SOC assignment
By Katrina Baum, Ph.D. BJS Statistician
During the period 1993-2003, juveniles ages 12-14 and juveniles ages 15-17 experienced average annual rates of nonfatal violence that were about 2½ times higher than the rate for adults (83 and 84 per 1,000 versus 32 per 1,000). Juveniles under 15 had average annual victimization rates of homicide that were less than a third of those for adults.
Four in five victims of nonfatal violent crime, ages 12-14, perceived the offender to be a juvenile. By compari- son, 1 in 10 adult victims of violent crime perceived the offender to be a juvenile.
Juveniles experienced declines for all nonfatal crimes measured — rape/ sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault — based on a comparison of average annual rates for 1993-95 to those for 2001-03. Victimization rates for overall violence declined more for younger teens than for older teens.
These findings come from either the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) or the Supplementary Homicide Reports, a part of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Special Report National Crime Victimization Survey
Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003
August 2005, NCJ 209468
• On average, juveniles (ages 12-17) were more than twice as likely as adults (age 18 or older) to be the victim of violent crime from 1993 to 2003.
• Average annual rates of violent crime from the beginning (1993-95) to the end (2001-03) of the 11-year period declined for all age groups across all types of crime measured, but the strongest declines were among younger teens (12-14).
• Older teens (15-17) were about 3 times more likely than younger teens (12-14) to be the victim of a violent crime involving a firearm.
• Among victims of violent crimes, younger teens (12-14) were less likely than older teens (15-17) to have been victimized by a stranger (32% versus 41%).
• Among juveniles age 17 or younger, blacks were 5 times as likely as whites to be the victim of a homicide.
• Juveniles were involved as victims or offenders in 38% of all violent crimes in which the victim could estimate the age of the offender(s), 1993-2003.
• 4 in 5 violent victimizations of younger teens (12-14) involved offender(s) perceived to be juvenile(s).
Highlights The number of victimizations by violent crime per 1,000 teenagers dropped from about 130 victimizations in 1993 to about 60 in 2003
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Rate of violent victimization
Victims age 18 or older
Victims ages 15-17
Victims ages 12-14
per 1,000 in each age category
Definitions and data
The nonfatal violent crimes examined in this report are rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Serious violent crime includes all nonfatal violent crimes except simple assault. Because the NCVS does not measure crime against children younger than 12, the term juvenile refers to persons between ages 12 and 17. (For homicides, juveniles refer to persons age 17 or younger.) Younger teens are between ages 12 and 14 and older teens are between ages 15 and 17. Unless other- wise noted, adults are persons age 18 or older.
This report analyzes nonfatal violent crimes using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collected by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Homicide data are from the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR).
Nonfatal victimization (NCVS)
Overall violence
On average, juveniles are more than twice as likely as adults to be a victim of a violent crime (figure 1). During the
period from 1993 to 2003, juveniles ages 12-17 comprised 11% of the population age 12 or older but were the victims of 24% of all violent crimes and 21% of the serious violent crimes.
Younger teens (ages 12 to 14) and older teens (ages 15 to 17) had similar average annual rates of overall violence during the 11-year period; these rates were about 2½ times higher than the average annual rate for adults (83 and 84 per 1,000 versus 32 per 1,000) (table 1). Rates of serious violence — rape/sexual assault, robbery, and aggra- vated assault — were higher for older teens than younger teens (30 per 1,000 versus 23 per 1,000). Rates for younger teens were about twice as high as average annual rates of serious violence for adults (12 per 1,000).
Older teens had the highest average annual rates of rape/sexual assault and aggravated assault, while younger teens had highest rates of simple assault. The average annual simple assault rate for younger teens was 3 times that for adults (60 per 1,000 versus 20 per 1,000). The average annual rate of robbery for adults (4 per 1,000) was half the rate for both younger (8) and older (8) teens.
For both younger and older teens, males had higher average annual rates of violent crime victimization than females. Male teens had rates that were about 2½ times the average annual rates for adult males; female
teens had rates that were about twice as high as adult females.
Among all racial and ethnic groups examined, older teens experienced violent crime at similar average annual rates as younger teens and at higher rates than adults (table 2). Younger and older non-Hispanic white teens had somewhat higher average annual rates of violence than Hispanics of similar age. White and black younger and older teens had similar average annual rates of violence.
2 Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003
aFor this report, racial categories do not include Hispanics. b“Other” includes Asians, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaska Natives considered together.
