OJJDP National Report Series Bulletin -- December 2001 -- Law Enforcement and Juvenile Crime

Juvenile arrest rates for simple assault grew substantially through the 1980s and 1990s

Simple assault is the most common of all crimes against persons

In 1999, there were nearly five juvenile arrests for simple assault for every one juvenile arrest for aggravated assault. In contrast to aggravated assault, a simple assault does not involve the use of a weapon and does not result in serious bodily harm to the victim. The lesser severity of simple assault makes the reporting of it to law enforcement less likely and gives law enforcement more discretion in how to handle the incident.

Between 1980 and 1999, simple assault arrest rates for female, male, white, black, and American Indian juveniles more than doubled

Five line graphs showing trends in juvenile arrest rates (arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10-17) for simple assault, overall and by gender and race (black, white, American Indian, and Asian), 1980 to 1999.

Other (simple) assault arrest rate trends by gender and race

In 1999, the ratio of simple to aggravated assault arrests of juveniles varied among gender and racial groups: male (3.0 to 1), female (4.6 to 1), white (3.5 to 1), black (3.1 to 1), American Indian (3.8 to 1), and Asian (2.8 to 1).

Data source: Analysis of arrest data from the FBI and population data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. [See arrest rate data source note for details.]

The simple assault arrest rate increased 150% between 1980 and 1999

Unlike most violent crime arrest rates that rose and then fell during the 1980s and 1990s, the juvenile arrest rate for simple assault rose almost continuously from 1983 through 1996 and then maintained this high level through 1999. The large increase in the juvenile rate was paralleled by a similar increase in the adult rate, so that the juvenile proportion of all simple assault arrests was 18% in both 1980 and 1999. As with aggravated assault, the increase in the juvenile female arrest rate for simple assault over the 20-year period far outpaced the increase in the male rate (270% vs. 120%). As a result, between 1980 and 1999, the female proportion of juvenile arrests for simple assault grew from 21% to 30%. From 1980 to 1999, simple assault arrest rates increased substantially for white (160%), black (133%), and American Indian (185%) youth, with rates for Asian youth also increasing but to a smaller degree (39%).

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Law Enforcement and Juvenile Crime	OJJDP National Report Series Bulletin December 2001