Provides information about the types of delinquent acts committed and how the juvenile justice system deals with child delinquency. The article compiles statistics drawn from official records on children in the juvenile justice system, including the number of juvenile arrests by type of offense, age, and gender as well as increases and decreases of certain types of violations; discusses the number and type of child delinquents being referred to juvenile court for processing and identifies trends in the outcome of cases as well as differences between very young and older offenders; reveals that courts respond differently to boys and girls with similar offense profiles and highlights such patterns as an increase in formal court-ordered probation and the greater likelihood that nonwhite juveniles would be detained while awaiting court disposition and receive an out-of-home placement; and addresses the developmental aspects of child delinquency, focusing on aggression and violence, length of involvement, and contact with the police. Given that the number of child delinquents in some communities is reaching a critical mass, even modestly successful intervention and prevention programs could yield significant benefits, including reducing crime and improving the well-being of families, children, and youth in a community.
