Why should teens be concerned about crime prevention?
Teenagers experience both property and personal crime more frequently than other age groups. In fact, teens and young adults experience the highest rates of violent crime. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (“Criminal Victimization in the United States, 2005: Statistical Table 3”): • More than 1.5 million teens become victims of violent crime each year in the United States. • Although teens are 14 percent of the general population, they are 28 percent of victims of violent crime. • Teens are twice as likely as adults to become victims of crime. • Young people ages 12 to 17 are far more likely to be victims of property crimes than adults, and most of the crimes occur on school grounds. Unfortunately, the majority of these thefts are never reported to police or school officials.
