• Arrest rates for weapons law violations peaked in 1993 for black juveniles and in 1994 for white, American Indian, and Asian juveniles. The increase between 1983 and the peak year was the greatest for American Indian juveniles (256%), followed by Asians (207%), blacks (183%), and whites (131%).
• For most racial groups, the rates dropped quickly after their peaks. By 2002, the rate for black juveniles was 64% below its 1993 peak, and rates for Asian, American Indian, and white juveniles were 64%, 53%, and 46% below their 1994 peak, respectively.
• However, the juvenile weapons arrest rate grew for all racial groups between 2002 and 2006; the increase was greatest for black juveniles (58%), followed by American Indians (38%), whites (23%), and Asians (20%).
• Between 2006 and 2007, the juvenile weapons arrest rate declined for all racial groups; down 16% for Asian youth, 14% for American Indian youth, 8% for white youth, and 5% for black youth.
• The black-white disparity in the juvenile weapons law violation arrest rate generally increased from 1980 through 1989, when the black rate was 3.7 times greater than the white rate. Subsequently, however, the larger declines in the black rate brought the black-white ratio to 2.9 in 2007 - about the same as the levels of the mid-1980s.

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Internet Citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available:
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/crime/JAR_Display.asp?ID=qa05273. October 24, 2008.

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