Arrests by age: Juveniles have the highest categories for most violent crimes

This is the sixteenth in a series offering data from the FBI’s latest crime reports based on crimes reported to law enforcement.

The first was Locations Of Violent Crime-Where Crime Happens.  The second was The Time Of Day For Violent And Property Crimes. The third was Violent Crime Totals By State. The fourth was Violent Crime Victims By Race And Ethnicity-Who’s Victimized Most? The fifth was Are Females Violently Victimized More Than Males? The sixth is Most People Are Violently Victimized By Family Members Or People They Know. The seventh is 10 Percent Of Violent Victimizations Involved A Firearm-Weapons Used During Crime. The eighth is Most Crimes Are Not Solved-Why? The ninth is 250,000 Attempted But Failed Property Crimes Per The FBI-Reasons Why. The tenth is What Causes Murders And Aggravated Assaults? The eleventh was Crime Victims By Age-Those 50 And Above Have Surprisingly High Numbers. The twelfth was Understanding How The US Collects Reported Crime Data. The thirteenth is How Many Americans Are Victimized By Violent And Property Crime Yearly? The fourteenth is Males Are Arrested Far More Than Females Yet Women In Prison Skyrocket. The fifteenth is Violent And Property Crimes By Month.

Most Crimes Are Not Reported

Per the National Crime Victimization Survey from the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the US Department of Justice, only 42 percent of violent crimes are reported to law enforcement.

Thirty-two percent of property crimes are reported. The great majority of what we call crime are property-related events which means that most crime is not recorded by the FBI.

Nevertheless, the numbers below from the FBI are some of the best indicators we have regarding the total number of “reported” crimes and the characteristics of those crimes.

Are Juvenile Crimes Reported To Law Enforcement?

In 2018, 74 percent of violent victimizations against juveniles were not reported to the police. 

Article

This article focuses on the FBI’s latest full-year report (2022) as to the age of those arrested. If one thing stands out as concerning, it’s the involvement of juveniles in violent crime.

Violence is exploding in Washington, D.C., and other cities with a focus on juveniles as offenders. Data show juveniles make up the majority of arrests in DC for crimes like robbery and carjacking.

We’ve spent decades firmly stating that juveniles should not be held criminally responsible for their crimes with few exceptions. The purpose of the juvenile justice system is the protection of the child, a philosophy that few seem to be aware of.

There are endless references to juveniles as developmentally evolving; their decision-making abilities are compromised by emerging cognitive development. Many believe that It’s unfair to treat a juvenile as an adult except in the most extreme cases of violence.

There are endless references to child abuse and neglect, family and community violence, and brain damage as reasons for growing juvenile violence.

A 78 Percent Decline In Juvenile Arrests

Juvenile arrests have plummeted, something acclaimed by the US Department of Justice. The Office of Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP’s) latest data on youth arrests for violent crimes show a 78-percent decline since the peak year, 1994, countering claims of a youth-led violent crime wave in the United States (emphasis added).

Note that all arrests have plummeted for decades with a slight upturn for 2022.

Growth In Juvenile Violence-Wall Street Journal

US homicides by juveniles acting alone rose 30% in 2020 from the prior year. It was more than double that for killings committed by multiple juveniles according to federal data. The data shows that in 2020, the number of juveniles killing other juveniles was the highest it’s been in more than two decades.

From another Wall Street Journal article, Juvenile Crime Surges, Reversing Long Decline. ‘It’s Just Kids Killing Kids.’ Violence among children has soared across the country since 2020. One consequence: a mounting toll of young victims. The data shows that in 2020, the number of juveniles killing other juveniles was the highest it’s been in more than two decades.

The Juvenile Justice Philosophy Of The US Department of Justice

OJJDP (Office of Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention) is committed to transforming the juvenile justice system to promote the welfare of all youth. Three priorities guide our work: 1) Treat children as children. 2) Serve children at home, with their families and in their communities. 3) Open up opportunities for system-involved youth. OJJDP’s vision statement describes our commitment to building “a nation where all children are free from crime and violence” and where youth contact with the justice system should be “rare, fair, and beneficial.” I take those three adjectives—rare, fair, and beneficial—very seriously. Youth contact with the justice system is neither fair nor beneficial if that system fails to treat them as children.

The flip side of this philosophy are endless cities struggling with violent crimes and carjackings committed by juveniles.

National Arrests By Age-The Data

The chart below from the FBI breaks arrests down by crime. There are a variety of observations:

Those 16-20 have, by far, the highest numbers for homicides.

Those 16-20 have, by far, the highest numbers for sex offenses.

Those 16-20 have the second-highest number of vehicle thefts.

Those 16-20 have, by far, the highest numbers for robbery.

Those 16-20 have the third highest numbers for stolen property.

Those 16-20 have the fifth-highest number for assaults.

In addition, for those 11-15, there were 197,000 total arrests and 65,000 arrests for violent crimes.

Criminologically speaking, crime and violence have always been a young person’s game with the 16-35 age group being arrested for most violent crimes. It’s the same for total arrests.

Older Folks Are Also Arrested At Surprisingly High Numbers

I’ve been told that 50 is the new 30 and when considering total crime, that seems true. There are endless references that older people should be treated with leniency because of their low numbers of arrests (sorta like a new juvenile services philosophy).

While it’s clear that violent crimes are not the purview of older individuals, there were 276,000 total arrests for those 51-55, 203,000 total arrests for those 56-60,118,000 total arrests for those 61-65, and 81,000 total arrests for those 66 and over.

Conclusions

From the beginning of my criminological studies, I was told that those 16-35 committed the vast majority of crimes, substantiated by the FBI’s arrest chart.

But the data on juvenile offending is shockingly high and I’m guessing that, based on data, their offending will continue for many years to come. The thought that older individuals age out of crime (a basic criminological tenant) starts at age 41. 

Older individuals are also of concern. Criminologically speaking, people are supposed to age out of crime. That does not seem to be happening for many.