NCJ Number
45845
Date Published
1978
Length
45 pages
Annotation
ARREST DATA FROM 1970 THROUGH 1976 IN KANSAS IS EXAMINED FOR THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE JUVENILE IN CRIME IN KANSAS, THE CHANGING GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF JUVENILE CRIME, AND PROFILES FOR MAJOR CRIME CATEGORIES.
Abstract
MORE THAN 92 PERCENT OF ARRESTS FOR MAJOR CRIMES DURING THE STUDY PERIOD 1970-1976 WERE OF PERSONS AGED 11 TO 44 YEARS OF AGE, A GROUP WHICH COMPRISES LESS THAN HALF THE STATE POPULATION. THIS HAS BEEN CALLED THAT NET CRIME RISK POPULATION (NCRP). DECLINING BIRTH RATES MEAN JUVENILES WILL MAKE UP A DECREASNG PERCENT OF THE NCRP AS THE 1980'S APPROACH. IN 1970 PERSONS UNDER AGE 18 COMPRISED 33.2 PERCENT OF THE KANSAS POPULATION OF WHICH 51 PERCENT WERE MALE AND 93.3 PERCENT WERE WHITE. OF THESE, 28.7 PERCENT WERE IN THE HIGH-CRIME-RISK 11-17 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP. BY 1979 THE NUMBER IN THIS GROUP SHOULD DECLINE TO 22.2 PERCENT, ABOUT 51 PERCENT MALE BUT THE PERCENTAGE WHITE DECLINING TO 92.7. THE METROPOLITAN AREAS (JOHNSON, SHAWNEE, SEDGWICK, AND WYANDOTTE COUNTIES) CONTAIN 42.4 PERCENT OF THE JUVENILE NCRP AND 65 PERCENT OF JUVENILE ARRESTS FOR MAJOR CRIMES. THERE IS A DEFINITE CORRELATION BETWEEN AGE AND FREQUENCY OF ARRESTS WITH 16-YEAR-OLDS ACCOUNTING FOR MORE ARRESTS THAN ANY OTHER AGE GROUP. ALTHOUGH JUVENILES ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT OF ARRESTS FOR MAJOR CRIMES, TOTAL CRIME FIGURES INDICATE THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY COMMITTING LESS THAN 20 PERCENT OF FELONIES. UNLIKE ADULT OFFENDERS, JUVENILES ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THE DIFFERENT CLEARANCE RATES FOR THE VARIOUS CRIMES. THIS INDICATES THAT THE JUVENILE HAS AN EQUAL CHANCE OF BEING APPREHENDED REGARDLESS OF THE OFFENSE. DURING THE STUDY PERIOD 60.1 PERCENT OF JUVENILE ARRESTS WERE FOR LARCENY, 22.4 PERCENT FOR BURGLARY, 11.1 PERCENT FOR AUTO THEFT, 3.2 PERCENT FOR AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, 2.5 PERCENT ROBBERY, 0.6 PERCENT RAPE, AND 0.1 PERCENT MURDER. NONWHITES ARE REPRESENTED IN FAR GREATER NUMBERS THAN THEIR PROPORTION IN THE POPULATION, PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS. IT IS FELT THAT MOBILITY ACCOUNTS FOR THE LARGE PERCENTAGE OF NONWHITES ARRESTED FOR RURAL CRIME, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED. (GLR)