During 1992, juveniles accounted for 13 percent of all arrests for murder in Florida. However, as in other States, aggravated assault is the most frequent charge for violent juvenile offenders. Robbery is the second most frequently committed offense. Eighty-five percent of juveniles arrested for violent crimes are male and one-third are 14 years old or younger. High percentages of violent juvenile offenders come from families receiving food stamps, living in urban areas, single-parent or nonparent families, and families characterized by abuse and neglect. Most offenders did not achieve well academically, but handicapping conditions were diagnosed only in a small percentage of offenders. This report also discusses procedures for taking a child into custody, intake processing, and dispositional options, and describes State correctional programs that accept violent juvenile offenders. The final section discusses recidivism of this offender population. 29 notes