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

After more than a decade of relative stability, juvenile drug arrest rates climbed 118% in 5 years

The surge in the juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations began years after similar upturns in violent crime and weapons arrests

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

Drug abuse violation arrest rate trends by gender and race

The trend in juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations among blacks was different from the trends for other racial groups. While the arrest rate for other races generally declined throughout the 1980s, the rate for black juveniles increased substantially during this period.

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 1980s saw increased racial disparity in drug arrest rates

The annual juvenile arrest rates for drug abuse violations (a category that includes both drug possession and drug sale) varied within a limited range in the 1980s, staying within 20% of the average for the decade. This general consistency in drug arrest rates contrasts with the large decline in self-reported use of marijuana and other illicit drugs during the decade.

A closer look at juvenile drug arrest rates finds sharp racial differences in the 1980s. The white rate fell 32% over the period, compared with a 249% increase for blacks. In 1980, the white and black arrest rates were essentially equal, with black youth involved in 15% of all juvenile drug arrests. By 1989, the black rate was five times the white rate, and black youth were involved in 49% of all juvenile drug arrests.

Drug arrests soared for all youth between 1992 and 1997

In contrast to the 1980s, the overall juvenile drug arrest rate more than doubled (118%) in the short period between 1992 and 1997. Increases were seen in the rates for all subgroups: male (112%), female (176%), white (187%), American Indian (289%), and Asian (136%). Even the black rate, which had increased dramatically in the 1980s, increased an additional 41% between 1992 and 1997. Between 1997 and 1999, the juvenile drug arrest rate fell marginally, with most of the overall decline attributable to a drop in arrests of black males.

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