Washington State

Institute for
Public Policy
The Evergreen State College • Seminar 3162 • Olympia, WA 98505 • (360) 866-6000, ext. 6380 • FAX (360) 866-6825

April 1998

1996 County Comparisons:

At-Risk Behaviors of Youth in Washington
Background In 1994, the Washington State Legislature passed comprehensive legislation intended
to decrease juvenile violence and certain "at-risk" behaviors of youth in Washington.1 The
Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to evaluate the costs and
benefits of the programs developed as a result of this act.

This report compares 1996 county rates (generally the most recent year for which data are
available) for violent crime arrests and convictions, teen liquor and drug law violations, teen births,
foster care placements, and domestic violence protection orders.

The numbers in this report are expressed as "rates." Rates are calculated by dividing the incidence
of any behavior in a county by the total number of youth in the county. The result is the number of
events (e.g. arrests, births, or foster care placements) per 1,000 youth. Rates allow small counties
to be compared directly with big counties. While this comparison is useful, the reader should be
aware that rates reported for counties with small populations can vary from year to year. Thus a
small county with a high rate in one year could change dramatically the next with only a small
change in the total number of events. Rates for larger counties are less likely to exhibit this sort of
variation.

In some instances, rates for certain counties are not reported. In these jurisdictions, either several
law enforcement agencies Figure 1: 10- to 17-Year-Old Population, 1996
within a county did not supply
arrest data, or the occurrence Whatcom
of the event was too low to San Juan
1,249
18,729 Pend
Oreille
Okanogan
provide reliable rates (i.e., Skagit
5,064
Ferry
Stevens 1,464
11,321 1,048
counties reporting less than five Island
7,504
5,551

teen births were not included). Clallam

Snohomish
66,363
7,226
Chelan
This document serves as a Jefferson
2,809 Kitsap 7,384
Douglas
Lincoln Spokane
27,057 King 3,876
companion to the Institute's 168,260
1,342 48,631

Mason
report, Trends in At-risk Grays 5,684 Grant
Harbor Kittitas
Behavior of Youth in 8,599 Pierce 3,407 9,030 Adams
Whitman
78,240 2,380
Washington, with snapshots of Thurston
23,821
3,682

indicators for each county.2 Pacific Lewis

Franklin Garfield
2,288 8,989 Yakima 6,565 356
27,305 Columbia
For more information, contact 455
Cowlitz Benton
17,797 Walla Walla 515 Asotin
10,964
the Institute for Public Policy at Wahkiakum
Skamania
1,356
6,352 2,556

Klickitat
(360) 866-6000, extension Clark 2,566 19,000 to 169,000
Population

38,494
6380. 7,000 to 19,000

3,000 to 7,000
State Total = 646,280
0 to 3,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Census, Washington State Office of Financial Management.

1
RCW 70.190.050.
2
The Institute has published previous reports describing the 1994 legislation and statewide trends in risk behaviors. See Trends
in At-Risk Behaviors of Youth in Washington, Washington State Institute for Public Policy, January 1996 and April 1998
(Update).
Juvenile Violent Crime Figure 2: Juvenile Violent Crime Arrest Rate, 1996
Arrest Rate
Whatcom
3.8
San Juan
Although juvenile crime still 0.8
Okanogan
Ferry
Skagit 2.3
remains high by historical Island 2.2 5.9
N/A N/A

standards, the statewide rate 1.9

Snohomish
Clallam
of juvenile violence declined in 4.8 2.5
Chelan
1996. Figure 2 displays arrest Jefferson 3.5
Douglas
9.6 Spokane
rates for juvenile violent crime Kitsap
2.9
N/A 1.8 N/A 1.9

in Washington counties in Grays

Mason
4.2
Harbor Grant
1996. 6.2 Pierce
Kittitas
5.3
Adams
3.0
Thurston 4.3 15.1 N/A
2.6
In 1996, 2,524 arrests were
Pacific Lewis Franklin
made for juvenile violent crime 3.3 6.8 Yakima 9.1
N/A

in Washington.3 This
N/A
5.6 Benton
N/A
Cowlitz 3.2 Walla Walla Asotin
corresponds to a statewide 4.2 Skamania
1.6
3.8 1.6

rate of 3.9 arrests per Clark

Klickitat

Arrest Rate
4.7 5.6 to 15.2
2.8
thousand youths ages 10 to 3.8 to 5.5
17. As Figure 2 shows, 2.6 to 3.7
0.8 to 2.5
however, the 1996 juvenile Statewide Rate = 3.9 per 1,000

violent crime arrest rate varied The number of arrests per 1,000 youth for violent crimes in 1996. In Columbia, Garfield, King,
Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman Counties, less than 70 percent of
considerably across the population is represented by law enforcement agencies providing arrest data. Thus, rates
Washington. are not reliable and are not reported here. Violent offenses are defined by the FBI to include
murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
Source: Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

