Chapter 3
National Estimates of Delinquency Case Processing (continued)

Adjudication

  • In 1985, 29% of all delinquency cases resulted in either adjudication of delinquency or waiver to criminal court. By 2004, this proportion had increased to 38%.

  • Between 1985 and 2004, the number of delinquency cases that resulted in a delinquency adjudication or were judicially waived to criminal court increased 89% and the number of formally handled cases that were not adjudicated delinquent increased 65%.

  • The likelihood of being adjudicated delinquent was greater for more serious offenses within the same general offense category.

  • Within the 2004 person offense category, 65% of petitioned aggravated assault cases were adjudicated delinquent, compared with 61% of simple assault cases.

  • In the property offense category in 2004, 75% of petitioned burglary cases were adjudicated delinquent, compared with 70% of motor vehicle theft cases and 67% of larceny-theft cases.

  • Among public order offenses in 2004, 70% of the weapons violations cases were adjudicated delinquent, compared with 62% of disorderly conduct cases and liquor law violation cases.

  • Beginning in 1988 and continuing through 2000, the annual number of delinquency cases in which the youth was adjudicated delinquent steadily increased from 338,900 to 650,500 and then declined to 628,600 in 2004.

  • The number of adjudicated person offense cases increased 171% between 1985 and 2004 (54,700 vs. 148,300).

  • The number of adjudicated cases involving property offenses increased 41% between 1985 and its peak in 1997 then declined 20% by 2004 for an overall increase of 13%.

  • Between 1985 and 2001, the number of adjudicated drug offense cases increased 286% (from 21,200 to 81,900) then declined 7% by 2004.

  • Between 1991 and 2004, the number of public order offense cases adjudicated delinquent increased 179%, from 65,100 cases to 181,400 cases.

Offense profile of cases adjudicated delinquent:

Most serious offense

1985

2004

Person

   17%

    24%

Property

59

35

Drugs

   6

12

Public order

18

29

Total

  100%

  100%


Note: Detail may not total 100% because of rounding.

  • Compared with 1985, the 2004 adjudicated delinquent caseload included greater proportions of person, public order, and drug offense cases and a substantially smaller proportion of property offense cases.

Between 1985 and 2004, the number of cases in which the youth was adjudicated delinquent increased 90% (from 331,000 to 628,600)

Figure showing the total number of cases adjudicated delinquent for each year between 1985 and 2004.

Between 2000 and 2004, the number of cases adjudicated delinquent increased for cases involving person and public order offenses but decreased for cases involving property and drug offenses

Figure showing cases adjudicated delinquent for person, property, drug, and public order offenses between 2000 and 2004.

Between 1995 and 2004, the likelihood of petitioned cases resulting in a delinquency adjudication increased from 55% to 67%

Five figures showing percent of juvenile court cases adjudicated delinquent, by offense category, 1985-2004.

  • The likelihood of delinquency adjudication decreased from 63% to 55% between 1985 and 1995 and then increased to 67% in 2004.

  • In 2004, the likelihood of a delinquency adjudication for cases involving property, drug, and public order offenses was about the same as in 1985. However, for cases involving a person offense, the likelihood of a delinquency adjudication was somewhat greater in 2004 than in 1985 (62% vs. 56%).

  • Among the four general offense categories, person offense cases were least likely to result in delinquency adjudication for all years between 1985 and 2004.

  • The likelihood of adjudication among cases involving a property offense decreased from 66% to 56% between 1985 and 1995 then increased to 68% in 2004.

  • The likelihood of adjudication among drug offense cases decreased from 67% to 54% between 1985 and 1995 and then increased to 68% in 2004.

  • Among public order cases, the likelihood of adjudication decreased from 67% to 57% between 1985 and 1995 and then increased to 69% in 2004.

Age

  • In each year from 1985 through 2004, juveniles age 15 or younger were more likely than older juveniles to be adjudicated delinquent, regardless of offense.

  • Regardless of age, person offense cases were less likely than other offense categories to be adjudicated delinquent for each year between 1985 and 2004.

  • Between 1985 and 1995, the likelihood of adjudication for drug offense cases involving juveniles 15 or younger decreased from 69% to 56%. After 1995, the likelihood increased. In 2004, 71% of drug offense cases involving juveniles under age 16 resulted in a delinquency adjudication.

  • For drug offense cases involving juveniles age 16 and older, the likelihood of adjudication decreased from 65% to 53% between 1985 and 1995. Similar to the trend for younger youth, the proportion of drug offense cases adjudicated delinquent increased to 67% in 2004 for older juveniles.

