Task Force to Stop, Child on Child, Sexual Abuse

1-5-2010 Florida:

Child on child sexual abuse touches and troubles the lives of thousands of children each year and the state of Florida is launching a new effort to stop it.

New research by the Justice Department shows more than a third of sex crimes against children are committed by other children.

The Florida Department of Children and Families identified more than 8300 children as either alleged perpetrators or victims of child on child abuse from 2008 to 2009.

And officials say it's critical to respond immediately. "Because many of the children that are abused at some point could later become abusers," said Alan Abramowitz, the State Director of the Family Safety Office for DCF.

The death of 7 year-old Broward County boy Gabriel Myers has sparked the DCF Secretary to form a task force. Myers was sexually abused by a 12 year-old boy and killed himself back in April. He was also on psychotropic drugs, which officials believe may have been another contributing factor. Now the group is holding hearings around Florida, gathering feedback to prevent future crimes.

"A lot of times we don't know particularly how to react to it. Either in the law enforcement side, the parental side, or the social worker side. So we've got to do a better job of preparing parents and in our case, foster parents with dealing with these issues. We've also got to do a better job of making sure the support systems are in place. Because it takes specialized psychological and emotional services to be able to deal with the child who's been victimized and equally important to deal with a child who's the victimizer," said Jim Sewell, the Special Assistant to the DCF Secretary.

The first hearing was a couple weeks ago, and there will be about five more. The Tallahassee meeting is scheduled for March 11th. Organizers are planning on submitting a report of their findings and recommendations to the DCF Secretary and then the legislature.

And for more information about this task force or reporting abuse click on the link below. ..Source.. Tara Herrschaft

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

Study: Third of juvenile sex offenders target other kids

1-5-2010 National:

More than a third of sex crimes against juveniles are committed by juveniles, according to new research commissioned by the Justice Department.

Juveniles are 36% of all sex offenders who victimize children. Seven out of eight are at least 12 years old, and 93% are boys, says the study by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.

The report comes as states toughen penalties for adult sex offenders and wrestle with how to handle juveniles.

"They are different from adult sex offenders," says study co-author David Finkelhor. They are more likely than adults to commit sex offenses in groups, and their victims are younger and more likely to be male.

Finkelhor says only about 10% of juvenile offenders have signs of "sexual preoccupation," an indicator of a pedophile. He says teen offenses include date rape. In the case of offenders age 12 or 13, it is often sexual experimentation with younger kids.

Early sex education is key to teaching boundaries and preventing such experimentation, Finkelhor says.

It appears that "experimentation" is now a sex crime causing one to register.

The study, based on 2004 law enforcement data, finds that juvenile sex offenders commonly target children younger than they are. Their numbers increase sharply at age 12 and plateau at 14. Female offenders are younger.

"I've seen the whole spectrum," from serious and even sadistic crimes to 16-year-old boys having sex with 13-year-old girlfriends, says psychiatrist Fred Berlin, founder of the Johns Hopkins Sexual Disorders Clinic. He says research shows the vast majority of juvenile sex offenders don't become adult ones.

He says too many end up on sex offender registries. "They shouldn't be stigmatized for the rest of their lives," Berlin says.

Some states have tried to lessen punishment for older teens having consensual sex with underage ones. Most do not list juveniles on their online sex offender registries.

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, however, requires states to adopt uniform registry rules or risk losing certain federal funds. The act, passed in 2006, requires teens 14 and older to register if they commit serious sex crimes, which can include touching the genitals of someone younger than 12.

Offenders have to register every three months; failure to do so is a felony. The Justice Department says only Ohio has put the law into effect. ..Source.. Wendy Koch, USA TODAY

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

Study: A third of child sex offenders are kids

12-4-2009 New Hampshire:

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A University of New Hampshire study finds that more than one-third of those who sexually abuse children are children themselves.

The university’s Crimes Against Research Center analyzed national police data from 2004 for the study, which was published Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Researchers found that juveniles account for 36 percent of those known to police to have committed sex offenses against children. The juvenile offenders were more likely than adults to offend in groups and at school, and had more male and younger victims.

David Finkelhor, who directed the study, says predators and pedophiles get a lot of attention, but there should be a greater focus on reducing the risk of sexual abuse at the hands of other children. ..Source.. HOLLY RAMER

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

OH- Inside the Minds of Teens Who Post Sexual Images of Themselves

Given that everyone knows this girl simply does not understand the consequences of her actions, and I have to believe the prosecutor knows that as well, why shouldn't the prosecutor be charged with "Child Exploitation" for taking advantage of this girl's mental shortcomings due to her age, under 18? Clearly this girl is being exploited by these charges.

