Juvenile Weapons Offenses Double in Decade, Report Says

By Jessica Portner

The number of teenagers arrested for weapons offenses--carrying or selling guns, explosives, and some types of knives--has more than doubled in the past decade, a report by the U.S. Department of Justice says.

More than 61,000 juveniles were arrested on weapons charges in 1993, up more than 100 percent from 1985.30,000 During the same period, the number of adults arrested increased by 33 percent, according to the study, which was released last week.

The dramatic increase in juvenile arrests on weapons charges began 20 years ago, the study found. In 1974, 16 percent of all people arrested for weapons offenses were younger than 18; in 1993, the...