Introduction

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) provides detailed information about crimes reported to law enforcement, including law enforcement's assessments of which crimes were committed by adult offenders and/or juvenile offenders.¹ Analysis of NIBRS data from 1997 and 1998² shows that 19% of the victims of nonfatal violent crimes were victimized by a juvenile offender—either a juvenile acting alone, multiple juveniles, or juvenile and adult offenders acting together. About two-thirds (62%) of the victims of nonfatal violence committed by juvenile offenders were themselves younger than 18, and about one-third (38%) were adults. Other findings include the following:

• Most (95%) of the victims of sexual assaults committed by juveniles were younger than 18, as were 43% of victims of robberies by juveniles, 53% of aggravated assaults, and 61% of simple assaults.
  
  
• Almost half (48%) of the victims of nonfatal violent crimes committed by juveniles were other juveniles who were acquaintances of the offender.
  
  
• About 1 in 15 victims of nonfatal violent crimes by juveniles (7%) was an adult who was a stranger to the offender.
  
  
• Most (74%) of the victims who reported violent crimes by juveniles said the offender was a male.
  
  
• Many (42%) of the female victims of violent crimes by juveniles were victimized by other females.
  
  
• Among victims of simple assault by juveniles, more than half (52%) of those older than 30 were the offender's parent or stepparent.
  
  
• Among all victims of violent crimes involving juvenile offenders, 17% faced multiple juveniles acting together and 15% faced juveniles and adults acting together. Among victims of robberies involving juveniles, 61% faced multiple offenders.
  
  
• In sexual assaults, robberies, and aggravated assaults committed by juveniles, 40% of victims were injured, compared with 48% of the victims of the same offenses committed by adults.
  
  
• About 1 in 2 juvenile victims of violent crime (51%) faced a juvenile offender.
  
  
• About 1 in 10 adult victims of violent crime (9%) faced a juvenile offender.

¹Throughout this Bulletin, the term “juvenile” refers to persons younger than 18.

²The data analyzed in this Bulletin came from 17 states and are not nationally representative. For information about NIBRS and the analysis, see NIBRS sidebar and “Methods”.

Victims of Violent Juvenile Crime	OJJDP Bulletin • July 2004