ATLANTA (AP) — Health officials say the U.S. homicide rate for older children and young adults has hit its lowest point in at least three decades.
In 2010, the homicide rate for victims ages 10 to 24 was down more than half compared to 1993. That was during an explosion in crime tied to crack cocaine.
The government report released Thursday echoes earlier findings about a national decline in murders and other crimes in the last two decades. Youths account for about a third of homicide victims.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went back to 1981 and found youth homicide rate declines across the board — in males, females, whites, blacks and Hispanics.
However, declines have slowed in the last 10 years.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.