In 1997, white juveniles were involved in a substantial majority of all formally processed status offense cases (78%), a proportion comparable to their representation in the general population (table 79).⁴ White youth were involved in 90% of status liquor law violation cases and 73% of runaway, ungovernability, and truancy cases. Compared with black youth, white youth and youth of other races had greater proportions of status liquor law violations and smaller proportions of truancy cases (table 80).

Between 1988 and 1997, the number of petitioned status offense cases increased 96% for white youth, 122% for black youth, and 104% for youth of other races (table 81). Increases occurred in all offense categories for all races. Among white youth, truancy cases had the largest increase; among black youth, liquor law violations had the largest increase; and among youth of other races, runaway cases had the largest increase.

In 1997, the total status offense case rate for black juveniles (6.7 cases per 1,000 black youth in the juvenile population) was greater than the rates for white youth (5.4) and for youth of other races (4.0). In all offense categories except liquor violations, case rates for black youth were greater than the corresponding rates for whites or for youth of other races. The case rate for liquor law violations, on the other hand, was lowest among black juveniles: 0.5, compared with 1.6 for white youth and 1.1 for youth of other races.

The overall status offense case rate for white juveniles increased continuously with age in 1997, rising from 3.2 for 13-year-olds to 12.8 for 17-year-olds (figure 27). Compared with case rates for whites, rates for black youth were higher through age 16 and lower at age 17. Case rates for black youth increased through age 16 and then declined. For youth of other races, case rates increased through age 15, declined for 16-year-olds, then peaked for 17-year-olds.

For truancy and ungovernability offenses, case rates among all racial groups peaked at age 15 or 16, then dropped (figure 28). For runaway cases, case rates peaked at age 16 for white youth and black youth and at age 14 for youth of other races. In contrast, case rates for status liquor law violations increased continuously through age 17 among all racial groups.