Youth & Violence
National self-report studies indicate that the age of highest risk for the initiation of serious violent behavior is between 15 and 16 years of age. Adolescents between the ages of 16 and 17 have the highest rates of participation in serious violent acts. After age 17, participation rates drop significantly and it is unlikely that persons will become serious violent offenders if they have not initiated serious violent behavior by age 20.14 Early involvement in violence represents a particularly challenging area for intervention as 45% of those initiating serious violent offenses before age 11 continue this path into their twenties.15 These statistics illustrate that early intervention is necessary in preventing violent crime.

Clearly, there is cause for concern about juveniles as perpetrators of crime, but young people also are at high risk as victims of crime. In 1980, homicide accounted for 3.9% of deaths among children 5 to 14 years old. By 1995, the homicide rate for this age group had jumped to 6.5%. Nationally, homicide ranks as the third leading cause of death for children 10 to 14 years of age and fourth for children ages 1 to 9. While other causes of death for school-aged children decreased between 1980 and 1995, violent deaths increased by more than 61%.16

Salinas statistics reflect the national trends of risk in adolescence. Data collected by the Monterey County Health Department from September 1991 to December 1993 from emergency rooms at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and Natividad Medical Center indicated that numbers of gun shots, stabbings, and physical assaults all began to peak at age 15.17

Also reflecting national trends, there has been a recent decrease in juvenile arrests in Salinas. There was a dramatic drop in total juvenile arrests between 1997 and 1998. They dropped 45% to 1,492, the lowest number of juvenile arrest in that decade. Gang related juvenile arrests also dropped 32% between 1997 and 1998 reaching an all time low since gang related data began to be collected in 1993.

Salinas Police Department: Juvenile Arrest History

Arrests	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998
Total	1637	1534	1631	1908	1737	2256	2604	2732	1492
Gang-Related	N/A	N/A	N/A	195	216	255	254	254	172

The 1997-98 California Safe Schools Assessment reports an overall decrease in crime committed by students enrolled statewide from 1996-97. Salinas Union High School District is no exception. Salinas Union High District has shown a marked improvement in 1997-98 from previous years. In every category, (drug/alcohol offenses, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery/extortion, sex offense, possession of a weapon, and property crimes) declines have occurred. Salinas now reports lower than statewide high school district rates in every category. This is an impressive improvement from earlier years. In 1995-96, Salinas Union High School District was above the statewide average in six of the seven categories.18 During the 1997-98 school year, drug and alcohol offenses were the most common type of offense at 10.73 offenses per 1,000 students.
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