Juvenile Violent Crime Figure 3: Juvenile Violent Crime Conviction Rate, 1996
Conviction Rate
Figure 3 shows the violent San Juan
Whatcom
1.8 Pend
crime conviction rate for 0.8
Skagit Okanogan Ferry
Oreille
0
Stevens
counties in Washington State. Island 1.2 1.2 8.6
1.3
In 1996, there were 1,371 0.8
Snohomish
Clallam
violent crime convictions, 0.8
0.8
Chelan
translating to a statewide rate Jefferson
2.2 Douglas
Kitsap Spokane
of 2.1 convictions per thousand 2.1
1.3 King 1.3
Lincoln
0 2.2
juveniles ages 10- to 17-years- Grays
Mason
1.2
2.4

old. Harbor
2.2
Kittitas
0.3
Grant
Pierce 3.3 Adams Whitman
Thurston 2.7 1.7 0
2.2
Conviction rates differed
Pacific Lewis
across the state in 1996. The 5.2 3.1 Yakima
Franklin
0.9
Garfield
0
highest rates occurred in Ferry, 0
Cowlitz
4.0 Benton Columbia
0 Asotin
2.1 Walla Walla
Pacific, and Yakima counties. Wahkiakum
3.5 Skamania 2.7
2.7

1.5
Among urban counties, Klickitat
Conviction Rate

Clark 0.4
2.4 to 8.6
Snohomish County had one of 2.3
1.5 to 2.3
the lowest conviction rates for 0.9 to 1.4

juvenile violent crime. Statewide Rate = 2.1 per 1,000 0 to 0.8

The number of convictions per 1,000 youth for violent crimes in 1996.
Violent offenses are defined by the FBI to include murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and
aggravated assault.
Source: Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

3
Arrest totals are adjusted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to account for under-reporting in some
jurisdictions.
2
Juvenile Substance Figure 4: Juvenile Arrests for Liquor Law Violations, 1996
Abuse: Liquor Law
Arrest Rates San Juan
Whatcom
22.5
Pend
Oreille
18.4 Okanogan Ferry 10.3
Skagit
27.7 7.6
Figure 4 displays the juvenile Island
14.6 N/A
7.2
arrest rate for alcohol Clallam Snohomish
violations by county in 0.4 3.9 Chelan

Washington State for 1996. Jefferson

34.5 Kitsap
19.4
Douglas
Spokane
14.4 Lincoln
5.8 N/A 8.2
30.6
Mason
The statewide juvenile arrest Grays
Harbor
4.1 Grant
Kittitas 8.6
rate for liquor law violations in 29.2
Pierce 5.3 Adams
Thurston 3.4 29.4 N/A
1996 was 9 per thousand 8.5

juveniles ages 10 to 17. This Pacific Lewis

Franklin
11.8 Yakima Garfield
8.7
rate varied significantly 10.4
6.9
N/A
59.0
28.5
Benton
between counties. Pierce Cowlitz
14.9 Skamania
15.7 Walla Walla
Asotin
15.7
5.5
County (3.4) reported a lower Wahkiakum
10.3
Klickitat
rate than many surrounding

Arrest Rate
Clark 31.6
27.7 to 59
6.0
11.9 to 27.6
counties: Thurston 8.5, Lewis 7.3 to 11.8
11.8, and Yakima 10.4. Many Statewide Rate = 9 per 1,000 0.4 to 7.2

rural counties appear to have
much higher rates.
The number of arrests per 1,000 youth for liquor law violations in 1996. In Columbia, King,
Stevens, and Whitman counties, less than 70 percent of the population is represented by law
enforcement agencies providing arrest data. Thus, rates are not reliable and are not reported
here.
Source: Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, with adjustments made by the
Washington State Institute for Public Policy, April 1998.