24.063.468.465.9Rural 28.684.482.383.4Suburban 42.1100.496.698.5Urban
Urbanicity
31.877.376.576.9Hispanic 24.151.049.050.0Otherb 38.287.087.087.0Black 31.087.486.186.7White
Race/ethnicitya
27.868.564.366.4Female 35.899.2101.7100.4Male
Gender 18 or older15-1712-1412-17of victims of violence
Juveniles Characteristic Average annual rate per 1,000
Table 2. Average annual rates of violent victimization, by victims' characteristics and victims' age, 1993-2003
Child abuse
Child abuse is not a crime specifically measured in this report. The NCVS interviews children age 12 years or older. As a result, nonfatal violent acts against children under 12 are not included. Data on child abuse are available from the National Clearing- house on Child Abuse and Neglect Information at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services <http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov>.
violence
violence
Population
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Percent of population and victims
Ages 12-14
Ages 15-17
serious
Age 18 or older
Victims of
Victims of
Compared to persons age 18 or older, teens accounted for a greater percentage of violent victimization than of the population age 12 or older
Figure 1
19.854.260.357.3Simple assault 6.918.013.015.5Aggravated assault 3.78.27.57.8Robbery 1.33.92.53.2Rape/sexual assault
11.930.123.126.5Serious violence 31.784.283.483.8All violence
18 or older15-1712-1412-17Type of crime Juveniles
Average annual rate per 1,000
Table 1. Average annual rates of violent victimization, by type of crime and age of victims, 1993-2003
Urban youth were about twice as likely as urban adults to be victims of a violent crime, while suburban youth were more than 2½ times as likely as suburban and rural adults to be victim- ized. For younger and older teens, urban youth had higher average annual rates of violence than their suburban or rural peers.
Juvenile and adult victimization trends by type of crime, 1993-2003 Although this section includes compari- sons of rates across demographic groups from individual years, analysis of trends within a demographic group compares annual averages for 1993-95 and 2001-03. (See the box on this page.)
Overall violence
Younger teens accounted for the largest decrease in overall violent crime from the beginning to the end of the period (table 3). In 1993-95 younger teens had rates of violent crime that were similar to the rates of older teens but almost 3 times the rate for adults (124 per 1,000 versus 116 and 44 per 1,000, respectively). For 2001-03 older teens had higher violent crime rates than younger teens, and both had rates more than twice as high as the adult rate.
Robbery
Younger and older juveniles experi- enced robbery at higher rates than adults from 1993 to 1998 and in 2003
(table 4 and figure 2). In 1999 and 2002 older teens and adults had similar rates of robbery; in 2000-01, younger teens and adults had similar rates. Both younger (12-14) and older (15-17) teens had declining average annual rates of robbery from 1993-95 to 2001-03 (-66% and -53%).
Aggravated assault
Older teens had higher rates of aggra- vated assault than adults during the 1993-2003 period (table 5 and figure 3). Younger teens had significantly higher rates than adults in every year except 2001 and 2002. When the 3-year average annual rates are compared for the period's beginning and end, the younger teens were less likely than older teens to be victims of aggravated assault, but their declines were not statistically different. The drops in aggravated assault rates for teens (-69% and -61%) were larger than that for adults (-55%).
Simple assault
Both younger and older teens experi- enced simple assault at higher rates than adults for all years examined (table 6 and figure 4). At the beginning of the period (1993-95), younger teens
Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003 3
-59.32.25.418 or older -52.75.211.015-17 -65.6%4.212.112-14
Percent change
2001- 03
1993- 95Age
Average annual rate of robbery per 1,000 persons
Table 4. Robbery, by age of victim, 1993-2003
-55.24.49.818 or older -60.611.228.415-17 -69.0%6.320.412-14
Percent change
2001- 03
1993- 95Age
Average annual rate of aggra- vated assault per 1,000 persons
Table 5. Aggravated assault, by age of victim, 1993-2003
-50.413.427.118 or older -45.739.172.115-17 -56.6%38.388.312-14
Percent change
2001- 03
1993- 95Age
Average annual rate of simple assault per 1,000 persons
Table 6. Simple assault, by age of victim, 1993-2003
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
12
24
36
Rate of aggravated assault victimization
Ages 15-17
per 1,000 persons
Age 18 or older
Ages 12-14
Figure 3
-52.520.944.118 or older -49.958.4116.415-17 -59.4%50.3123.912-14
Percent change
2001- 03
1993- 95Age
Average annual rate of violent crime per 1,000 persons
Table 3. Violent crime by age of victim, 1993-2003
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
4
8
12
16
Rate of robbery victimization per
Ages 15-17
1,000 persons
Age 18 or older
Ages 12-14
Estimating changes in crime victimization rates
Since 1995 the NCVS has undergone sample reductions because of the escalating costs of data collection. At the same time, the rate of violent crime has declined. The combination of the two – fewer survey respondents and less crime – has resulted in a diminished ability to detect statistically significant year-to-year rate changes.
