National self-report studies indicate that the age of highest risk for the initiation of serious violent
behavior is age 15-16 and that the risk of initiating violence after age 20 is very low. If persons have
not initiated serious violent behavior by age 20, it is unlikely that they will ever become serious
violent offenders. The highest rates of participation in serious violence are at ages 16-17. At these
ages, 20-25 percent of males and 4-10 percent of females report one or more serious violent acts.
After age 17 however, participation rates drop dramatically. Approximately 80 percent of those who
were violent during their adolescent years will terminate their violence by age 21.