Delinquency caseloads for both males and females
have increased sharply in recent years
Caseloads grew faster
for females than males
The overall delinquency caseload for
females grew at an average rate of 7%
per year between 1989 and 1998, compared
with 3% per year for males. The
result was an 83% overall increase in
female cases, compared with a 35%
increase for males.
Percent change in number of cases,
1989–98:
| Offense |
Male |
Female |
|
| Delinquency |
35%
|
83%
|
| Person
|
71 |
157 |
| Property |
3 |
44 |
| Drugs |
142 |
182 |
| Public
order |
65 |
105 |
Offense profiles were
similar for males and
females
Compared with the offense profiles in
1989, both male and female delinquency
caseloads had greater proportions of person
offense cases in 1998, and males had
a greater proportion of drug offense cases.
Offense profile of delinquency cases:
| Offense |
Male |
Female |
|
| 1998 |
|
|
| Delinquency
|
100% |
100%
|
| Person |
22 |
26 |
| Property |
45 |
45 |
| Drugs |
12 |
7 |
| Public
order |
21 |
21 |
|
| 1989 |
|
|
| Delinquency
|
100%
|
100%
|
| Person |
17 |
19 |
| Property |
59 |
58 |
| Drugs |
7 |
5 |
| Public
order |
17 |
19 |
Note: Detail may not total 100% because of rounding. |
Although case rates are much lower for females than for males, the
female rates have increased more sharply in the last decade
- From 1989 to 1998, females had a greater relative change in case rates than males in
each of the four general offense categories. Drug case rates rose 145% for females and
111% for males; person case rates rose 124% for females and 49% for males; public
order case rates rose 79% for females and 43% for males; and property case rates rose
25% for females and dropped 10% for males.
Source: Author’s adaptation of Puzzanchera
et al.’s Juvenile Court Statistics 1998.
The proportion of delinquency cases involving females was greater in
1998 than in 1989
- The female proportion of delinquency cases increased from 19% in 1989 to 24% in
1998. The sharpest increase was seen among person offense cases. Females accounted
for 20% of person cases in 1989, compared with 28% in 1998.
Source: Author’s adaptation of Puzzanchera
et al.’s Juvenile Court Statistics 1998.
As in 1989, the delinquency caseloads
for both males and females in 1998 consisted
primarily of property offense
cases. Compared with males, females had a greater proportion of person offense
cases and a smaller proportion of drug
offense cases.