Comparing 3-year average rates gives readers a picture of the changes while smoothing year-to-year fluctua- tions. This approach enables a clearer, more meaningful comparison of the changes in crime rates across the 11 years from 1993 to 2003. Therefore, percent changes discussed in this report refer to changes from the average rates for 1993-95 to those for 2001-03.
Figure 2
were more likely than older teens to be victims of simple assault (88 per 1,000 versus 72 per 1,000). By the end of the period (2001-03), younger and older teens had similar rates of simple assault. The decline in the rate of simple assault for younger teens was larger than that for older teens (-57% versus -46%).
Trends in violent crime against juveniles and adults, by victim characteristics, 1993-2003
Gender
For males, the declines from 1993-95 to 2001-03 were similar for younger and older teens (-57% and -54%, respectively) (table 8 and figure 6). The decline in the rates for younger female teens was greater than that for older female teens or female adults (-64% versus -43% and -48%) (figure 7).
Race/ethnicity
Among whites, older and younger teens had similar rates of violent crime at the beginning of the period
4 Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003
Rape/sexual assault
Because the rape/sexual assault rates for young teens are low, insufficient sample cases were available to analyze annual rates for younger and older teens separately. In addition, rapes/sexual assaults are crimes that dispropor- tionately affect young adults. As a result, the age groups compared for these crimes – juveniles (ages 12-17), young adults (ages 18-24), and adults (age 25 or older) – differ from the groups compared elsewhere in this report.
Average annual rates of rape/sexual assault for all three age groups were lower for 2001-03 than they were for 1993-95 (table 7 and figure 5). The drop for juveniles was somewhat smaller than it was for adults age 25 or older and similar to the decline for young adults (-46% versus -56% and -42%). Rates of rape/sexual assault victimization were similar for juveniles ages 12-17 and young adults for all years examined except 1999 and 2003, when the rates for young adults were higher. Juveniles and young adults had higher rates than the adults except in 2003 when the rates for juveniles and adults converged.
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
2
4
6
8
Rate of rape/sexual assault
Ages 18-24
victimization per 1,000 persons
Age 25 or older
Ages 12-17-55.50.61.325 or older -42.43.35.718-24 -46.3%2.24.012-17
Percent change
2001- 03
1993- 95Age
Average annual rate of rape/sexual assault per 1,000 persons
Table 7. Rape/sexual assault, by age of victim, 1993-2003
Figure 5
-48.319.437.618 or older -43.351.390.415-17 -64.0%36.4101.012-14
Female -55.922.651.218 or older -53.865.1141.015-17 -56.5%63.5145.812-14
Male
Percent change
2001- 03
1993- 95
Gender and age
Average annual rate of violent crime per 1,000 persons
Table 8. Violent victimization, by victims' gender and age, 1993-2003
*Based on 10 or fewer sample cases. aExcludes persons reporting a background of two or more races in 2002 and 2003. b“Other” includes Asians, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaska Natives considered together.
-58.221.250.818 or older -54.950.3111.615-17 -60.6%50.5128.012-14
Hispanic
-60.215.639.318 or older -77.318.7*82.115-17 -67.1%24.1*73.312-14
Otherb -53.324.953.318 or older -40.363.1105.715-17 -66.7%46.5139.512-14
Black
-51.720.442.318 or older -49.162.0121.815-17 -57.6%51.9122.412-14
White
Percent change
2001- 03a
1993- 95
ethnicity and age
Average annual rate of violent crime per 1,000 personsRace/
Table 9. Violent victimization, by victims' race and age, 1993-2003
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
40
80
120
160
Rate of violent victimization per
Ages 15-17
1,000 males
Age 18 or older
Ages 12-14
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
40
80
120
160
Rate of violent victimization per
Ages 15-17
1,000 females
Age 18 or older
Ages 12-14
Figure 6 Figure 7
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
20
40
60
80
100
Rate of simple assault victimization
Ages 15-17
per 1,000 persons
Age 18 or older
Ages 12-14
Figure 4
(1993-95) (table 9). By 2001-03 older teens had a somewhat higher rate than younger teens, but there was no signifi- cant difference between their declines. Older and younger teens had higher rates of violent crime than adults during both periods.
For blacks, younger teens had the highest rates of violent crime in 1993- 95, but older teens had somewhat higher rates than younger teens in 2001-03. Both groups of juveniles had rates of violent crime that were about 2
times the rates for adults. Among blacks, the decline in violent victimiza- tion rates for younger teens was greater than the decline for older teens and adults (-67% versus -40% and -53%, respectively).