Gender

  • Between 1985 and 2004, male cases generally were more likely to be adjudicated delinquent than were female cases.

  • In each year from 2001 through 2004, however, petitioned drug offense cases involving females were as likely or more likely to result in a delinquency adjudication compared with cases involving males.

  • Between 1985 and 2004, for both male and female juveniles, the likelihood of a delinquency adjudication increased more for person offense cases than for other offenses; however, the increase was greater for females (from 50% to 59%) than for males (57% to 64%).

Between 1997 and 2004, cases involving younger juveniles were more likely to be adjudicated delinquent than those involving older juveniles, regardless of offense category

Percentage of petitioned cases adjudicated delinquent by age group:

 

15 or younger
 
16 or older

Year

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

 

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

1985
64%
57%
65%
69%
70%
  
62%
54%
64%
65%
64%
1986
63
55
64
68
66
  
60
53
62
63
62
1987
61
54
62
65
65
  
59
52
60
60
60
1988
58
51
60
61
63
  
56
50
58
55
58
1989
60
54
61
65
65
  
59
53
60
61
60
1990
59
54
61
62
63
  
57
52
60
56
58
1991
57
52
59
59
60
  
55
51
57
53
56
1992
57
53
59
57
60
  
55
51
57
53
55
1993
58
53
59
58
61
  
55
50
57
53
57
1994
58
53
59
58
61
  
54
50
56
53
56
1995
56
53
57
56
60
  
53
49
55
53
54
1996
59
54
59
60
62
  
56
52
56
57
57
1997
61
56
61
64
63
  
58
54
59
60
60
1998
63
60
64
66
64
  
60
57
61
61
61
1999
65
62
66
69
68
  
63
59
63
65
64
2000
69
64
70
72
72
  
67
61
67
68
69
2001
68
64
69
71
71
  
66
61
67
67
69
2002
69
64
70
70
71
  
66
61
67
67
68
2003
69
64
70
71
70
  
66
61
67
67
68
2004
68
63
69
71
69
  
66
61
67
67
68

Percentage of petitioned cases adjudicated delinquent by gender:

 

Male
  
Female

Year

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

 

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

1985
64%
57%
65%
67%
67%
  
60%
50%
60%
64%
67%
1986
62
56
64
65
64
  
57
47
58
64
62
1987
61
54
62
62
63
  
56
49
56
58
63
1988
58
51
60
57
60
  
53
44
53
54
61
1989
61
55
62
63
63
  
55
47
55
59
61
1990
59
54
61
58
61
  
55
49
55
55
60
1991
57
53
59
55
58
  
51
46
52
52
57
1992
57
53
59
55
58
  
52
48
53
51
56
1993
57
53
59
55
60
  
52
48
52
52
58
1994
57
53
59
55
59
  
52
48
52
53
57
1995
56
52
57
55
57
  
51
47
51
51
57
1996
58
55
59
59
60
  
53
48
53
54
58
1997
61
57
61
62
62
  
56
51
55
60
60
1998
63
60
64
63
62
  
59
55
59
60
62
1999
65
62
66
66
66
  
61
57
61
65
65
2000
69
64
70
70
71
  
66
60
66
69
70
2001
68
64
69
69
70
  
65
60
66
69
69
2002
68
64
70
68
70
  
65
60
66
69
69
2003
68
64
70
68
70
  
65
60
66
69
68
2004
68
64
69
68
69
  
65
59
65
70
67

Percentage of petitioned cases adjudicated delinquent by race:

 

White

 

Black

Year

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

 

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

1985
66%
58%
67%
69%
69%
  
58%
52%
60%
62%
62%
1986
64
57
65
67
65
  
57
51
58
62
60
1987
62
56
63
64
64
  
55
50
56
58
59
1988
60
54
61
60
62
  
53
46
54
54
56
1989
62
56
62
64
64
  
56
50
56
62
59
1990
61
56
62
61
63
  
54
49
57
56
55
1991
58
54
60
58
59
  
53
49
54
53
56
1992
58
54
59
59
59
  
53
49
54
52
55
1993
59
55
60
58
61
  
52
48
53
52
56
1994
59
55
59
59
61
  
51
48
52
50
55
1995
57
53
58
57
59
  
51
48
52
50
54
1996
58
55
59
59
60
  
55
51
55
57
58
1997
61
57
61
63
62
  
57
53
57
60
61
1998
63
60
64
65
63
  
59
56
59
60
61
1999
66
63
66
68
66
  
61
57
62
63
65
2000
70
65
70
71
72
  
64
59
65
66
68
2001
70
65
70
71
72
  
63
59
63
62
66
2002
70
66
71
71
71
  
62
59
63
60
66
2003
70
65
71
71
71
  
62
59
63
62
65
2004
70
65
71
72
71
  
61
58
62
60
64

 

