Domestic Assaults by Juvenile Offenders

• NCJ Number: 219180
• Author(s): Howard N. Snyder; Carl McCurley
• Date Published: November 2008
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2005-JF-FX-K022
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Statistics

Annotation

Based on data from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for 2004, this report presents data on domestic assaults committed by juvenile offenders.

Abstract

Twenty-four percent of juveniles who committed an assault in 2004 were in a domestic relationship with their victims (connected by a family or romantic relationship). Females constituted 67 percent of the victims of juvenile domestic assault offenders. Fifty-one percent of juvenile domestic assault offenders victimized a parent, and 24 percent victimized a brother or sister. The weapon most commonly used in domestic assaults by juveniles was a knife. Sixty-nine percent of all juvenile domestic assault offenders victimized persons older than 18; however, 98 percent of the juvenile offenders who committed domestic sexual assaults victimized other juveniles. Thirty-five percent of juvenile domestic assault offenders were females. Eighty-four percent of juvenile domestic assault offenders acted alone, and 88 percent committed their crimes in a residence. Juvenile domestic assault offenders were less likely to be arrested in sexual assaults than in aggravated assaults and simple assaults reported to law enforcement. These data are based on incidents reported to law enforcement agencies in 30 States in 2004. 6 figures and 4 tables