During 1993-95 for persons of other races – American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders considered together – older teens had average annual rates of violent crime that were similar to those for younger teens and higher than the rate for adults (82 per 1,000 versus 73 and 39, respectively). By 2001-03, rates of violent crime for all three age groups fell at least 60%. For persons of other races, the average annual rates of violent crime for 2001-03 were similar for older teens and adults.
Violent victimization rates for Hispanic younger teens were similar to those for older teens in 1993-95 (128 and 112 per 1,000) and 2001-03 (50 per 1,000). During both 3-year periods, juveniles had average annual rates of violent
crime that were at least twice as high as adults. The declines for all age groups from 1993-95 to 2001-03 were similar and fell by at least 50%.
Urban, suburban, and rural crime
Younger urban teens had higher average annual rates of violent crime than their rural peers for 1993-95 and 2001-03 (table 10). Older urban teens had higher rates than older rural teens at the beginning of the period, but there were no differences detected between urban, suburban, or rural older teens at the end of the period. All age groups in urban and suburban areas experienced declines of at least 50% from 1993-95 to 2001-03.
Characteristics of criminal events against juveniles, 1993-2003
The NCVS collects information about the criminal event such as whether the offender was armed, whether the victim was injured, and where and when the crime occurred.
Weapons
More than 2 in 3 violent crimes against juveniles were committed without a weapon (table 11). The proportion of violent crimes in which a weapon was involved was higher for older teens than younger teens (25% versus 18%).
Older teens were about 3 times more likely than younger teens to be the victim of a violent crime involving a firearm (7 versus 2 per 1,000) (table 12). Both age groups were equally likely to be victims of a violent crime involving a knife (5 per 1,000).
Injuries
About 3 in 10 violent victimizations against youth ages 12 -17 resulted in an injury (table 13). For both younger and older teens, nearly a quarter of victimizations resulted in a minor injury, such as bruises and cuts. Older teens were more likely than younger teens to experience serious injuries, such as gunshot or knife wounds, loss of consciousness, or undetermined injuries requiring 2 or more nights
Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003 5
-48.116.531.718 or older -28.860.084.215-17 -61.5%36.494.512-14
Rural -54.818.340.518 or older -54.754.0119.215-17 -62.9%47.5128.112-14
Suburban -51.728.659.318 or older -53.565.8141.415-17 -55.1%64.2143.112-14
Urban
Percent change
2001- 03
1993- 95
Urbanicity and age
Average annual rate of violent crime per 1,000 persons
Table 10. Violent victimization, by where victims lived, 1993-2003
7.54.8 Don’t known if weapon present
9.78.8Other/type unknown 6.46.2Knife 8.62.5Firearm
24.8%17.5%Weapon
67.7%77.7%No weapon
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14
Weapon type
Average annual percent of violent victimizations
Table 11. Violent crimes involving weapons, by age of victim, 1993-2003
17.87.5Other location 11.57.2Other home 16.814.5Victim's home 21.817.4Open area 32.0%53.4%School 100%100%Total
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14
Location of violent crime
Average annual percent of violent victimizations
Table 14. Location of violent crime, by age of victim, 1993-2003
0.90.9Type unknown 7.36.4Other 5.45.2Knife 7.32.1Firearm
Weapon
57.064.8No weapon
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14
Weapon type
Average annual rate of violent crime per 1,000 victims
Table 12. Rates of violent victimization involving weapons, by age of victim, 1993-2003
aMinor injuries include bruises and cuts. bSerious injuries include gun shot wounds, knife wounds, internal injuries, unconscious- ness, and broken bones.
1.60.7Rape injury 2.91.8Serious injuryb
23.625.3Minor injurya 28.1%27.9%Injury
71.9%72.1%No injury 100%100%Total
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14
Type of injury
Average annual percent of violent victimizations
Table 13. Injuries from violent crime, by age of victim, 1993-2003
in the hospital. Older teens were also more likely than younger teens to have had victimizations that resulted in rape injuries.
Location
School was the most common place for violent victimizations against teens to occur (table 14). A higher percent- age of violent crimes against younger teens than those against older teens occurred at or in school (53% versus 32%). Older teens (17%) were somewhat more likely than younger teens (15%) to be victimized at home.
Time of day
Although teens in both age groups experienced more overall violent victimizations during the day (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) than at night (6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.), a higher percentage of violent crimes against younger teens (81%) than against older teens (58%) occurred during the day (table 15). Four out of ten violent victimizations against older teens occurred at night. This was 2½ times higher than the nighttime victimizations against young- er teens. Five percent of younger teens and 3% of older teens did not report the time of the violent victimization.
Reporting to police
About a quarter of overall violent victimizations against younger teens
and about a third of the victimizations against older teens were reported to the police from 1993 to 2003 (table 16). On average, victimizations against older teens (35%) were reported more frequently than victimizations against younger teens (23%).
The most common reasons offered by younger teens for not reporting violent crimes to police were that it was reported to another official and that it was a minor crime (table 17). Younger teens were more likely than older teens to have reported the crime to an official other than the police (31% versus 17%). About 1 in 6 younger teens and 1 in 5 older teens did not report victimi- zations because they were considered to be a private or personal matter. Less than 5% of juveniles did not report
6 Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003
1.81.4Unknown 63.575.1Not reported 34.7%23.4%Reported
100%100%Total
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14
to police of violent crime
Average annual percent of violent victimizationsReporting
Table 16. Reporting violent crime to the police, by age of victim, 1993-2003
Peak hours for serious violent crime against juveniles
In 1999 the NCVS added more detailed categories to describe when victimiza- tions occurred. The number of hours in each time category can differ. Some categories have 3 hours; some have 6; and some, 9 hours. To measure the relative risk for each time period, the number of serious violent victimizations (rapes/sexual assaults, robberies, and aggravated assaults) in each category was divided by the number of hours, producing an hour-adjusted estimate. For example, if 10 simple assaults occur in each of the two periods 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. and 6 p.m.– 9 p.m., then 3 p.m.– 9 p.m. is the less vulnerable time of day when normalized by the hours of exposure.
For victimizations with a reported time of occurrence, analysis of serious violence unadjusted by the number of hours appears to show that younger teens were at higher risk during the school day (6 a.m. – 3 p.m.). However, the estimate adjusted for hours of exposure reveals that the most vulnerable period was after school (3 p.m. – 6 p.m.). Adjusted data also show that a lower percentage of younger teens were victimized at night than during the day, and that older teens had similar levels of serious violent victimization in the afternoon and in early and late evening.
Time of occurrence of serious violent victimization (adjusted and unadjusted for hours of exposure), by victim age, 1999-2003
12 a.m.-
9 p.m.-
6 p.m.-
3 p.m.-
6 a.m.-
0% 20% 40% 60%
Unadjusted
Adjusted
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
9 p.m.
12 a.m.
6 a.m.
Victims 15-17(3 hrs.)
(9 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
(6 hrs.)
Adjusted
Unadjusted
Vic-
12-14 tims
Figure 8
26.920.9Other 3.77.8Child offender 4.32.5Afraid/fear of reprisal 2.41.1Protect offender 2.92.3Not clear it was a crime
16.730.5Reported to other official 21.319.2Minor crime 21.9%15.7%Private/personal matter
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14
violent crime was not reported
Average annual percent of violent victimizationsReason
Table 17. Reasons for not reporting violent crime to the police, by age of victim, 1993-2003
3.25.3Unknown 38.713.5Night (6 p.m.-6 a.m.) 58.1%81.2%Day (6 a.m.-6 p.m.)
100%100%Total
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14
Time of violent crime
Average annual percent of violent victimizations
Table 15. Time of violent crime, by age of victim, 1993-2003
victimizations to the police because they were afraid of reprisal, but younger teens (2%) were less likely to be afraid than older teens (4%).
When these victimizations were reported to the police among younger teens, a household member (42%) was the most common person to report (table 18). Among older teens, a third of all victims reported their own victimi- zation to the police. Household members were less likely to be the reporters for older teens than younger teens (24% versus 42%).
Victim-offender relationship
Younger teen victims of nonfatal violence were less likely than older teen victims to have been victimized by a stranger (32% versus 41%) and more likely to have been victimized by a person whom they knew but who was not a relative (58% versus 45%) (table 19). Older teens were as likely as younger teens to be victimized by a parent or by a relative.
Among victims, younger teens were more likely than older teens to have been victimized by a schoolmate.
Average annual percent of violence with known offenders
Age of committed by schoolmates victim of the victim 12-14 57.0% 15-17 40.2
Dating violence is another realm of the victim-offender relationship that is important for describing violence against juveniles. The NCVS does not ask the victim directly if the victimiza- tion occurred while “on a date,” but it can identify whether offenses were committed by a “boyfriend, girlfriend, ex-boyfriend, or ex-girlfriend.”
Less than 1% of violent victimizations against male juveniles involved an offender who was an intimate partner (table 20). Among older teens the percentage of violent crimes involving an intimate partner was 10 times as high for females as males (9% versus 0.6%). For younger teens the percent- age for females was not statistically different from that for males.
