NCJ Number
76326
Date Published
1981
Length
109 pages
Annotation
This 3-year report presents summary information on juvenile delinquency and dependency/neglect cases by manner of handling (whether these cases were handled with or without the filing of a petition), by sex, and by type of area (urban, semiurban, and rural) for 1976, 1977, and 1978.
Abstract
The findings showed that both the estimated number of delinquency cases and the child population at risk (defined as the number of children from 10 to the upper age of jurisdiction) declined over the 3-year period, with the rate of delinquency cases (defined as the number of cases disposed of per 1,000 child population at risk) remaining relatively constant. For these 3 years, the estimated number of delinquency cases disposed of was 1.432, 1.389, and 1.359 million, respectively, with an average 3-year case rate of 46.2 cases per 1.000 child population under the jurisdiction of juvenile courts. In contrast to a 1.4 percent increase in delinquency case rates for males, case rates for females decreased by 6.4 percent between 1976 and 1978. Overall, urban areas accounted for 64 percent of delinquency case dispositions for the 3-year period, with 29 percent in semiurban areas and 8 percent in rural areas. Over the 3 years, the average delinquency rates for urban, semiurban, and rural areas were 48.1, 47.6, and 32.5 cases per 1,000 child population at risk. For rural areas, both the estimated number of cases and rates increased markedly between 1976 and 1978; this sharp rise demonstrates a growing similarity between rural and nonrural areas. In 1976 and 1977, petitioned cases accounted for approximately 44 percent of all dispositions, while in 1978 these cases represented about 51 percent of all dispositions. For dependency/neglect cases, it was found that the number of case dispositions was an estimated 151,400 in 1976, 158,400 in 1977, and 158,100 in 1978. The child population at risk for this category (defined as the number of children from 0 to the upper age of jurisdiction) declined from 1976 to 1978. These populations produced dependency/neglect case rates of 2.36, 2.51, and 2.54, respectively. This pattern of rates indicated an increased flow of dependency/neglect cases in courts with juvenile jurisdiction. Approximately 80 percent of all dependency/neglect cases were handled with a petition for all 3 years. This 3-year report includes 18 graphic illustrations, an expanded summary of findings, a detailed explanation of methods, and an examination of trends over the last 20 years. The appendix contains information reported by each local jurisdiction for all 3 years for delinquency and dependency/neglect cases, distinguished by cases handled with or without a petition.