U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

John J. Wilson, Acting Administrator July 2000 #10

Juvenile Vandalism, 1997

by Anne L. Stahl Vandalism arrests peak at age 16 Female arrest rates for vandalism increased steadily between Vandalism is defined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting 1981 and 1997, from 61 to 102 per 100,000 youth ages 10–17. As (UCR) Program as willful or malicious destruction, injury, a result, the female proportion of all juvenile arrests for vandal- disfigurement, or defacement of any public or private property, ism increased from 8% to 12% during this period. Male arrest real or personal, without the consent of the owner or persons rates increased from 1981 through 1991 and then declined. having custody or control. In 1997, law enforcement agencies made approximately 136,500 arrests of persons under age 18 for Formal court processing of juvenile vandalism cases vandalism. These juvenile arrests represented 44% of all vandal- increased between 1988 and 1997 ism arrests; males accounted for the majority (88%) of the Vandalism was the most serious offense in 14% of all property juvenile arrests. Unlike most offenses, the racial distribution of cases disposed by juvenile courts in 1997. That year, an estimated youth arrested for vandalism in 1997 generally reflected their 114,800 vandalism cases were processed in courts with juvenile profile in the general population: white (80%), black (18%), jurisdiction. The number of vandalism cases increased 48% (from American Indian (1%), and Asian (1%). The 1997 vandalism 81,600 to 123,600 cases) between 1988 and 1994 and then dropped arrest rate peaked at age 16 and then declined for each subse- 7% (from 123,600 to 114, 800) between 1994 and 1997. A case quent age. represents one youth processed on a new referral, regardless of the number of offenses contained in that referral. An individual youth Overall, the juvenile arrest rate for vandalism declined between can be involved in more than one case during the year. 1980 and 1982 and then gradually increased to reach a high of 496 arrests per 100,000 youth ages 10–17 in 1994. As with When a case is referred to juvenile court, a decision is made to juvenile arrest rates overall, the juvenile arrest rate for vandalism handle the case either formally or informally. When a case is declined between 1994 and 1997, and the 1997 rate was nearly handled informally, without the filing of a petition and an adjudica- the average of the prior 17 years. tory or waiver hearing, the youth may voluntarily agree to comply with certain specified sanctions without a formal court order. In Juvenile arrest rates for vandalism, 1980–97 1997, 49% of the vandalism cases referred to juvenile courts were Arrests per 100,000 youth ages 10–17 handled informally. Almost half of these cases (47% or 26,300) 500 were dismissed. In 36% (20,300) of the informally handled cases, youth agreed to comply with probation conditions, and in another 475 17% (9,900), youth agreed to other sanctions, such as restitution, 450 community service, or fines, without a term of probation. 425 In 1988, 38% (31,000) of the juvenile vandalism cases referred 400 to juvenile court were handled formally (with the filing of a 375 petition). This proportion increased to 51% (58,200) in 1997. The 350 growth in the proportion of cases that were handled formally, 325 coupled with the large increase in the number of cases referred, 300 resulted in an 88% increase in the number of juvenile vandalism cases handled formally by the courts between 1988 and 1997. 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 In 1997, 54% (31,600) of formally processed vandalism cases resulted in youth being adjudicated delinquent. Probation was the U.S. Department of Justice PRESORTED STANDARD Office of Justice Programs POSTAGE & FEES PAID Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention DOJ/OJJDP PERMIT NO. G–91

Washington, DC 20531 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300

Fact Sheet FS–200010

FS–200010

Easy software the of copy free a For Statistics. Court Juvenile

tion of a PC-compatible software version of the data analyzed in analyzed data the of version software PC-compatible a of tion Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime. of Victims for Office the and Justice, of Institute

house by calling 800–638–8736. OJJDP also supports distribu- supports also OJJDP 800–638–8736. calling by house of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National the Statistics, Justice of Bureau the Assistance, Justice of

nent of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau the includes also which Programs, Justice of Office the of nent Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) Juvenile Justice Clearing- Justice Juvenile (OJJDP’s) Prevention’s Delinquency

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a compo- a is Prevention Delinquency and Justice Juvenile of Office The Copies are available from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Justice Juvenile of Office the from available are Copies 1997.

Juvenile Court Statistics Court Juvenile Report the on based is Sheet Fact This

For further information further For Juvenile Court Data Archive, which is supported by an OJJDP grant. OJJDP an by supported is which Archive, Data Court Juvenile

Anne L. Stahl is the Manager of Data Collection for the National the for Collection Data of Manager the is Stahl L. Anne

were placed in residential facilities. residential in placed were

community service, or fines, and in another 19% (6,000), youth (6,000), 19% another in and fines, or service, community from OJJDP’s Web site: www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org. site: Web OJJDP’s from

ordered to comply with specified sanctions such as restitution, as such sanctions specified with comply to ordered Pittsburgh, PA (412–227–6950). The software can be downloaded be can software The (412–227–6950). PA Pittsburgh,

these cases. In 17% (5,300) of adjudicated cases, youth were youth cases, adjudicated of (5,300) 17% In cases. these Court Data Archive at the National Center for Juvenile Justice, Juvenile for Center National the at Archive Data Court

most serious disposition ordered in more than 60% (19,200) of (19,200) 60% than more in ordered disposition serious most , call the National Juvenile National the call , Statistics Court Juvenile to Access

[machine-readable data file]. data [machine-readable

Analysis of the National Center for Juvenile Justice’s Justice’s Juvenile for Center National the of Analysis source: Data National Juvenile Court Data Archive: 1997 juvenile court case records case court juvenile 1997 Archive: Data Court Juvenile National

Detail may not equal totals because of rounding. of because totals equal not may Detail Note:

Dismissed 229 47% 229 Dismissed

te 617% 86 Other

rbto 7 36% 177 Probation 9 49% 493

Nonpetitioned lcd1<1% 1 Placed

imse 4 63% 146 Dismissed

te 314% 33 Other

rbto 720% 47 Probation oajdctd2146% 231 Nonadjudicated

vandalism cases vandalism lcd52% 5 Placed

A typical 1,000 typical A

Dismissed 9 3% 9 Dismissed

te 617% 46 Other

duiae 7 54% 275 Adjudicated rbto 6 61% 167 Probation

lcd5 19% 52 Placed

0 51% 507

Petitioned

rnfre <1% 1 Transferred Juvenile court processing of a typical 1,000 vandalism cases, 1997 cases, vandalism 1,000 typical a of processing court Juvenile