Juvenile Substance Figure 5: Juvenile Arrests for Drug Law Violations, 1996
Abuse: Drug Law
Arrest Rates
Whatcom
7.6 Pend
Figure 5 shows the juvenile Okanogan
Ferry
Oreille
Skagit 6.3 4.8
arrest rate for drug law Island
6.3 9.5 N/A

violations by county in 3.6

Clallam Snohomish
Washington State for 1996. 6.8 2.8
Chelan
Jefferson 9.9
Douglas
8.5 Kitsap
In 1996, there were 3,662 2.2 N/A
2.1 Lincoln
4.5
Spokane
5.5

arrests for drug law violations Grays

Mason
3.2
Grant
in Washington, a statewide rate Harbor
6.1
Kittitas
5.5 Adams
Pierce 5.3
N/A
of 5.7 arrests per thousand Thurston 5.0 5.5
7.5
youths ages 10 to 17. Lewis Franklin
Pacific
3.1 2.2 Yakima 10.5 Garfield
5.4 N/A 0
Across the state, drug law 0
Cowlitz
Benton
Walla Walla Asotin
9.7
arrest rates did not differ as Wahkiakum 4.5 Skamania
4.4
3.6 6.3
Klickitat
dramatically as liquor law Clark 7.8
Arrest Rate

arrest rates in 1996. Rates
reached a high of about 10 per
1,000 juveniles in Benton,
Chelan, and Franklin counties,
whereas Lewis (2.2) and
Snohomish (2.8) counties
reported much lower rates.
6.9 to 10.6
4.2
5.4 to 6.8
4.2 to 5.3
Statewide Rate = 5.7 per 1,000 0 to 4.1
The number of arrests per 1,000 youth for drug law violations in 1996. In Columbia, King, San
Juan, Stevens, and Whitman counties, less than 70 percent of the population is represented by
law enforcement agencies providing arrest data. Thus, rates are not reliable and are not
reported here.
Source: Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, with adjustments made by the
Washington State Institute for Public Policy, April 1998.

3
Teen Birthrates Figure 6: Teen Birthrates, 1996

Figure 6 shows the number of Whatcom

N/A Pend
births per thousand 15- to 17- 18.6
Oreille
Okanogan
year-old females in Skagit
36.9 43.1
Ferry
14.9 Stevens
27.2

Island
Washington. 18.6 27.0
Snohomish
Clallam
25.5 21.5
In 1996, 3,033 children were Chelan
Jefferson 43.2 Douglas
born to mothers ages 15 to 17 10.2 Kitsap 33.1 Lincoln Spokane
22.0 King
in Washington State (an Mason 18.4
15.69 24.2

Grays
average of 8.3 births per day). Harbor
29.8
Kittitas Grant
37.3 Pierce 52.6 Adams
15.0 Whitman
Thurston 31.2 45.6
The teenage birthrate in 17.5 10.4

Washington State for 1996 was Pacific Lewis Franklin N/A

24.1 28.5 Yakima 74.8
26.6 births per thousand 10.7 64.2 Benton
Columbia
19.8
females ages 15 to 17. Cowlitz
36.6
28.3 Walla Walla Asotin
24.9
Skamania 47.5
Wahkiakum
18.1 Klickitat
Clark 24.3
Among Washington counties, 36.7 to 74.8

Birth Rate
25.1
25.2 to 36.6

Teen
teenage birthrates ranged from 19.9 to 25.1
a low of 10.2 in Jefferson Statewide Rate = 26.6 per 1,000 10.2 to 19.8

County to a high of 74.8 in The number of births per 1,000 15- to 17- year-old females in 1996. In Garfield and San Juan
Franklin County. Counties there were fewer than five teen births, thus these rates are too low to report.
Source: Center for Health Statistics, Washington State Department of Health. All calculations
made by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, April 1998.

