Juveniles make up about 10 per cent of the total population, so they are between 5 and 6 times
more likely than adults to commit a burglary. Very rough calculations suggest that on a per
capita basis, the cost of a juvenile burglary may be 2.4 times as high as a burglary committed
by an adult. At least in the short-term, juvenile burglaries may have strong negative effects on
communities. Note that burglary is the crime with the greatest potential to cause fear in the
community (Bursik and Grasmick, 1993). All these arguments would lead to the conclusion
that juvenile crime can be considered as a serious issue, both in terms of its magnitude and its
immediate effects on society.