Juvenile Arrests in 2008 Show Progress and Challenges

In 2008, law enforcement agencies in the United States made an estimated 2.11 mil­ lion arrests of persons younger than age 18.

Overall, there were 3% fewer juvenile arrests in 2008 than in 2007, and juvenile violent crime arrests fell 2%, continuing a recent decline. Juvenile arrest rates, par­ ticularly Violent Crime Index rates, had in­ creased in 2005 and again in 2006 amid fears that the Nation was on the brink of another juvenile crime wave.

These latest data show increases in some offense categories but declines in most—with most changes being less than 10% in either direction.

These findings are drawn from data that local law enforcement agencies across the country report to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Based on these data, the FBI prepares its annual Crime in the United States statistical compilation, which summarizes crimes known to the police and arrests made during the report­ ing calendar year. This information is used to describe the extent and nature of juve­ nile crime that comes to the attention of the justice system.

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