The murder rate in 2000 was the lowest since 1965

Each Crime in the United States report presents estimates of the number of crimes reported to law enforcement agencies. A large portion of most crimes are never reported to law enforcement. Murder, however, is one crime that is nearly always reported. Therefore, murder is the crime for which the FBI data are most complete and most valid.

There were an estimated 15,517 murders reported to law enforcement agencies in 2000, a slight decline from 1999. This estimate means that there were 5.5 murders for every 100,000 U.S. residents in 2000. One would have to go back to 1969 to find a lower annual number of murder victims and to 1965 to find a lower annual murder rate. Between 1960 and 2000, the number of murders peaked in 1993 (24,526 murders, yielding a murder rate of 9.5), and the murder rate was at its highest level in 1980 (23,040 murders, yielding a murder rate of 10.2).

Ninety percent of murder victims in 2000 (or about 13,900 victims) were 18 years of age or older. The other nearly 1,600 murder victims were under the age of 18. This figure is substantially less than that of the peak year of 1993, when almost 2,900 juveniles were murdered. The last year in which fewer than 1,600 juveniles were murdered was 1985.

Of all juveniles murdered in 2000, about 600 (or 38%) were under age 5. More than half (56%) of these murdered children were male, and 55% were white. About half (51%) of murdered juveniles were ages 13 to 17. Forty-seven percent of these murdered teenagers were white, and 20% were female.

In 2000, 70% of all murder victims were killed with a firearm. Adults were more likely to be killed with a firearm (72%) than were juveniles (52%). However, the involvement of a firearm depended greatly on the age of the juvenile victim. Whereas 18% of murdered juveniles under age 13 were killed with a firearm in 2000, 81% of murdered juveniles age 13 or older were killed with a firearm. The most common method of murdering children under the age of 5 was by physical assault; in 61% of such murders, the offenders’ only weapons were their hands and/or feet.

The number of juvenile arrests in 2000—2.4 million—was 5% below the 1999 level and 15% below the 1996 level

Most Serious Offense 2000
Estimated
Number of
Juvenile Arrests

Percent of Total
Juvenile Arrests

Percent Change

Female Under
Age 15 		1991–
2000		 1996–
2000		 1999–
2000
Total 2,369,400     28%     32%     3%     –15%      –5%     
Crime Index total
617,600    
28    
38    
–28    
–27    
–5    
Violent Crime Index
98,900    
18    
33    
–17    
–23    
–4    
Murder and      nonnegligent      manslaughter
1,200    
11    
13    
–65    
–55    
–13    
Forcible rape
4,500    
1    
39    
–26    
–17    
–5    
Robbery
26,800    
9    
27    
–29    
–38    
–5    
Aggravated assault
66,300    
23    
36    
–7    
–14    
–4    
Property Crime Index
518,800    
30    
39    
–30    
–28    
–5    
Burglary
95,800    
12    
39    
–38    
–30    
–5    
Larceny-theft
363,500    
37    
40    
–24    
–27    
–6    
Motor vehicle theft
50,800    
17    
26    
–51    
–34    
–3    
Arson
8,700    
12    
65    
–7    
–17    
–7    
Nonindex
Other assaults
236,800    
31    
43    
37    
–1    
0    
Forgery and      counterfeiting
6,400    
34    
12    
–20    
–24    
–7    
Fraud
10,700    
32    
18    
–3    
–15    
–5    
Embezzlement
2,000    
47    
6    
132    
48    
11    
Stolen property (buying,
     receiving, possessing)
27,700    
16    
29    
–40    
–33    
–1    
Vandalism
114,100    
12    
44     
–21    
–19    
–4    
Weapons (carrying,
     possessing, etc.)
37,600    
10    
33    
–26    
–28    
–10    
Prostitution and
     commercialized vice
1,300    
55    
13    
–13    
–4    
–3    
Sex offense (except
     forcible rape
     and prostitution)
17,400    
7    
52    
–4    
8    
5     
Drug abuse violations
203,900    
15    
17    
145    
–4    
0    
Gambling
1,500    
4    
18    
–27    
–30    
–22    
Offenses against the
     family and children
9,400     
37    
38    
92    
–8     
2    
Driving under the
     influence
21,000     
17    
3     
14    
13     
–3     
Liquor law violations
159,400    
31    
10    
20    
4     
–6     
Drunkenness
21,700    
20     
13     
–3    
–19     
–3    
Disorderly conduct
165,700     
28    
38    
33    
–9    
–8     
Vagrancy
3,000    
23     
28     
–33    
–7    
27    
All other offenses
     (except traffic)
414,200    
26    
28    
35    
–5    
–5    
Suspicion
1,200    
22    
23    
–76     
–53    
–29     
Curfew and loitering
154,700    
31     
28    
81    
–16    
–11    
Runaways
142,000    
59    
39    
–18    
–29    
–6     
  • In 2000, there were an estimated 1,200 juvenile arrests for murder. Between 1996 and 2000, juvenile arrests for murder fell 55%.

  • Females accounted for 23% of juvenile arrests for aggravated assault and 31% of juvenile arrests for other assaults (i.e., simple assaults and intimidations) in 2000. Females were involved in 59% of all arrests for running away from home and 31% of arrests for curfew and loitering law violations.

  • Between 1991 and 2000, there were substantial declines in juvenile arrests for murder (65%), motor vehicle theft (51%), and burglary (38%) and major increases in juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations (145%) and curfew and loitering law violations (81%).

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.
Data source: Crime in the United States 2000 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2001), tables 29, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. Arrest estimates were developed by the National Center for Juvenile Justice.



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Juvenile Arrests 2000 OJJDP Bulletin • November 2002