This report describes crimes against persons age 65 or older, by victim and incident characteristics. Data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), and the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2003-13- The rates of nonfatal violent crime (3.6 per 1,000 persons) and property crime (72 3 per 1,000) against elderly persons were lower than those of younger persons. The ratio of the estimates of property crime to violent crime was higher for the elderly (13 to 1) than for...

The investigation of child abuse is a critical and sensitive issue that affects the safety and well-being of children nationwide. It is estimated that law enforcement agencies in the United States investigate more than 3.3 million cases of child maltreatment each year and that as many as 2,000 children die as a result of this maltreatment. Law enforcement personnel are responsible for protecting children and often have the difficult task of determining if a child's injury is accidental or deliberately inflicted. Careful investigation is required to determine whether a child's injuries are...

Law enforcement's role in child abuse cases cannot be overstated. It spans the entire case from the initial call, through the investigation, to the court proceedings. Law enforcement officers investigate and determine if a criminal law has been violated; identify and apprehend the offender; file appropriate criminal charges; and provide guidance and support to the child, family, and other agencies involved. Law enforcement's response needs to be constant and consistent. This guide provides the information officers need to ensure consistency, understand their importance as vital members of the...

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's biennial Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC) collects information about facilities in which juvenile offenders are held. Respondents provide information about facility characteristics, including facility type, capacity, and type of security. JRFC also reports the number of youth who were injured or died in custody during the past 12 months. This bulletin provides findings from the 2010 survey. The juvenile offender population dropped 18% from 2008 to 2010. Issues of crowding and overcapacity at these facilities, however,...

This bulletin presents findings from the Pathways to Desistance study about the effects of transfer from juvenile court to adult court on a sample of serious adolescent offenders in Maricopa County, AZ. The authors compare the extant literature with findings from the Pathways study and discuss the possible implications of these findings for future changes in transfer statutes. Following are some key points: Adolescents in the adult system may be at risk for disruptions in their personal development, identity formation, relationships, learning, growth in skills and competencies, and positive...

This bulletin presents findings from the Pathways to Desistance study about the effects of transfer from juvenile court to adult court on a sample of serious adolescent offenders in Maricopa County, AZ. The authors compare the extant literature with findings from the Pathways study and discuss the possible implications of these findings for future changes in transfer statutes. Following are some key points: Adolescents in the adult system may be at risk for disruptions in their personal development, identity formation, relationships, learning, growth in skills and competencies, and positive...

In the 1980s and 1990s, legislatures in nearly every state expanded transfer laws that allowed or required the prosecution of juveniles in adult criminal courts. The impact of these historic changes is difficult to assess inasmuch as there are no national data sets that track youth who have been tried and sentenced in the criminal justice system. Moreover, state data are hard to find and even more difficult to assess accurately. In addition to providing the latest overview of state transfer laws and practices, this bulletin comprehensively examines available state-level data on juveniles...

This JABG Report to Congress presents data from local subgrantees on how their accountability programs performed during the 2008 and 2009 reporting periods. This report presents the results from the fifth and sixth rounds of performance measurement data collected from U.S. states and territories and the first round of data collected from the tribes. We are encouraged by what the performance data reveal. States, communities, and tribes have embraced the performance measurement initiative; all 56 states and territories provided complete or partial 2008 and 2009 performance data to the Office of...

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) developed the biannual Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC) to collect information about the facilities in which juvenile offenders are held. Facilities provide information about characteristics such as their size, structure, type, ownership, and security arrangements. They also describe the range of services they provide to youth in their care-including education, physical health, mental health, and substance abuse services. JRFC also reports the number of juveniles who died in custody over the past 12 months. This...

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from 1991 to 2000, arrests of girls increased more (or decreased less) than arrests of boys for most types of offenses. By 2004, girls accounted for 30 percent of all juvenile arrests. However, questions remain about whether these trends reflect an actual increase in girls' delinquency or changes in societal responses to girls' behavior. To find answers to these questions, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention convened the Girls Study Group to establish a theoretical and empirical foundation to guide the...