Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National Report (Overview). Answers for policy makers To understand and improve the juvenile justice system, it is necessary to have access to useful and accurate information about the system and the youth it serves. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National Report is a useful tool for understanding the national dimensions and patterns of juvenile crime and victimization. The report answers the most frequently asked questions by juvenile justice practitioners, researchers, the public, news media, legislators, state and local officials, and youth advocates. About juvenile offenders While no exact measure exists of the true volume of juvenile crime, figures on juvenile arrests reported annually to the FBI have been used as a barometer to monitor the level of juvenile involvement in crime known to the police. After years of relative stability, juvenile involvement in violent crime known to law enforcement has been increasing. The rate of juvenile violent crime arrests remained constant between 1973 and 1988. But between 1988 and 1992, the juvenile violent crime arrest rate increased more than 50%. Looking to the future, the report indicates that by the year 2010, the juvenile population aged 10- 17 is projected to grow more than 20% over the 1990 Census. This most basic statistic has significant implications for future levels of juvenile crime as the children of the baby boomers are entering their high crime years. The report estimates that if juvenile arrest rates for Violent Crime Index offenses (murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) were to remain fixed at the 1992 level, juvenile population growth alone would produce a 22% rise in violent juvenile crime arrests. However, should the juvenile violent crime arrest rates increase in the future as they have between 1983 and 1992, the number of juveniles arrests for these violent crimes would double by the year 2010 -- to more than 260,000 arrests. County level maps generated from FBI arrest data for the Report clearly illustrate the great variation in juvenile arrest rates across the country and within the states. While the report cannot explain why there are such wide differences, it raises questions for communities to answer. The number of known juvenile homicide offenders has more than doubled, from 969 in 1984 to 2,202 in 1991. The increase in homicides by juveniles is tied to the use of guns. The growth in homicides involving juvenile offenders has surpassed that among adults. The number of adult offenders increased 20 % over the same time period. Handguns accounted for the greatest proportion of homicides by juveniles from 1976 to 1991. In 1976, 59% of juvenile homicide offenders killed with a gun; by 1991 the figure was 78%. Juvenile arrests for weapon law violations more than doubled between 1983 and 1992. Between 1983 and 1992 adult arrests for weapon law violations increased by 21%, while juvenile arrests increased 117%. This large increase in juvenile arrests reflects a growing involvement of juveniles in violent crime. About juvenile victims Juvenile victimization findings from the report tend to parallel those related to the rates and trends in violent juvenile crime arrests. Any juvenile between the ages of 12 and 17 is more likely to be the victim of crime than are persons past their mid twenties. Juveniles and young adults have the greatest risk of victimization for both crimes of violence and crimes of theft. In 1991, juveniles ages 12-17 were as likely to be victims of rape, robbery, and simple assault as were adults ages 18-24; aggravated assault was the only violent crime for which young adults had a statistically higher victimization rate. Using data from the new FBI National Incident- Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the Report authors estimate that children below the age of 12 are victims in 1 in 4 violent juvenile victimizations reported to the police. NIBRS data also indicate that the time of victimization of children varies greatly by age of the child. Young children are at most risk of violent victimization at dinner time, while victimization of older juveniles peak around the end of the school day. The Report indicates that child protective service agencies received 1.9 million reports of child maltreatment in 1992 involving 2.9 million children. Many of these reports involved more than one child from the same family. Benchmark report More than three years in develop-ment, the report provides the first comprehensive, easy-to-read analysis and synthesis of information from more than 50 national and sub-national data sources, using clear, non-technical language with graphics, tables and maps. It is designed as a series of briefing papers on specific topics, ranging from juvenile homicide victims to the use of the death penalty for juveniles. The report provides the baseline for analyzing trends in the growth of the juvenile population, juvenile arrests, homicides, suicide, child abuse, violent crime victimization and the justice system response to juvenile crime. The report presents the most current data available for trend analysis near the end of 1994, which, in most cases were data through 1992. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will produce regular updates on key topics as new data become available. In addition to reporting the findings from their analyses, report authors Howard Snyder and Melissa Sickmund of the National Center for Juvenile Justice carefully describe the limitations of existing data sets and studies for understanding juvenile crime and victimization. Obtaining copies Individual copies of the report may be obtained by contacting the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, 1- 800-638-8736, or by writing to P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20857.