Juvenile crime has increased during the past 30 years because children are being abandoned, abused, mistreated, and ignored. Serious juvenile crime, especially violent offenses, has increased rapidly in recent years. The earlier a child comes into the juvenile justice system the greater the likelihood that the child will develop and continue a delinquent and criminal career. While the overall crime rate has dropped in the country, violent offenses committed by teens has increased. Most child criminals are desperately poor; many are the products of multiple foster homes.

A recent study found that 60% of boys and 90% of girls who are arrested have documented histories of neglect and abuse. The number of juveniles in the population - and especially the number of minority juveniles - is now increasing faster than the general population, according to census reports.

According to a 1991 report from Washington called Juveniles Taken Into Custody, more than 11,900 facilities contained nearly 100,000 youths. Twenty-seven percent of the facilities were specifically designed to hold juveniles. Adult jails, police lock-ups, and adult correctional facilities made up the remainder. More than nine percent of jailed juveniles are thirteen years old or younger. Thousands of the juvenile offenders who are taken into custody find their way into a system of training schools. These are places where the juveniles are supposed to receive treatment and rehabilitation.

The crime rate is particularly high among the younger boys reaching the ages o

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