MISSOURI JUVENILE COURT STATISTICS, 1976

• NCJ Number: 61270
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 36 pages
• Corporate Author: Missouri Dept of Social Services
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Annual/Periodic)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: RESEARCH REPORT

Annotation

DATA ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, DEPENDENCY AND NEGLECT, SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS, AND ADOPTIONS SUPPLIED BY THE 43 MISSOURI JUVENILE COURTS ARE PROVIDED FOR 1976.

Abstract

UNDER MISSOURI LAW, JUVENILE COURT AGE PERTAINS TO CHILDREN UP TO THE AGE OF 17 YEARS. INCLUDED UNDER JUVENILE COURT JURISDICTION ARE OFFENSES COMPARABLE TO ADULT CRIMES AND STATUS OFFENSES. ALSO INCLUDED, BUT SEPARATELY REPORTED, ARE TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS BY JUVENILES. THE NUMBER OF REPORTED JUVENILE DELINQUENCY REFERRALS IN 1976 TOTALED 48,107, A DECREASE OF 0.9 PERCENT OVER 1975. OF THIS NUMBER, 29.8 PERCENT WERE FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. EXCLUDING TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, REFERRALS FOR DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR DECREASED FROM 35,620 IN 1975 TO 33,780 IN 1976 (5.2 PERCENT). A TOTAL OF 64.2 PERCENT OF THE REFERRALS WERE FOR ADULT-TYPE OFFENSES. LARCENY WAS THE LEADING OR SECOND HIGHEST OFFENSE IN ALL JUVENILE AGE BRACKETS; RUNNING AWAY WAS FIFTH FOR 12 YEARS AND UNDER, BUT INCREASED TO FIRST OR SECOND FOR EACH OF THE OTHER AGE GROUPS; VANDALISM DECREASED IN OLDER BOYS' OFFENSES AND DOES NOT APPEAR AT ALL IN 15 OR 16 YEAR OLDS AS ONE OF THE TOP SIX. DRUG VIOLATIONS WERE FOURTH IN THE 15 AND 16 YEAR OLD AGE GROUPS. EXCLUDING TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, OF THE 12,250 DELINQUENCY REFERRALS REPORTED, 18.5 PERCENT RESULTED IN DETENTION. A TOTAL OF 20.9 PERCENT OF THE GIRLS WERE DETAINED COMPARED WITH 17.4 PERCENT OF THE BOYS. CHILDREN ARE REFERRED FOR DEPENDENCY AND NEGLECT WHEN THEY ARE ABANDONED, DESERTED, OR ABUSED; WHEN THEY DO NOT RECEIVE ADEQUATE CARE AND SUPPORT; OR WHEN THEY ARE SUBJECTED TO CONDITIONS INJURIOUS TO THEIR MORALS. THERE WERE 6,677 REFERRALS FOR DEPENDENCY AND NEGLECT. SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS CASES ARE THOSE DEALING WITH ADOPTIONS, COMMITMENT OF MENTALLY DEFECTIVE CHILDREN, MATERIAL WITNESSES, APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO MARRY, AND DETERMINATION OF THE CUSTODY OR GUARDIANSHIP OF CHILDREN. THERE WERE 5,347 SUCH CASES DURING 1976, OF WHICH 2,466 WERE ADOPTIONS. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE REPORT, AND THE APPENDIX PRESENTS SUPPLEMENTARY STATISTICS. (RCB)