10-14-2008 Ohio:

Internet Facilitates Self-Nude Photos but Teens Miss the Implications

Despite specific warnings from prosecutors, the 15-year-old Ohio girl who was arrested last week and accused of sending nude pictures of herself to classmates probably doubted that she could ultimately be forced to register as a sex offender under state law, psychologists and Internet experts say.

More than likely, they suggest, she was only after a sliver of notoriety, the product of a culture where pornography has gone mainstream and fame can be had in an instant by simply distributing a sexually explicit video with a cell phone or on the Internet.

"They think they're going to get attention -- that it makes them stars of their own reality show," Internet privacy and piracy lawyer Parry Aftab said of the growing number of U.S. teenagers who publish sexual images of themselves online.

"They don't understand the consequences," said Aftab, an ABC News consultant. "They don't think about where that video is going to go, or how long it's going to be on the Internet and the 50-year-old who is going to be drooling over it." If convicted, the girl, whose identity has not been released, could face a sentence of anywhere from probation to several years in a juvenile detention center. The high school student in Newark, Ohio, denies the charges; authorities are also considering charges for the students who received her photos, which are considered child pornography under law.

There are other examples. Earlier this year, an Ohio boy reportedly made a sexual cell phone video of himself and sent it to female classmates, one of whom then forwarded the video to at least 30 other people. Similar incidents have been reported in Wyoming, New York and Pennsylvania.

"They don't understand the global nature and extent of the Internet, and how easy it is once you posted something, even if you think it's private, could become public very quickly," said John Grohol, a psychologist and publisher of PsychCentral.com.

Such incidents are a symptom of a culture where sexual imagery like the infamous photo of Britney Spears' exposed crotch or Vanity Fair's seminude photos of 15-year-old "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus have become the norm, said Jean Kilbourne, author of "So Sexy, So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids."

"This is primarily because of the Internet porn that has become incredibly available to everybody, including very young children," she said. "Today, an 8-year-old can stumble onto a site in which two or three men are doing everything imaginable to one woman."

"Everybody feels that the most important thing is to get your 15 minutes of fame and to go to any lengths to achieve it. So sending pictures around like that is a way of getting a whole lot of attention and recognition even though it's going to be devastating and short-lived."

There's no doubting their interest. A study released last year by the University of Alberta found as many as 90 percent of boys and 70 percent of girls between the ages of 13 and 14 have accessed sexually explicit material at least once.

A prime example of the mainstreaming of pornography, said Kilbourne, is the widespread popularity of thong underwear, a garment that originated in the world of strippers and porn and made its way into major apparel retail shops across America.

Add that to a world where many young people long to become overnight Internet sensations and incidents like the one in Ohio are inevitable, said Carmine Sarracino, co-author of "The Porning of America."

"It's simply an emulation. The more important point is that they get porn whether or not they go looking for it because the whole culture is shaped by porn. They get porn through the mainstream culture," Sarracino said, citing Abercrombie & Fitch ads with half-naked men and women, as well as a Carl's Jr. hamburger commercial, where Paris Hilton appeared to mimic oral sex with a burger.

"It's a symptom of a much larger phenomenon that's happening." ..News Source.. by JUSTIN GRANT

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

OH- If convicted, teen might not have to register as sex offender

See earlier post "Girl, 15, accused of sending nude photos over phone" 10-7-2008 Ohio:

Judge has flexibility in sentencing for first-time offender who is 14 or 15

NEWARK — A 15-year-old girl is accused of distributing nude photos of herself to other minors, and one state legislator is questioning whether she should be labeled a sex offender.

The Licking Valley High School student was arrested Friday after school officials discovered the materials and brought in the school’s resource officer for a police investigation.

After spending the weekend incarcerated, she pleaded deny Monday to both charges: Illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, a second-degree felony; and possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.

The child pornography charge for a convicted adult requires a Tier II sexual offender classification, but for a juvenile of this defendant’s age, the judge has flexibility, said Jennifer Brindisi, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

“There’s a part of juvenile section of Senate Bill 10 (Ohio’s version of the federal Adam Walsh Act) that says if the child is a first-time offender and age 14 or 15 that the judge can decide not to make her register,” she said.

State Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, wrote the state’s Megan’s Law bill, the predecessor of the Adam Walsh Act, and said this case was not something the legislature envisioned.

“Clearly it was in an illegal act,” he said Tuesday. “Clearly it was an unacceptable act and there needs to be consequences from that, but we need to make sure the punishment is a reasonable punishment.”


Licking County Prosecutor Ken Oswalt, who declined comment ahead of a written statement to be released today, had been visiting high schools in the county and educating teens on the consequences of such an action. Licking Valley High School was one of those stops.

During assemblies, Oswalt talked about the dangers, both in personal embarrassment and contribution to child pornography on the Internet.

He said in April his office had received about 20 cases involving questionable cell phone pictures. None were charged pending their adherence to a plan crafted with their families.

Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Erin Welch said Monday the investigation into the incident remains open, including exploring whether charges will be filed against the minors who received the photos.

If the Prosecutor’s Office elects to bring those teens into court, they could be facing a different section of the same charge pending against the sender of the pictures and classification as sex offenders as well.

According to Ohio law, 2907.323(A)(3) states that anyone possessing material that shows a minor in a state of nudity is guilty of a fifth-degree felony. The violation also might qualify the juvenile as a Tier I sexual offender, which requires annual registration for a decade.

The section the girl, who is a foster child, was charged with allows parents or guardians to take photos of their unclothed children for a list of acceptable purposes but does not provide an exemption for the child themselves.

Hottinger said the portions of the juvenile section of Ohio’s Megan’s Law, enacted in 2002 and replaced Jan. 1, were crafted to resemble their adult counterparts for good reason.

“What were aiming at was a growing problem that we were seeing amongst juveniles and that was they were committing some very serious adult-like crimes,” he said.

Brindisi said that the Adam Walsh Act reduces much of the discretion allotted to judges in Megan’s Law and transformed sex-offender classification to an offense-based system.

“It’s pretty black and white,” she said.

If the girl charged Monday is classified as a sexual offender, Brindisi said as a juvenile in this instance she would not be subject to publication on the public Web sites maintained by the Licking County Sheriff’s Office or the state but would have to register for 20 years as the law states.

A status conference in her case is scheduled for Oct. 20. She is on house arrest and may not have a cell phone or access to the Internet without adult supervision and for no purpose other than school work.

Licking Valley Schools Superintendent Dave Hile said that board policy calls for notification of certain staff members if a student or other individual labeled as a sex offender is on school grounds.

Calls to State Sen. Tim Schaffer and the girl’s defense attorney were not returned. ..News Source.. by Russ Zimmer

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

OH- Girl, 15, accused of sending nude photos over phone

Prosecutors are supposed to be smart and exercise discretion, guess its election time. What good does it do to ruin a young girls life for a dumb mistake?

10-7-2008 Ohio:

NEWARK — A 15-year-old girl was charged with felony offenses Monday in the Juvenile Division of Licking County Common Pleas Court for sending nude photographs of herself to other juveniles’ cell phones, Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Erin Welch said.

The Licking Valley High School student is the first minor to be charged after the Prosecutor’s Office made presentations to high schools across the county about the illegality of having or transmitting pornographic images on or from their cell phones.

She pleaded deny to both charges: Illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, a second-degree felony; and possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.

If found delinquent, the juvenile court’s equivalent of a conviction, the girl could be labeled a Tier II sexual offender and be required to register for 20 years, Welch said.

She declined to comment on whether the juveniles who received the photographs also would be charged, but she did say the investigation is ongoing.

School officials at LVHS discovered the materials and involved Licking County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Josh Hufford, who is the school resource officer.

The defendant was arrested Friday and had been detained over the weekend. She was released after the hearing Monday pending the resolution of her case, Welch said.

In April, Prosecutor Ken Oswalt began conducting assemblies during which he explained the consequences to high school students.

At that time, Oswalt said he’d had about 20 cases through April where students had taken nude or otherwise inappropriate photos of themselves, text-messaged them to others or had a photo of another teen in their phone.

Most of the minors did not know it was illegal and none were charged pending their adherence to a plan crafted with their families, he said.

