Sensationally publicized cases notwithstanding, juvenile crime has been declining. The widely reported growth in juvenile arrests that began in the late 1980s peaked in 1994 and declined for at least the next 10 years. Juvenile arrest rates for murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault have all declined significantly from their peaks.

Nonetheless, the problem of youth violence and crime remains substantial. Law enforcement arrested 2.2 million juveniles (under age 18) in the United States in 2004, the most recent year for which data are available. Juveniles accounted for 16% of violent crime arrests and 16% of all arrests in 2004. Arrested juveniles were 70% male, 30% female.

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