The current 114,000 arrests of persons under the age of 18 for violent index offenses in 1990 represented the highest figure in more than 25 years. Youth violence, as indicated by arrest rates, was relatively constant between the mid-seventies and the mid-eighties, following a steady increase from the mid-sixties. A significant increase has occurred only in the past few years. Between 1989 and 1990, the number of youth arrests for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter increased 26 percent, while arrests for robbery and aggravated assault increased 16 and 17 percent, respectively. In order to overcome some of the limitations of the UCR program, the FBI implemented a National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Instead of monthly summary counts of arrests, each law enforcement agency describes in detail each arrest and its associated criminal incident. Not only does this provide more extensive information on the offender, but it also provides information about the victim, the victim offender relationship, all the charges in the arrest, circumstance of the incident, and the measurement of the seriousness of the crimes. 6 figures and 6 notes