Amercian Indian

 

Asian/NHPI

Year

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

 

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

1985
70%
69%
71%
74%
68%
  
58%
59%
57%
52%
63%
1986
71
69
70
69
74
  
58
52
58
49
66
1987
70
69
70
67
72
  
58
50
58
53
67
1988
64
64
64
68
63
  
53
46
53
53
64
1989
68
69
69
66
67
  
57
50
57
54
65
1990
69
67
69
70
70
  
58
50
59
44
66
1991
64
67
64
64
63
  
54
48
55
40
62
1992
61
62
63
55
56
  
63
57
67
57
59
1993
58
56
58
60
60
  
63
64
64
70
53
1994
59
62
57
63
60
  
58
58
58
58
56
1995
63
64
63
61
64
  
53
50
52
47
59
1996
62
60
62
63
63
  
54
50
54
48
61
1997
63
63
63
69
62
  
55
55
55
53
59
1998
62
61
63
65
60
  
57
54
57
55
62
1999
63
64
63
65
61
  
61
61
62
55
61
2000
73
70
74
75
73
  
68
64
69
65
72
2001
76
73
77
74
77
  
66
62
66
64
69
2002
78
78
79
74
77
  
68
66
70
65
69
2003
78
75
80
74
79
  
71
70
72
67
71
2004
78
76
78
77
78
  
70
68
72
67
71

Race

  • In each year between 1985 and 2004, delinquency cases involving black youth were less likely to result in a delinquency adjudication than were cases involving white youth, regardless of offense.

  • For black juveniles, the likelihood of a delinquency adjudication decreased between 1985 and 1994 (from 58% to 51%) and then increased to 64% in 2000. In 2004, the likelihood of adjudication was 61%.

  • For delinquency cases involving white juveniles, the likelihood of a delinquency adjudication decreased between 1985 and 1995 (from 66% to 57%) and then increased to 70% by 2000 where it remained through 2004.

  • Regardless of offense, for each year between 2001 and 2004, cases involving black juveniles were less likely to result in adjudication than were cases involving youth in any of the other racial categories.

  • The likelihood of a delinquency adjudication for drug offense cases was lower in 2004 than in 1985 for cases involving black youth, but higher for white youth, American Indian youth, and Asian/NHPI youth.

Dispositions: Out-of-Home Placement

  • The number of cases adjudicated delinquent that resulted in out-ofhome placement increased 34% between 1985 and 2004. During this period, the number of cases involving the use of out-of-home placement increased 157% for drug offense cases, 101% for public order offense cases, and 86% for person offense cases, but decreased 20% for property offense cases.

  • The number of cases involving outof- home placement peaked in 1997 at 175,900 cases then decreased 20% by 2004. Between 1997 and 2004, the number of cases resulting in out-of-home placement decreased 14% for cases involving person offenses, 34% for property offense cases, 25% for drug offense cases, and remained unchanged for cases involving public order offenses.

  • Public order offense cases include escapes from institutions, weapons offenses, and probation and parole violations. This may help to explain the relatively high number of public order offense cases involving out-of-home placement.

Offense profile of cases adjudicated delinquent resulting in out-of-home placement:

Most serious offense

1985

2004

Person

   18%

  25%

Property

56

34

Drugs

 5

10

Public order

21

31

Total

 100%

  100%

Cases resulting in out-of-home placement

105,200

140,700


Note: Detail may not total 100% because of rounding.

  • Property offense cases are the largest share of cases adjudicated delinquent that result in out-of-home placement, although the proportion declined substantially between 1985 and 2004.

The number of cases adjudicated delinquent resulting in out-ofhome placement increased 67% between 1985 and 1997 and then decreased 20% through 2004

Figure showing the number of cases adjudicated delinquent and resulting in out-of-home placement between 1985 and 2004.

The number of property offense cases adjudicated delinquent that resulted in out-of-home placement decreased 34% between 1997 and 2004

Figure showing the number of cases adjudicated delinquent and resulting in out-of-home placement between 1985 and 2004 for person, property, drug, and public order offenses.

The court ordered out-of-home placement in 22% of all cases adjudicated delinquent in 2004, down from 32% in 1985

Five figures showing percent of adjudicated delinquent cases resulting in out-of-home placement, by offense category, 1985-2004.