State-Funded Foster Figure 7: Rate of Foster Care Placements in 1994

Care
Whatcom
Figure 7 displays the county San Juan 9.0 Pend
Oreille
rates for foster care 5.6
Skagit
Okanogan Ferry 24.6
31.7 Stevens
placements in Fiscal Year Island 8.5 18.9
12.3
11.3
1994, the most recent year that Clallam Snohomish
comprehensive data at the 17.3 9.5
Chelan
county level is available. Jefferson
Kitsap
10.6 Douglas
Spokane
8.0 8.5 Lincoln
10.2 King 13.6
18.2
Mason 11.0
The statewide foster care Grays 17.9
Harbor Grant
placement rate for FY 1994 18.9 Pierce
Kittitas
7.4 7.7
Adams Whitman
was 12 placements per 1,000 Thurston
9.1
14.5 4.9 9.0
youth under 18.4 Rates varied Lewis
Pacific Franklin
from county to county, with 17.6 17.2 Yakima 6.3 Garfield
0
13.9 Columbia
generally higher rates in rural 22.1
Cowlitz
Benton
7.9 Walla Walla 19.1 Asotin
areas. Thurston and Wahkiakum
17.8 Skamania
23.9
14.5 11.3

Klickitat
Snohomish counties reported Clark 21.6 18.2 to 31.7
Placement

12.1
rates below 10, while Lewis 12.3 to 18.1
Rate

and Cowlitz counties reported 9.0 to 12.2

Statewide Rate = 12 per 1,000 0 to 8.9
rates above 17.
The total number of children served in foster care for the year (Fiscal Year 1994) per 1,000
youth ages 10 to 17. Client counts were rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Counties with
less than five clients were counted as zero.
Source: Department of Social and Health Services Budget Division and Office of Research
and Data Analysis, "DSHS County Data Report Fiscal Year 1994," April 1996.

4
This statewide rate differs from the rate listed in the Institute's report, Trends in At-Risk Behaviors of Youth in Washington,
April 1998 Update. The "Trends" report calculates the average monthly rate of children being served for calendar years and
does not include counts from Family Receiving Homes.
4
Domestic Violence: Figure 8: County Rates of Domestic Violence, 1996
Court Filings
Whatcom
San Juan
Figure 8 illustrates the rate of 4.2
5.3 Pend
Oreille
Okanogan
domestic violence protection Skagit
11.2
Ferry
Stevens
8.4
Island 8.6 11.7
orders in Washington. In 1996, 6.8
6.7

30,528 domestic violence Clallam Snohomish

7.8 9.6
protection orders were filed, a Chelan
Jefferson Douglas
statewide rate of 7.6 per 5.3 Kitsap
7.0
8.0 Lincoln Spokane
thousand adults ages 18 or Mason
10.4 King 4.0 3.0
7.1
Grays
older. Harbor
15.6
Kittitas
Grant
14.3 13.1
Pierce 8.4 Adams Whitman
Thurston 7.5 9.6
Domestic violence protection 7.7 3.6

orders ranged considerably Pacific Lewis

Franklin Garfield
15.7 Yakima
throughout Washington, from a 14.5
6.1
9.9
Columbia
5.1
Benton
low of 3 in Spokane County, to Cowlitz
10.0
6.7 Walla Walla
13.0 Asotin
Skamania 5.9 12.9
a high of 15.7 in Lewis County. Wahkiakum
6.7 10.8 Klickitat
Clark 13.0 11.8 to 15.7
6.0

Filing Rate
8.5 to 11.7
6.8 to 8.4
Statewide Rate = 7.6 per 1,000 3.0 to 6.7

The number of domestic violence protection orders filed per 1,000 adults ages 18 years or
older in 1996.
Source: Office of the Administrator for the Courts. All calculations made by the Washington
State Institute for Public Policy, April 1998.

Future Publications
In the upcoming year, the Institute plans to supplement this information with topic briefs further
analyzing statewide trends and county comparisons of at-risk behaviors of youth in Washington.
These topic briefs will include:

• Child Protective Services referrals and victims

• Foster care placements
• Teenage pregnancy and male parentage
• Juvenile arrests (weapon violations, property and violent crimes)
• At-risk youth and truancy petitions
• High-school completion rates

In addition, the data from this report will be available on the Institute's World Wide Web homepage
for years prior to 1996. For more information see http://www.wa.gov/wsipp.

