Chapter 5    Juvenile Delinquency and Other Behavioral Problems

Section 1    Juvenile Penal Code Offenders

(Overview)

Table 7 shows the trends of the number of juvenile delinquencies investigated by the police in the past 10 years. The number of juveniles who committed penal code offences in 2004 was 134,847 (down 9,557 (6.6%) over the previous year). The ratio to youth population (the number of juveniles arrested per 1,000 persons of the same age group) was 16.8 (down 0.7). The percentage of juveniles to all those arrested for penal code offences was 34.7%, down 3.3 points from the previous year.
Figure 7 shows the trends in the number of juveniles arrested for penal code offences and their ratio to the population since 1949 when the current Juvenile Law was enacted.

Figure 7    Number of Juveniles Arrested for Penal Code Offenses and Ratio to Youth Population (1949-2003)

Section2    Violation of the Road Traffic Law

(Professional (Gross)Negligence Resulting in Death or Bodily Injury in Traffic Accidents)

The number of juveniles arrested for professional (gross) negligence resulting in death or bodily injury in traffic accidents in 2004 was 38,025, up 314 (0.8%) from the previous year.

(Violation of the Road Traffic Law)

The number of juveniles arrested for driving-related violations in 2004, such as unlicensed driving and driving over the maximum speed limit was 491,126, down 29,112 (5.6%) from the previous year.

Section 3    Problem Behavior

(Drug Abuse)

In 2004, 388 juveniles were arrested for offenses involving stimulant drugs, down 136 (26.0%) from the previous year, and 2,205 for abusing thinners, down 630 (22.2%) from the previous year. Moreover, 221 juveniles were arrested for offenses involving cannabis, up 36 (19.5%) from the previous year. The number of juvenile delinquents arrested for illegal abuse of synthetic narcotics such as MDMA increased by 38 (or 131%) from the previous year to reach 67 persons. Among drug-related offenses committed by juveniles, abusing thinners still accounted for the majority. (Table 8)

(Felony and Violent Delinquency)

In 2004, 1,584 juveniles were arrested for felony offenses, down 628 (28.4%) from the previous year. By type, the number of juveniles arrested for robbery was the largest with 1,273, and decreased by 498 (28.1%) from the previous year. The numbers of juveniles arrested for homicide and for rape both decreased by 36 (38.7%) and by 91 (37.6%) from the previous year, respectively.
The number of juvenile penal code offenders arrested by the police for violent crimes in 2004 was 11,439, down 2,917 (20.3%) from the previous year. (Figure 8)

Figure 8    Number of Juveniles Arrested for Felony and Violent Offenses (1995-2004)

(Bullying)

In fiscal 2003, the number of bullying cases reported from public elementary, junior high or senior high schools as well as from schools for the blind, the deaf or the disabled increased for the first time in the past eight years. We take this very seriously.
In 2004, the police dealt with 161 cases that originated from bullying, and charged or gave guidance to 316 juveniles (juvenile delinquents and juvenile offenders under 14), 55 more cases (up 51.9%) and 87 more juveniles (up 38.0%) from the previous year.

(School Violence)

In fiscal 2003, the number of violent acts in schools was 1,600 cases in 620 elementary schools (2.7% of all elementary schools), 24,463 cases in 3,446 junior high schools (33.3% of all junior highs), and 5,215 cases in 1,819 senior high schools (44.2% of all). The number of violent acts that occurred out of school was 177 cases in 148 elementary schools (0.6% of all), 2,951 in 1,755 junior high schools (16.9% of all), and 986 in 765 senior high schools (18.6% of all).

(Domestic Violence)

In 2004, 1,186 cases of domestic violence by juveniles were reported by the police through consultations with children and guidance activities, up 32 (2.8%) from the previous year. Mothers were the major victims.

(Misbehavior)

In 2004, 1,419,085 juveniles were given guidance by the police as a result of their misbehavior (those under 20 who were not juvenile delinquents but were given guidance by the police for drinking, smoking or running away from home). By type, loitering at night and smoking accounted for the majority of cases.

(Truancy)

In fiscal 2003, the number of students who were absent from school for 30 days or more was 24,077 in elementary schools and 102,149 in junior high, down 6.9% and 3.1% from the previous year, respectively. (Table 9)