This 244-page report from the National Center for Juvenile Justice serves as a reference on juveniles in America and discusses various topics, such as characteristics and conditions of juveniles, data on juvenile offenders, and victimization. Data are reported on juvenile population demographics, to include those in poverty, their living arrangements, the number of teen births, and school dropouts. Also provided are maltreatment reports, family characteristics, case processing, reports by child protection services, perpetrators, and fatalities. Additionally, this extensive document covers children in foster care, family reunification, youth exposed to violence, school victimizations, and suicides.

The report indicates that, with few exceptions, juvenile arrests declined between 2001 and 2010. The relative reduction was less for females than for males in most offense categories—driving under the influence, larceny-theft, simple assault, and vandalism. As a result male juvenile arrests decreased by 24 percent, while female juvenile arrests diminished by 10 percent.

Although arrests were down for most offenses committed by males, the relative decline for juveniles exceeded that of adults for aggravated assault, simple assault, and weapons violations. Similar to the pattern for males, juvenile female arrests declined proportionately more than adults for motor vehicle theft, fraud, and stolen property offenses. There was a decrease in juvenile female arrests, but an increase for adults committing burglary, larceny-theft, simple assault, weapons violations, and drug abuse.

Additional information on this report can be found at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, NCJ 248587, https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=270690, 2014.