  • Although the likelihood that an adjudicated case would result in out-ofhome placement decreased between 1985 and 2004 for each of the four major offense categories, the number of cases adjudicated delinquent resulting in out-of-home placement increased 34%.

  • Between 1985 and 2004, the largest decline in the proportion of adjudicated cases resulting in out-of-home placement was seen in cases involving public order offenses (from 38% to 24%). The proportion also decreased for person offense cases (from 35% to 24%), for property offense cases (from 30% to 21%), and for drug offense cases (from 25% to 18%).

Age

  • In each year from 1996 through 2004, cases involving juveniles age 16 or older adjudicated delinquent were more likely to result in out-ofhome placement than were cases involving youth age 15 or younger, regardless of offense.

  • Between 1985 and 2004, the use of out-of-home placement declined for both younger youth and older youth across all four general offense categories. The declines for younger youth were greater than those for older youth.

Gender

  • For each year between 1985 and 2002, person, property, and drug offense cases involving males adjudicated delinquent were more likely to result in out-of-home placement than were cases involving females.

  • Between 1985 and 2004, the use of out-of-home placement declined more for public order offense cases than for any other offense category for both males (12 percentage points) and females (17 percentage points).

  • For males in 2004, person offense and public order offense cases adjudicated delinquent were most likely to result in out-of-home placement (26%, each), followed by property cases (23%) and cases involving drug offenses (19%).

  • For females in 2004, adjudicated public order offense cases were most likely to result in out-of-home placement (21%), followed by person cases (18%), property cases (15%), and drug offense cases (12%).

Between 1985 and 2004, the likelihood of out-of-home placement declined more for younger than older youth and more for females than males

Percentage of cases adjudicated delinquent resulting in out-of-home placement by age group:

 

15 or younger
  
16 or older

Year

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

 

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

1985
32%
35%
30%
26%
40%
  
31%
36%
30%
24%
35%
1986
32
34
28
32
41
  
32
36
31
31
35
1987
31
33
28
34
41
  
32
35
30
30
36
1988
32
34
28
36
40
  
32
35
30
33
36
1989
33
35
29
39
42
  
33
37
29
36
38
1990
32
35
29
39
40
  
32
37
29
35
36
1991
31
36
27
40
38
  
31
37
28
37
32
1992
30
34
27
38
35
  
31
36
28
35
34
1993
29
32
26
34
33
  
30
35
27
32
32
1994
29
31
27
31
32
  
30
35
28
31
31
1995
28
31
26
27
32
  
29
34
27
25
31
1996
28
31
25
27
31
  
30
35
28
28
32
1997
27
29
25
25
31
  
30
34
28
26
33
1998
26
28
24
23
30
  
29
32
27
26
32
1999
25
26
23
23
28
  
28
31
27
25
30
2000
24
26
23
21
27
  
27
31
25
23
30
2001
23
25
22
19
25
  
27
30
25
22
29
2002
22
24
21
17
24
  
26
30
25
21
28
2003
22
24
20
18
23
  
26
29
24
21
27
2004
21
22
20
15
23
  
24
28
23
19
26

Percentage of cases adjudicated delinquent resulting in out-of-home placement by gender:

 

Male

 

Female

Year

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

 

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

1985
32%
36%
31%
25%
38%
  
28%
29%
23%
22%
38%
1986
33
36
30
32
38
  
28
28
23
28
39
1987
32
36
29
32
39
  
27
25
23
26
38
1988
33
36
30
35
39
  
27
26
22
29
36
1989
34
37
30
38
40
  
27
26
23
31
37
1990
33
38
30
37
38
  
27
26
23
31
36
1991
32
38
29
39
36
  
26
27
21
30
34
1992
32
36
28
37
35
  
25
27
21
28
31
1993
31
35
28
34
34
  
23
26
20
27
28
1994
31
35
28
32
33
  
23
24
20
24
27
1995
30
34
28
27
33
  
22
24
19
18
27
1996
30
35
28
29
33
  
21
23
19
19
25
1997
30
33
28
27
33
  
21
23
18
16
26
1998
29
32
26
26
33
  
20
22
18
16
25
1999
28
30
26
26
30
  
20
21
17
17
24
2000
27
29
25
23
30
  
20
21
16
14
24
2001
26
29
25
22
29
  
19
20
16
13
22
2002
25
28
24
21
27
  
18
20
15
14
21
2003
25
28
24
21
26
  
18
20
15
15
21
2004
24
26
23
19
26
  
17
18
15
12
21

Percentage of cases adjudicated delinquent resulting in out-of-home placement by race:

 

White
 
Black

Year

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

 

All

Person

Property

Drugs

Public order

1985