Welch said Oswalt hosted a presentation at LVHS last month to warn students not to engage in this activity. ..News Source.. by Russ Zimmer

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

UT- Girl, 13, charged as sex offender and victim

Remember this case, see article below, well the Utah Supreme court decision was just released: READ Laws cannot lead to absurd results. Court holding:

Even though the plain language of section 76-5-404.1 allows Z.C. to be adjudicated delinquent for sexual abuse of a child, we conclude that the filing of delinquency petitions against both participants (one 12 and the other 13) produces an absurd result not intended by the legislature because, like all sexual assault crimes, the statute presupposes a perpetrator and a victim. We therefore hold that the juvenile court erred in denying Z.C.’s motion to dismiss the delinquency petition. We remand this matter to the court of appeals with instructions to remand it to the juvenile court to vacate Z.C.’s delinquency adjudication.

12-26-2006 Utah:

Salt Lake City - Utah Supreme Court justices acknowledged Tuesday that they were struggling to wrap their minds around the concept that a 13-year-old girl could be both an offender and a victim for the same act - in this case, having consensual sex with her 12-year-old boyfriend.

The Ogden, Utah, girl was put in this odd position because she was found guilty of violating a state law that prohibits sex with someone under age 14. She also was the victim in the case against her boyfriend, who was found guilty of the same violation by engaging in sexual activity with her.

"The only thing that comes close to this is dueling," said Associate Chief Justice Michael Wilkins, noting that two people who take 20 paces and then shoot could each be considered both victim and offender.

And Chief Justice Christine Durham wondered if the state Legislature had intended the "peculiar consequence" that a child would have the simultaneous status of a protected person and an alleged perpetrator under the law.

The comments came in oral arguments on a motion asking the high court to overturn the finding of delinquency - the legal term in juvenile court for a conviction - against Z.C., who became pregnant after she and her boyfriend engaged in sex in October 2003.

State authorities filed delinquency petitions in July 2004, alleging that each had committed sexual abuse of a child, a second-degree felony if committed by an adult.

The girl appealed the petition, saying her constitutional right to be treated equally under the law had been violated.

Her motion noted that for juveniles who are 16 and 17, having sex with others in their own age group does not qualify as a crime.

Juveniles who are 14 or 15 and have sex with peers can be charged with unlawful conduct with a minor, but the law provides for mitigation when the age difference is less than four years, making the offense a misdemeanor.

For adolescents under 14, though, there are no exceptions or mitigation and they are never considered capable of consenting to sex.

A juvenile court judge denied the motion by Z.C., who then admitted to the offense while preserving her right to appeal to a higher court. The boy did not appeal.

The Utah Court of Appeals last December upheld the judge's refusal to dismiss the allegation, saying the law's "rigorous protections" for younger minors include protecting them for each other. Z.C. then appealed to the state Supreme Court.

At Tuesday's arguments, Matthew Bates, an assistant Utah attorney general, argued the prosecution of the girl was not unreasonable. He said the statute in question is designed to prevent sex with children who are 13 and younger, even if the other person is in the same age group.

By passing that law, legislators were sending a message, Bates said: Sex with or among children is unacceptable.

Randall Richards, the girl's attorney, argued that prosecuting children under a law meant to protect them is illogical.

"A child (victim) cannot also be a perpetrator in the exact same act," Richards said.

The Utah Supreme Court will issue a ruling later. ..News Source.. by Pamela Manson, The Salt Lake Tribune

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

Juvenile Sexual Offenders and Their Victims: Final Report

A Report Submitted to The Governor and The Florida Legislature
Task Force on Juvenile Sexual Offenders and Their Victims
January 18, 2006

Executive Summary
The 2005 Florida Legislature authorized the creation of the Task Force on Juvenile Sexual Offenders and Their Victims (C2005-263, L.O.F.). Governor Jeb Bush appointed Task Force members who began their work in July 2005. The Task Force was given a broad mandate to examine all aspects of how the State of Florida processes and treats juvenile sexual offenders and their victims. Specifically, the Task Force was directed to make findings including, but not limited to:

• Identification of statutes that address juvenile sexual offenders.

• A profile of the offenses committed by juvenile sexual offenders placed in programs from July 2000 to July 2005.

• An assessment of the appropriateness of placements based on the acts committed.

• Identification of community-based and residential commitment programs available for juvenile sexual offenders.

• Assessment of the effectiveness of juvenile sexual offender programs.