Juvenile offenders in nonlethal violence, 1993-2003
Age
Juveniles were involved as victims or offenders in 38% of all violent crimes in which the victim could estimate the age of the offender(s), 1993-2003. Offenders were identified as juveniles in a fourth of all nonfatal violent victimi- zations (figure 9). A tenth of all victimi- zations involved both juvenile and adult offenders. These proportions remained relatively stable over the period.
Percent of all violent crimes Age of Age of victims offender(s) 12-17 18 or older Juvenile only 16.0% 6.6% Adult only 4.9 62.3 Mixed 3.3 6.9
Juvenile offenders were more likely to violently victimize other juveniles than to victimize adults (table 21). Four in five violent victimizations against young teens involved an offender or group of offenders who were all perceived to be juveniles. Older teens were less likely than younger teens to be involved in a victimization in which any of the offend- ers were perceived to be a juvenile (68% versus 91%). Juveniles commit- ted 9% of crimes against adults.
Gender
Offenders were male in 3 out of 4 violent crimes perceived to be commit- ted by juveniles. This was 3½ times higher than the proportion of crimes that victims attributed to females.
Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003 7
*Based on 10 or fewer sample cases.
3.287.79.115-17 4.1%93.6%2.3%12-14
Female
5.194.40.6*15-17 4.8%94.8%0.4%*12-14
Male UnknownNoYesand gender
Average annual percent of violent crime by an intimate partner of the victimVictim's age
Table 20. Intimate partner violence, by age of victim, 1993-2003
27.419.8Other 16.418.1Other official 24.342.2Household member 32.0%19.8%Victim
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14
Person reporting violent crime
Average annual percent of reported serious violence
Table 18. Who reported serious violent crime to police, by age of victim, 1993-2003
9.116.111.5 Mixed ages
(juveniles and adults)
82.231.88.8Adult 8.752.179.7Juvenile 100%100%100%Total
18 or older15-1712-14offender(s)
Average annual percent of nonfatal violent crimes, 1993- 2003, by age of victimAge of
Table 21. Age of violent offenders, by age of victim, 1993-2003
2.44.5Don’t know 4.01.1Intimate 3.02.2Relative 2.41.9Parent
40.932.3Stranger 45.4%58.0%
Acquaintances/ well known
15-1712-14Relationship
Average annual percent of violent victimizations
Table 19. Victim-offender relationship for violent crimes against juveniles, 1993-2003
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Percent of nonfatal violent victimizations,
Adult offenders
Juvenile offenders
annual average, 1993-2003
Adult and juvenile offenders
Figure 9
Victims reported in less than 2% of the victimizations that they did not know the gender of the juvenile offender or that it involved both male and female offenders.
Average annual percent Gender of of violent crimes com- juvenile offender(s) mitted by juvenile(s)
Total 100.0% Male 76.0 Female 21.9 Both 1.4 Don’t know 0.4
Race
Offenders were perceived to be white in 59% of nonfatal violent crimes committed by juveniles. This was more than twice the proportion of violent crimes committed by black juveniles (25%). Offenders of other races and multiple offenders from more than racial group comprised about 1 in 7 juvenile offenders. Victims were unable to report the race of the offender in 2% of all violent victimizations.
Average annual percent of violent
Race of crimes committed juvenile offender(s) by juvenile(s)
Total 100.0% White 59.1 Black 25.2 Other 11.4 More than 1 racial group 2.6 Unknown 1.7
Perceived gang involvement
Among younger teens, 11% of youth on average perceived that the offend- ers were involved in a gang (figure 10). This was lower than the average annual percentage of older teen victims of violent crime (14%) who believed their offenders were in a gang.
Almost half of both younger and older teens indicated that the offender was not involved in a gang. About 4 in 10 victims could not determine whether the offender was a gang member.
Drug and alcohol use
Juveniles using drugs or alcohol committed 1 in 10 of the nonfatal violent victimizations against older teens. This was 2½ times higher than the percentage of victimizations against younger teens perceived to be committed by a juvenile who was using drugs or alcohol. Younger teens were more likely than older teens to report that their juvenile offender was not using drugs or alcohol. In about 4 in 10 victimizations against younger and older teens committed by juveniles, the victim could not ascertain whether or not the offender was using drugs or alcohol.
Was the Average annual percent offender of violent victimizations using drugs by a juvenile or alcohol? 12-14 15-17 Yes 4.8% 10.6% No 56.7 46.0 Unknown 38.6 43.4
Homicide victims and offenders, 1993-2003, from the Supplementary Homicide Reports The FBI defines murder in its annual Crime in the United States as the willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human
being by another, referred to as homicide in this report. Not included are deaths caused by negligence, suicide, or accident; justifiable homi- cides; and attempts to murder or assaults to murder, which are scored as aggravated assaults. The FBI gathers murder statistics from over 17,000 city, county, and State law enforcement agencies.
