Victims of Violent Juvenile Crime

• NCJ Number: 201628
• Author(s): Carl McCurley; Howard N. Snyder
• Date Published: July 2004
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1999-JN-FX-K002
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Statistics

Annotation

This report presents data on victims of violent juvenile crime obtained from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for 1997 and 1998.

Abstract

The data show that for 1997 and 1998, 19 percent of the victims of nonfatal violent crimes were victimized by a juvenile offender, either acting alone, with other juveniles, or with adult offenders. Approximately two-thirds of the victims of nonfatal violence committed by juveniles were themselves younger than 18, and approximately one-third were adults. Ninety-five percent of the victims of sexual assault by juveniles were younger than 18, as were 43 percent of victims of robberies by juveniles, 53 percent of aggravated assaults, and 61 percent of simple assaults. Forty-eight percent of the victims of nonfatal violent crimes committed by juveniles were other juveniles acquainted with the offender. Approximately 7 percent of the victims of violent crimes by juveniles were adults who were strangers to the offender. Most (74 percent) of the victims who reported violent crimes by juveniles indicated the offender was a male. Forty-two percent of the female victims of violent crimes by juveniles were victimized by other females. Among victims of simple assault by juveniles, 52 percent of those older than 30 years were the offender's parents or stepparent. Of those victimized by juveniles, 17 percent faced more than one juvenile, and 15 percent faced juveniles and adults acting together. In sexual assaults, robberies, and aggravated assaults committed by juveniles, 40 percent of victims were injured compared with 48 percent of the victims of the same offenses committed by adults. 8 tables and 16 figures