African-American juveniles account for a disproportionate amount of all juvenile arrests for serious crimes. However, white juveniles are arrested more often than African-American youths. Furthermore, self-reports indicate that African-American and white juveniles commit similar amounts of delinquency and youths from lower economic classes are more likely to commit serious offenses.

• What would these facts mean to you if you were working as a juvenile justice professional?
• Who is the typical juvenile offender?
• What are the most common delinquent acts that children are charged with?