Age
All age groups 12 or older had declines in the average number and rates of homicides from the beginning (1993- 95) to the end (2001-03) of the period (table 22).* The greatest decline occurred for younger teens whose rate of homicides fell from 3 per 100,000 to 1 per 100,000 (a 65% decline). The rate of homicide against older teens fell 59%.
8 Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003
Figure 10
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Average annual percent of perceived gang involvement of offender
Victims' ages
12-14 15-17
Yes No Unsure
8.2-35.96.814,66910.620,44818 or older 8.6-59.15.567113.41,44215-17 1.7-64.71.01232.831012-14 1.8-21.6%1.67852.19570-11
annual rate, 1993-2003
Percent change
Average annual rate per 100,000Number
Average annual rate per 100,000Number
Age of victim
Average 2001-031993-95 Homicide victimizations
Table 22. Homicide victimization rates per 100,000, by age, 1993-2003
9.0-31.57.816,71511.321,81918 or older 20.4-68.011.31,37935.23,78215-17 2.4-71.01.31614.449312-14
0-42.3%0110180-11
annual rate, 1993-2003
Percent change
Average annual rate per 100,000Number
Average annual rate per 100,000Number
Age of victim
Average 2001-031993-95 Homicides committed
Table 23. Homicide offending rates per 100,000, by age, 1993-2003
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
4
8
12
16
Rate of homicide victimization per 100,000 persons
Victims 15-17
Victims 12-14 Victims 0-11
18 or older Victims
Figure 11
*3-year averages are compared, consistent with the nonfatal trend analyses.
Children under 15 had average annual victimization rates of homicide that were less than a third of those of adults for both 1993-95 and 2001-03. At the beginning of the period, older teens had higher rates of homicide than adults (13 per 100,000 versus 11 per 100,000), but adults had somewhat higher rates at the end of the period (7 versus 6 per 100,000).
Older teens had higher rates of committing a homicide than all other age groups for all years examined (table 23). Although all age groups experienced declines in homicide offenders from 1993-95 to 2001-03, the declines for teens were twice that for adults (-71% and -68% versus -32%).
Gender
For both males and females the average annual homicide victimization rate for 2001-03 was a third of the rate for 1993-95 (table 24). For the 11-year period, 1993-2003, the average annual rate of victimization for juvenile males was 4½ times higher than that for juvenile females.
Among juvenile males, the rates for committing homicide were higher than the victimization rate. Although the offending rates for male and female juveniles declined over the 11 years, for females the decline in offending was smaller than the decline in victimization. The average annual rate of homicide offending for males was 14 times higher than that for females (7 versus 0.5 per 100,000).
Race
White and black juveniles had similar declines in homicide victimization from 1993 to 2003. Overall blacks were 5 times as likely as whites to be a victim of a homicide (5 per 100,000 versus 1 per 100,000) (table 25). The homicide offending rate for black juveniles was 7 times that for white juveniles (14 versus 2 per 100,000).
Juveniles of other races had both vic- timization and offending rates that were higher for 2001-03 than for 1993-95.
The greatest declines in homicide rates were experienced by blacks for whom
both victimization and offending rates fell 71%.
Relationship
For children under age 12, a relative was responsible for more than half of all homicides (58%) (table 26). This was about 3 times the level of homicides by relatives or intimates of younger teens and about 9 times higher than the percentage of homicides against older teens by a relative or intimate.
Less than 5% of homicide victims under 12 were killed by a stranger. Younger and older teen victims of homicide were equally likely to be killed by a stranger, but 3 times more likely than the youngest juveniles (14% and 16% versus 5%). Older teen homicide victims were more likely than murdered younger teens or children under 12 to be killed by someone whose identity was not known by the police.
Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003 9
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 0
10
20
30
40
Rate of homicide offending per 100,000 persons
Offenders 15-17
Offenders 12-14
18 or older Offenders
Note: The omitted rates for offenders ages 1-11 ranged from 0 to 1 per 100,000.
