1. Facts to Consider: Presentation to the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Howard N. Snyder National Center for Juvenile Justice Washington, DC, September 8, 2006

2. Mental Health Concerns

3. Between 1981 and 2001, juveniles were about as likely to be a suicide victim as a murder victim

4. Between 1981 and 2001, the juvenile suicide rate varied greatly by state

5. Between 1981 and 2001, juvenile suicide victims outnumbered juvenile murder victims in 33 states

6. Life Style Changes

7. Living in a disadvantaged community strongly influences a youth’s risk of victimization

8. The annual birth rate for females ages 15–19 declined between 1950 and 2000, while the proportion of births to unmarried females rose

9. Living in a two-parent family may protect a youth from the effects of a disadvantaged community

10. Violent crime by juvenile offenders peaks in the after-school hours on school days

11. The Level of Juvenile Violence

12. The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate was lower in 2004 than in any year since at least 1980

13. The juvenile arrest rate for murder in 2004 was 77% below the peak 1993 rate; to return to 1993 levels, it would have to increase by 330%

14. Increases in Violence by Juvenile Females

15. The growth in the juvenile violent crime arrest rate was greater for females than males

16. The decline in the juvenile murder arrest rate was similar for females and males

17. The decline in the juvenile arrest rate for robbery was similar for males and females

18. The juvenile arrest rate for burglary declined for both males and females

19. The arrest rate trends for motor vehicle theft were similar for males and females

20. The trend in juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations was similar for males and females

21. But the growth in the aggravated assault arrest rate was proportionately greater for juvenile females

22. And the growth in simple assault arrest rates was proportionately greater for juvenile females

23. And the growth in weapon arrest rates was considerably greater for juvenile females