Between 1987 and 1991:
- Juvenile arrests for violent crimes increased by 50 percent--double the adult increase.
- Juvenile arrests for murder rose 85 percent--four times the percentage increase for adults.
- Juvenile arrests for murder, forcible rape, robbery, and other violent crimes reached an all-time high and accounted for 17 percent of all arrests for such crimes.
By 1992, every state had some mechanism for prosecuting youths under 18 as adults.
In a recent USA Today/Gallup poll, 73 percent of respondents said juveniles who commmit violent crimes should be treated as adults.
SOURCES: U.S. Justice Department and USA Today.
