Delinquency Case Rate Trends

Although person offense case rates are much lower for females than for males, female case rates have increased more sharply since 1985.

Delinquency Case Rates for Person Offenses by Sex, 1985-2010

Delinquency Case Rates for Person Offenses by Sex

Note: Rates are cases per 1,000 youth ages 10-upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction.

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The female person offense case rate grew steadily between 1985 and 1998, increasing 176% during the period. After a brief period of decline between 1998 and 2000, the female person offense case rate again increased, reaching a new peak in 2005. Between 2005 and 2010, the female person offense case rate decreased 16%. Comparatively, the male rate increased 90% between 1985 and 1995, the peak year. By 2010, the male person offense case rate was 29% below the 1995 peak.
As a result of the large increase in female person offense case rates, the disparity in male-female case rates declined somewhat between 1985 and 2010. In 1985, the male person offense case rate was nearly 4 times the female rate; by 2010, the male rate was 2.2 times the female rate - 14.9 compared with 6.9.

Internet Citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available:
http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/court/JCSCR_Display.asp?ID=qa06241. April 17, 2013.

Adapted from Juvenile Court Statistics 2009. Forthcoming. Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice.