Young Experience More Nonfatal Violence than Adults

During the period 1993-2003, juveniles ages 12-17 experienced average annual rates of nonfatal violence that were about 2.5 times higher than the rate for adults, according to a Department of Justice report.

Juveniles ages 12-14 and 15-17 experienced 83 and 84 incidents, respectively, per 1,000, versus 32 per 1,000 for adults. 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 comparison, one in 10 adult victims of violent crime perceived the offender to be a juvenile.

Juveniles experienced declines for all nonfatal crimes measured, based on a comparison of average annual rates for 1993-1995 to those for 2001-2003. Victimization rates for overall violence declined more for younger teens than for older teens.

For further information or to download a copy of “Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003,” a special report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/juststats.htm.