Crime Types
Juvenile Crime
Definition: Criminal offenses committed by individuals under 18 years of age, tracked separately from adult crime in most jurisdictions.
In Detail
Juvenile crime refers to criminal offenses committed by individuals under the age of 18 (or under 17 in some states). The juvenile justice system operates separately from the adult criminal justice system, with different procedures, terminology, and goals. Juveniles are "adjudicated delinquent" rather than "convicted," and the system theoretically emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment. The FBI's UCR data includes juvenile arrests alongside adult arrests, and juveniles account for a significant share of certain crime types, particularly property crimes like larceny-theft and vandalism. In recent years, juvenile crime rates have generally declined even more dramatically than adult crime rates. Juvenile violent crime arrests dropped by over 50% between the mid-1990s and 2019. However, concerns remain about specific categories, including motor vehicle theft (where juveniles have driven recent increases in some cities), aggravated assault, and weapons offenses. Several factors influence juvenile crime rates: family structure and stability, school quality and engagement, economic conditions, peer influence, substance abuse, mental health access, and the availability of youth programs and mentoring. Communities that invest in after-school programs, mentoring, early intervention, and diversion programs tend to see lower juvenile crime. For CrimeContext users, juvenile crime is relevant because it is included in the overall crime rates shown on the site. A city with a high proportion of juvenile offenders may have different policy solutions available than a city where crime is driven primarily by adult offenders. Additionally, juvenile crime patterns today can predict adult crime trends in the future.
Related Terms
The direction and rate of change in crime rates over a period of time, showing whether a city or region is becoming safer or more dangerous.
The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend, typically measured by rearrest, reconviction, or reincarceration within a set time period after release.
A multi-disciplinary approach to reducing crime through the design of the built environment, including lighting, sightlines, landscaping, and building layout.
A law enforcement philosophy that promotes organizational strategies to build trust and collaborative partnerships between police and the communities they serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Juvenile Crime" mean in crime statistics?
Criminal offenses committed by individuals under 18 years of age, tracked separately from adult crime in most jurisdictions.
Why is juvenile crime important for understanding crime data?
Juvenile crime refers to criminal offenses committed by individuals under the age of 18 (or under 17 in some states). The juvenile justice system operates separately from the adult criminal justice system, with different procedures, terminology, and goals. Juveniles are "adjudicated delinquent" rather than "convicted," and the system theoretically emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment.
this entity is one of the U.S. city and county crime rates concepts that recurs across this site. The definition above is the technical answer; the paragraphs below add the practical context for how the concept connects to the the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset data behind every per-entity page on the site.
In the the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset data, this concept shapes one or more of the fields that drive the per-entity grades and rankings on this site. The methodology page describes which fields feed into which output; this glossary entry documents the underlying term.
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2026.