Juvenile Homicide in the United States Over Time

• In Event: Homicide Rates in the US and Abroad

Abstract

Murders committed by juvenile offenders have sparked concern for decades. The rising numbers of juveniles arrested for murder from 1984-1993 led crime experts to forecast an epidemic of youth violence in the decades ahead. Fortunately, the forecasts were wrong; juvenile homicide has shown a decreasing trend in the last 30 years. This paper, unlike other analyses, looks at the phenomenon of juvenile homicide over time. This study uses a national sample of juveniles arrested for murder in the US over a 45-year period to compare the characteristics of offenders (race, age, sex), victims (race, age, sex), and incidents (offender number, victim offender relationship, weapon used, circumstances, location) over different time periods. The findings and their implications are discussed.

Authors

• Kathleen M. Heide, University of South Florida

• Brian G. Sellers, Eastern Michigan University