5
 Table 1: 1996 County Rate Comparisons
County 10 to 17-Year- Violent Violent Liquor Law Drug Law Teen Birth Foster Care Domestic
Old Population5 Arrests6 Convictions6 Violations7 Violations7 Rate8 (1994)9 Violence10
Adams 2,380 15.1 1.7 29.4 5.5 45.6 4.9 9.6
Asotin 2,556 1.6 2.7 15.7 6.3 24.9 11.3 12.9
Benton 17,797 3.2 2.1 15.7 9.7 28.3 7.9 6.7
Chelan 7,384 3.5 2.2 19.4 9.9 43.2 10.6 7.0
Clallam 7,226 4.8 0.8 0.4 6.8 25.5 17.3 7.8
Clark 38,494 2.8 2.3 6.0 4.2 25.1 12.1 6.0
Columbia 515 N/A 0 N/A N/A 19.8 19.1 13.0
Cowlitz 10,964 4.2 3.5 14.9 4.5 36.6 17.8 10.0
Douglas 3,876 1.8 1.3 14.4 2.1 33.1 8.5 8.0
Ferry 1,048 5.9 8.6 7.6 9.5 14.9 18.9 11.7
Franklin 6,565 9.1 0.9 6.9 10.5 74.8 6.3 9.9
Garfield 356 N/A 0 59.0 0 N/A 0 5.1
Grant 9,030 5.3 3.3 8.6 5.5 52.6 7.7 13.1
Grays Harbor 8,599 6.2 2.2 29.2 6.1 37.3 18.9 14.3
Island 7,504 1.9 0.8 7.2 3.6 18.6 11.3 6.8
Jefferson 2,809 9.6 2.1 34.5 8.5 10.2 8.0 5.3
King 168,260 N/A 2.4 N/A N/A 18.4 11.0 7.1
Kitsap 27,057 2.9 1.3 5.8 2.2 22.0 10.2 10.4
Kittitas 3,407 3.0 0.3 5.3 5.3 15.0 7.4 8.4
Klickitat 2,566 4.7 0.4 31.6 7.8 24.3 21.6 13.0
Lewis 8,989 6.8 3.1 11.8 2.2 28.5 17.2 15.7
Lincoln 1,342 N/A N/A 30.6 4.5 15.7 18.2 4.0
Mason 5,684 4.2 1.2 4.0 3.2 29.8 17.9 15.6
Okanogan 5,064 2.3 1.2 27.7 6.3 43.1 31.7 11.2
Pacific 2,288 3.3 5.2 8.7 3.1 24.1 17.6 14.5
Pend Oreille 1,464 N/A 0 10.3 4.8 27.2 24.6 8.4
Pierce 78,240 4.3 2.7 3.4 5.0 31.2 14.5 7.5
San Juan 1,249 0.8 0.8 18.4 N/A N/A 5.6 4.2
Skagit 11,321 2.2 1.2 14.6 6.3 36.9 8.5 8.6
Skamania 1,356 1.6 1.5 10.3 4.4 18.1 23.9 10.8
Snohomish 66,363 2.5 0.8 3.9 2.8 21.5 9.5 9.6
Spokane 48,631 1.9 2.2 8.2 5.5 24.2 13.6 3.0
Stevens 5,551 N/A 1.3 N/A N/A 27.0 12.3 6.7
Thurston 23,821 2.6 2.2 8.5 7.5 17.5 9.1 7.7
Wahkiakum 455 N/A 0 28.5 0 10.7 22.1 6.7
Walla Walla 6,352 3.8 2.7 5.5 3.6 47.5 14.5 5.9
Whatcom 18,729 3.8 1.8 22.5 7.6 18.6 9.0 5.3
Whitman 3,682 N/A 0 N/A N/A 10.4 9.0 3.6
Yakima 27,305 5.6 4.0 10.4 5.4 64.2 13.9 6.1
Statewide: 646,280 3.9 2.1 9.0 5.7 26.6 12.0 7.6

5
U.S. Bureau of Census, Washington State Office of Financial Management.
6
Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Violent offenses are defined by the FBI to include murder, manslaughter,
rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
7
Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
8
Center for Health Statistics, Washington Department of Health.
9
Based on FY 1994 data. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Budget Division and Office of Research
and Data Analysis, "DSHS County Data Report Fiscal Year 1994," April 1996.
10
Office of the Administrator for the Courts.

Washington State
Institute for
Public Policy
The Washington Legislature created the Washington State Institute for Public Policy in 1983. A Board of Directors—representing the
legislature, the governor, and public universities—governs the Institute and guides the development of all activities. The Institute's
mission is to carry out practical research, at legislative direction, on issues of importance to Washington State.

98-04-3202
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