The data revealed that an average of more than 130,000 juvenile arrests have occurred each year for the past 5 years. In 1996, juvenile arrests accounted for 31.4 percent of all arrests in the State. The number of juvenile arrests has increased from 88,103 in 1987 to 144,708 in 1996; the percentage increase is greater than the for adult arrests. Juvenile arrests for index offenses increased 25 percent from 1987 to 1996, compared to a 9 percent increase for adults. Nearly 93 percent of the juvenile arrests for index offenses in 1996 were for property offenses. Juvenile arrests for drug law offenses have steadily increased; the increase may be due to increased juvenile drug use or to enhanced law enforcement attention to juvenile drug offenders. Arrest rates for violent and property index offenses were highest for juveniles aged 16 years. The rate of male arrests for all index crimes was 2.5 times that of females. The juvenile arrest rate in Wisconsin was more than 2.5 times the national average. Tables and figures