Defining and Measuring Juvenile Crime

Abstract

Stealing a car, physically assaulting a younger child, running away from home, and talking back to a teacher are all actions that would be viewed with concern and perhaps condemnation by most members of society. However, whether these constitute illegal acts and whether the youth committing them would be considered a youthful offender depends on a number of considerations, including the laws and policies of the community in which the acts were committed and the age of the youth. Thus, running away from home constitutes a violation of the criminal code in some jurisdictions but not others. Similarly, the theft of a car by an 11-year old would be considered a criminal offense in some areas while in others the child would be too young to be charged with a crime. The implications of this variability in definition extend beyond the mere labeling of acts as criminal or noncriminal since they also determine whether or not the youth is designated as a juvenile offender.