Final answer:
The majority of juvenile court referrals historically involve property crimes. These are nonviolent and often include offenses like larceny and vandalism. Understanding these trends is important for legal responses and prevention efforts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of cases that has historically accounted for the majority of juvenile court referrals is property crimes. Juvenile courts frequently encounter cases such as larceny, car theft, and vandalism, which are considered nonviolent crimes since they involve the theft or destruction of property but do not use force or the threat of force. Contrasted with violent offenses and public order offenses, property crimes have long represented a significant portion of juvenile cases. Juvenile courts also deal with status offenses, which are violations of the law only because of the youth's status as a minor, such as truancy or curfew violations.
Understanding the nature of these offenses is crucial for both the legal system's response to delinquent behavior and for preventive measures by society. For example, the social disorganization theory suggests that crime is most likely to occur in communities where social relations among people are weakened. Additionally, victimless crimes are also a point of debate, as some argue they harm society indirectly. And when looking at the broader classification of crimes, corporates crimes like embezzlement are distinct from street crimes which are more visible and frequently reported in media.