You May Be Surprised Which Generation Commits The Most Crimes

Everyone’s seen the headlines about Millennials: they’ve killed cereal and napkins and golf and credit, they’re lazy and entitled and can’t do anything right. But regardless of what you think of Millennials—and there’s quite a bit of evidence that they’re actually pretty great—recent numbers from the Bureau of Justice Statistics show that they’re nowhere near the most criminal generation.

The Washington Post covered the report succinctly:

...The drop in the arrest rate over time is entirely accounted for by the current generation of young adults, who are busted 23 percent less frequently than prior generations were at their age. Remarkably, despite the national drop in overall crime and arrest rates, the arrest rate among older Americans is higher than it was 20 years ago.

Yes, Boomers and Gen-Xers are out there breaking into cars and getting arrested, while teens and young adults are significantly less prone to committing legal infractions than their parents and even grandparents.

Is The Great Crime Decline Generational?

Overall, violent crime and property crimes have both seen a long decline. Some kinds of crime—including rape and robbery—have inched upward, but that may be due to increased reporting. And while crime rates have crawled downward overall, the distribution of who’s committing crimes is what’s really interesting.

Though criminality generally tends to spike among young adults, today’s young adults are simply committing fewer crimes than when their parents and grandparents were their age.

Statistics from a variety of sources show that Millennials, in general, are better behaved than the cohort 10 years their senior; young people in 2013 showed substantially lower instances of violent arrests and drug-and-alcohol arrests than those in 1993. Their numbers are also lower than the Baby Boomer generation.

The only place they get busted more? Marijuana usage. 

Why Millennials Commit Fewer Crimes Than Gen-Xers

There are several reasons as to why this may be. First, Millennials are the most college-educated generation, which is generally linked to lower crime rates. Additionally, it’s possible that Millennials, who are overall empathetic and also, interestingly, more conservative than their parents’ generation, just don’t have the constitution for violent crime.

It could also be down to the economy; though Millennials have a harder time finding a job, many of them may also have the wealth of their parents to fall back on.

Additionally, the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana in many cities and states means that generally, the crimes that are most common with Millennials simply aren’t being charged as often.

Today’s young people also drink less, which is frequently cited as a factor in violent crimes.

All things told, today’s young people may be criticized for looking at their phones and using too many emoji, but one thing you can’t say about them is that they make more trouble than their parents did.

Boomer? Millennial? If You’ve Been Charged With a Crime, Contact the Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyers at Baker, Lewis, Schwisow & Laws

Regardless of your age, you deserve the best lawyers available. The expert defense team at Baker, Lewis, Schwisow & Laws, PLLC vigorously defend the rights of individuals facing a multitude of charges in Seattle, Bellevue, and Kirkland. Contact us today at 206.209.0608 or fill out our online contact form to get more information or to get a free case review!