Child Criminals

The Bureau of Justice webiste contains some interesting statistics on crime. While the occurence on serious violent crimes (including rape, homicide, aggrivated assault, and robbery) has decreased since 1993, there was a shocking amount of children (ages 12-17) commiting these serious offenses. Somewhere between 20% and 25% of all serious violent crimes are committed by children ages 12-17. The number of crimes committed by adults has decreased by almost 60% since 1993. The number of these same crimes committed by children declined by 66%. As disturbing as it is to think of children being involved in such heinous offenses, it is good to know that the number is not increasing.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/offage.htm