• Identification of qualifications of staff who serve juvenile sexual offenders.
To fulfill its mission, the Task Force held five meetings and a series of conference calls. Their study of Florida Statutes, juvenile sexual offenders in Florida, resources for treatment of juvenile sexual offenders and their victims, assessment, placement and qualifications of staff resulted in a number of findings and recommendations contained in this report.

Findings of the Task Force
The Task Force found that Juvenile sexual offending behavior is complex and necessitates a careful analysis of statistics, trends and research. They found significant differences between adult sex offenders and juveniles who commit sexual offenses. The Task Force reviewed research findings from national studies and from the State of Florida that indicated:

• The per capita incidence of juvenile sexual offending crimes in Florida has slightly decreased over a six-year period.

• Juveniles who commit sexual offenses have an extremely low re-offense rate.

• A significant percentage of juveniles who commit sexual offenses were themselves victimized.

The Task Force examined the types of events resulting in charges of sexual offenses, and the practices involved in the adjudication and disposition of juvenile sexual offenders. They concluded that changes in Florida Statutes were needed to clarify the term ‘juvenile sex offender’ and the issue of consensual sex between children or between adolescents to prevent unnecessary labeling or other unintended consequences that would stigmatize youth into and through adulthood.

When a sexual offense does occur, the Task Force found a critical gap in services available for victims and their families. They found that victims of child-on-child sexual offenses have needs that extend beyond the time limits and resources available through existing programs. The Task force considered victim services one of the top priorities in their findings and recommendations.

Once any youth is adjudicated for a sexual offense or an offense involving inappropriate sexual behavior, the Task Force concluded that comprehensive assessments must be conducted by qualified practitioners. The results of these assessments should drive the classification of the youth, the treatment intervention, and the decision to place the youth in the community or a residential facility to ensure that the placement is appropriate to the act committed and the treatment needs of the youth.

In identifying available treatment resources, the Task Force found that both community-based and residential treatment options are available in the Department of Juvenile Justice service continuum. In consideration of placement appropriate to the seriousness of the offense and the treatment needs of the youth, however, the Task Force found a gap in specialized treatment in lower restrictiveness or community-based settings. Additional funding or fund-shifting to increase the number of lower restrictiveness beds or community-based slots is needed.

The Task Force concluded that a successful approach to treatment of juvenile sexual offenders and their victims must include the development of a balanced continuum of care beginning with multi-agency involvement, collaboration, and cooperation at the community level. The Task Force called for local communities to work together to address the complexity of need, looking to the Department of Juvenile Justice to take the lead to establish interagency communication, coordination and collaboration to develop and maintain an adequate continuum of services.

Of the findings made by the Task Force, the availability of resources for sexual offenders and their victims, especially the lack of community-based resources was regarded most important. Task Force members considered the following findings critical and in need of immediate attention:

• A coordinated, community-based network of resources for the treatment of the victims of sexual offenders and the families of the victims is limited or non-existent in most areas of Florida.

• Comprehensive psychosexual assessments of juvenile sexual offenders by qualified professionals are not automatically required for all adjudicated youth with a history of sexually delinquent or sexually inappropriate behavior.

• The Department does not require specialized certification for all sexual offender assessment professionals under contract with the Department.

• There is a critical lack of community-based treatment resources, forcing placement of youth who represent less of a risk to public safety into expensive high restrictiveness settings.

• The use of the label ‘Juvenile Sex Offender’ is inappropriately applied to youth who are very young or who engaged in ‘consensual’ sexual behavior with victims of the same age or developmental stage with no criminal intent. ..more..

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report

September 1999 -- NCJ 178257

Later version:
Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report
As America moves into the 21st century, we need to forge enlightened policies for our juvenile justice system—policies based on facts, not fears. While the pictures on our television screens and the photos on our front pages raise genuine concerns that we must address, this Report, drawing on reliable data and relevent research, provides a comprehensive and insightful view of the nature of juvenile crime and violence across the Nation.

Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report offers the Congress, State legislators and other State and local policymakers, professors and teachers, juvenile justice professionals, and concerned citizens solid answers to the most frequently asked questions about the nature of juvenile crime and victimization and about the justice system’s response.

Citing FBI and other data sources, the Report demonstrates that the rate of juvenile violent crime arrests— after peaking in 1994—has consistently decreased over the past several years. However, it has yet to return to the 1988 level, the year in which dramatic increases in juvenile crime arrests were first seen. The Report also summarizes data on school violence and describes the recent downturn in the violent victimization of youth.

New findings from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, providing the most current data on self-reported delinquent and antisocial behavior, are included in the Report, which also presents data from OJJDP’s new national Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement, summarizing key findings about the characteristics of juvenile offenders in custody.

In sum, Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report, like its predecessors—Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National Report (1995), Juvenile Offenders and Victims: Update on Violence (1996 and 1997), and Juvenile Arrests 1997 (1998)—offers an indispensable resource for informed policy decisions that will shape the juvenile justice system in the 21st century by providing a clear view of juvenile crime and the justice system’s response at the end of the 20th century.

..more.. by Howard N. Snyder -and- Melissa Sickmund

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Juvenile population characteristics
Chapter 2: Juvenile victims
Chapter 3: Juvenile offenders
Chapter 4: Juvenile justice system structure and process
Chapter 5: Law enforcement and juvenile crime
Chapter 6: Juvenile courts and juvenile crime
Chapter 7: Juveniles in correctional facilities
Index

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003

August 2005 NCJ 209468:

Presents findings about violent crime committed against or by juveniles from 1993 to 2003. Comparisons are made in the report between younger teens (ages 12-14), older teens (ages 15-17), and adults. Data are drawn from the National Crime Victimization Survey for nonfatal violent victimization and offending {rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault} among those 12 years and older, and from the FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Reports for fatal victimization and offending of the entire population. Analyses include characteristics of victim, offender, and of the criminal event such as weapons, location, and time of day.

Highlights include the following:

The number of victimizations by violent crime per 1,000 teenagers dropped from about 130 victimizations in 1993 to about 60 in 2003

On average, juveniles (ages 12-17) were more than twice as likely as adults (age 18 or older) to be the victim of violent crime from 1993 to 2003.

Older teens (15-17) were about 3 times more likely than younger teens (12-14) to be the victim of a violent crime involving a firearm.

Juveniles were involved as victims or offenders in 38% of all violent crimes in which the victim could estimate the age of the offender(s), 1993-2003. ..more.. by

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...

Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report

March 2006 -- NCJ 212906:

America’s youth are facing an ever-changing set of problems and barriers to successful lives. As a result, we are constantly challenged to develop enlightened policies and programs to address the needs and risks of those youth who enter our juvenile justice system. The policies and programs we create must be based on facts, not fears. Too often, the facts are unknown or not readily available. This Report is designed to remedy, at least in part, that information gap.

Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report draws on reliable data and relevant research to provide a comprehensive and insightful view of juvenile crime across the nation. The Report offers Congress, state legislators and other state and local policymakers, professors and teachers, juvenile justice professionals, and concerned citizens empirically based answers to frequently asked questions about the nature of juvenile crime and victimization and about the justice system’s response.

Citing FBI and other data sources, the Report demonstrates that the rate of juvenile violent crime arrests has consistently decreased since 1994, falling to a level not seen since at least the 1970s. However, during this period of overall decline in juvenile violence, the female proportion of juvenile violent crime arrests has increased (especially for the crime of assault), marking an important change in the types of youth entering the juvenile justice system and in their programming needs. The Report also describes when and where juvenile violent crime occurs, focusing attention on the critical afterschool hours. Statistics presented throughout the Report find that racial disparity in the juvenile justice system is declining.

For example, the black juvenile violent crime arrest rate in the late 1980s was six times the white rate - by 2003, it had fallen to four times the white rate. During the same period, the black juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations fell from five times to less than double the white rate.

The Report also presents new findings from OJJDP’s national Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement. The daily number of committed youth held in public and private facilities increased 28% between 1991 and 2003, with the increase far greater in private than in public facilities.

However, after peaking in 1999, the number of youth in custody began to fall—for the first time in a generation. In sum, Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report offers a clear view of juvenile crime and the justice system’s response at the beginning of the 21st century. It is an indispensable resource for informed professionals who strive to shape the juvenile justice system today.

..235 pages more.. CAUTION This is a 9.45 megabyte file, slow loading by Howard N. Snyder -and- Melissa Sickmund, National Center for Juvenile Justice

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Juvenile population characteristics
Chapter 2: Juvenile victims
Chapter 3: Juvenile offenders
Chapter 4: Juvenile justice system structure and process
Chapter 5: Law enforcement and juvenile crime
Chapter 6: Juvenile offenders in court
Chapter 7: Juvenile offenders in correctional facilities
Index

Read More of Article...

Article Summary only...