002 at a rate of 2.1 victimizations per 1000; robbery at a rate of 3.0 victimizations per 1000; and aggravated assault at 5.0 victimizations per 1000. (Ibid.)

In 2001, there were 1,617 homicides in the United States in the population of youth between the ages of 13 and 19. (Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2002. Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 2001. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Among youths age 12 to 17, a 2002 survey found that 11.6 percent are current illicit drug users. A significantly higher rate of 20.9 percent was found among American Indians and Alaskan Native youths, and a significantly lower rate of 4.8 percent was found among Asian youths. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2003. Results from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)

The odds of being a victim of domestic violence as an adult are increased by a factor of 1.7 by being an adolescent victim of a violent crime. The odds of being a perpetrator of domestic violence as an adult are increased by a factor of 1.7 by being a victim of violent crime in adolescence and doubled by being a perpetrator of violent crime in adolescence. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 2001. Addressing Youth Victimization: Action Plan Update. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Sixty-five percent of the offenders incarcerated in state correctional facilities for crimes against juveniles in 1997 were sex offenders. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 2001. Offenders Incarcerated For Crimes Against Juveniles. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Forty-eight percent of offenders incarcerated for crimes against juveniles in state correctional facilities had victimized someone in their family or their household and 38 percent had victimized an acquaintance. (Ibid.)