Delinquency cases involving juveniles age 16 or older in 1997 were more likely to be handled formally than were cases involving younger juveniles (figure 8). Overall, 54% of delinquency cases involving youth age 15 or younger were processed with the filing of a petition, compared with 61% of cases involving older youth. The likelihood of formal handling increased between 1988 and 1997 for both younger and older youth in all offense categories (table 26).