0.5-36.80.40.6Female 6.9-67.73.811.8Male
Offenders
0.6-60.70.30.9Female 2.6-67.9%1.44.4Male
Victims
Average annual rate, 1993-2003
Percent change
2001 -03
1993 -95Gender
Homicide rate per 100,000 juveniles
Table 24. Homicide rates per 100,000 for juveniles under 18, victims and offenders by gender, 1993-2003
0.846.41.41.0Other 14.1-70.97.425.5Black 1.9-57.3%1.22.8White
Offenders
0.355.20.60.4Other 5.0-71.22.69.0Black 1.0-61.1%0.61.5White
Victims
Average annual rate, 1993-2003
Percent change
Average 2001 -03
Average 1993 -95
Race of victims under age 18
Homicide rate per 100,000 juveniles
Table 25. Homicide rates per 100,000 for juveniles under 18, victims and offenders by race, 1993-2003Figure 12
40.828.913.4Unknown 16.014.44.5Stranger 36.638.624.1Other known
6.6%18.0%58.0% Relative or
intimate
15-1712-140-11Relationship
Average annual percent of homicides, 1993-2003, by age of victim
Table 26. Relationship of homicide victim to offender, by age of victim, 1993-2003
Weapons
Firearms were used in about 8 of 10 homicides against older teens and 7 of 10 homicides against younger teens (table 27). A teenager was about 4 times more likely than a child under age 12 to be killed by a firearm. By comparison, younger juveniles were more than twice as likely as younger or older teens to be killed by a blunt object. Fifty-seven percent of homicide victims under 12 were killed by a means or weapon other than a firearm, knife, blunt object, or strangulation; such means include being beaten with fists, kicked, poisoned, or drowned.
Survey methodology
This report presents data on rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault against juveniles (ages 12-17) as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The NCVS gathers data on crimes against persons age 12 or older, reported and not reported to the police, from a nationally represen- tative sample of U.S. households. The NCVS provides information about victims (age, gender, race, ethnicity, marital status, income, and educational level), offenders (gender, race, approximate age, and victim-offender relations) and the nature of the crime (time and place of occurrence, use of weapons, nature of injury, and economic consequences). Homicide data are from the Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Between 1993 and 2003, 1,761,125 individuals age 12 or older were inter- viewed. For the overall population, for the years measured, response rates varied between 86% and 94% of eligi- ble individuals.
Standard error computations
Comparisons of percentages and rates made in this report were tested to determine if observed differences were statistically significant. Differences described as higher, lower, or different passed a hypothesis test at the .05 level of statistical significance (95% confidence level). The tested differ- ence was greater than twice the standard error of that difference. For comparisons that were statistically significant at the 0.10 level (90% confi- dence level), “somewhat,” “slightly,” or “marginally” is used to note the nature of the difference.
Significance testing calculations were conducted at the Bureau of Justice Statistics using statistical programs developed specifically for the NCVS by the U.S. Census Bureau. These programs take into consideration many aspects of the complex NCVS sample design when calculating generalized variance estimates.
Estimates based on 10 or fewer sample cases have high relative standard errors so that care should be taken when comparing such estimates to other estimates when both are based on 10 or fewer sample cases. Asterisks mark estimates based on 10 or fewer sample cases in this report.
Definitions
Homicide includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter and is defined as the willful killing of one human being by another.
Rape is forced sexual intercourse, including both psychological coercion and physical force. Forced sexual inter- course means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender(s). This category includes incidents in which the penetration is by a foreign object, attempted rapes, male and female
victims, and heterosexual and homosexual rape.
Sexual assault covers a wide range of victimizations distinct from rape or attempted rape. These crimes include completed or attempted attacks gener- ally involving unwanted sexual contact between the victim and offender. Sexual assaults may or may not involve force and include such things as grabbing or fondling. Sexual assault also includes verbal threats.
Robbery is a completed or attempted theft directly from a person, of property or cash by force or threat of force, with or without a weapon, and with or without an injury.
Aggravated assault is defined as a completed or attempted attack with a weapon, regardless of whether an injury occurred, and an attack without a weapon in which the victim is seriously injured.
Simple assault is an attack without a weapon resulting either in no injury, minor injury (such as bruises, black eyes, cuts, scratches, or swelling) or an undetermined injury requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization. Simple assaults also include attempted assaults without a weapon.
10 Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003
3.36.014.7Unknown 2.98.257.0Other 1.02.41.5Strangulation 1.92.86.3Blunt object 8.110.24.7Knife
82.8%70.3%15.9%Firearm 15-1712-140-11Weapon
Average annual percent of homicides, 1993-2003, by age of victim
Table 27. Weapon use in homicides, by age of victim, 1993-2003
The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is director.
Katrina Baum, BJS Statistician, wrote this report under the direction of Michael Rand. Patsy Klaus verified the report, and Thomas H. Cohen provided comments. Karen Paul provided statistical assistance. Tom Hester produced and edited the report.
August 2005, NCJ 209468
Office of Justice Programs Partnerships for Safer Communities http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov