Homicide
Fact Sheet
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The homicide rate for juveniles of all ages is lower than for adults.
- In 2002, the number of juvenile homicide victims was 1,570. The homicide rate was 2.2 per 100,000 persons ages 0 through 17, compared to 6.7 for adults.
- Ten percent of the homicides in 2002 occurred in the 17 or younger age group.
- There was an 84% increase in the number of juvenile homicide victims between 1985 and 1993. Almost all of the increase was in the 12 through 17 age group.
- The number of juvenile homicide victims declined 48% between 1993 and 2002 to levels the lowest in over 20 years.
Fox, JA & Zawitz, M. 2001. Homicide Trends in the United States. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
(website: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/homtrnd.htm)
Year |
Number of Juvenile Homicides |
Rate per 100,000 |
Number of Adult Homicides |
Rate per 100,000 |
1976 |
1,629 |
2.5 |
16,906 |
11.3 |
1977 |
1,692 |
2.7 |
17,186 |
11.3 |
1978 |
1,727 |
2.7 |
17,571 |
11.3 |
1979 |
1,690 |
2.7 |
19,376 |
12.3 |
1980 |
1,813 |
2.8 |
20,833 |
12.9 |
1981 |
1,690 |
2.7 |
20,415 |
12.3 |
1982 |
1,688 |
2.7 |
18,991 |
11.3 |
1983 |
1,536 |
2.4 |
17,472 |
10.3 |
1984 |
1,463 |
2.3 |
16,798 |
9.7 |
1985 |
1,573 |
2.5 |
16,992 |
9.7 |
1986 |
1,719 |
2.7 |
18,406 |
10.4 |
1987 |
1,714 |
2.7 |
18,013 |
10.0 |
1988 |
1,937 |
3.0 |
18,409 |
10.2 |
1989 |
2,154 |
3.4 |
19,054 |
10.4 |
1990 |
2,295 |
3.6 |
20,779 |
11.2 |
1991 |
2,574 |
4.0 |
21,697 |
11.6 |
1992 |
2,563 |
3.9 |
20,869 |
11.0 |
1993 |
2,841 |
4.2 |
21,357 |
11.2 |
1994 |
2,663 |
3.9 |
20,261 |
10.5 |
1995 |
2,623 |
3.8 |
18,623 |
9.6 |
1996 |
2,427 |
3.4 |
16,963 |
8.7 |
1997 |
2,404 |
2.9 |
15,803 |
8.0 |
1998 |
1,926 |
2.7 |
14,684 |
7.4 |
1999 |
1,797 |
2.5 |
13,468 |
6.6 |
2000 |
1,581 |
2.1 |
13,687 |
6.5 |
2001 |
1,640 |
2.2 |
14,065 |
6.7 |
2002 |
1,570 |
2.2 |
14,300 |
6.7 |
Fox, JA & Zawitz, M. 2004. Homicide Trends in the United States. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.(website: http://www.gip.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/homtrnd.htm) Rates calculated by CCRC
Homicide is one of the five leading causes of juvenile mortality.
2002
Leading Causes of Death
Causes of Death in Rank Order |
Ages 1 - 4 |
Ages 5 – 14 |
Ages 15 - 24 |
accidents* |
accidents* |
accidents* |
|
birth defects |
cancer |
homicide |
|
homicide |
birth defects |
suicide |
|
cancer |
homicide |
cancer |
|
heart disease |
suicide |
heart disease |
*motor vehicle and other
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Staistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online] (2004). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. [2005 Jan 3]
- Homicide is the only one of these causes to have increased in the last generation.
- Juvenile homicide rates are substantially higher for African American and Hispanic American youth.
- Large cities have levels that greatly exceed those of rural areas. Washington DC, has 9 times more child murders than the national average.
- Five highly urban counties accounted for a quarter of all juvenile victimization homicides in 1997, while 85% of counties had none.
Finkelhor, D. & Ormrod, R. (2001). The homicides of children & youth. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Snyder, H. & Sickmund, M. (1999). Juvenile offenders and victims: 1999 National report. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Teenagers, children in middle childhood, and young children face different homicide perils.
- The homicides of teens (12-17 years) mostly involve male victims and male offenders, many of whom are other youths or young adults, using firearms.
- The homicide risk for middle childhood (6-11 years) is very low compared to that of teenagers or young children.
- The homicides of young children (0-5 years) are committed largely by family members using beatings and suffocation and victimize boys and girls about equally. A large portion of offenders are female.
Finkelhor, D. & Ormrod, R. (2001). The homicides of children & youth. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
