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Simple English definitions for legal terms
status offense
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A quick definition of status offense:
A status offense is when a young person does something that is only considered a crime because of their age, like skipping school or breaking curfew. It's not a serious crime like stealing or hurting someone, but they can still get in trouble for it.
A more thorough explanation:
A status offense is a type of offense that is only considered illegal because of the offender's age or status. These offenses are not illegal for adults. Examples of status offenses include truancy, curfew violations, and underage drinking.
For instance, if a 16-year-old skips school, they could be charged with a status offense of truancy. However, if an adult skips work, they would not be charged with any offense.
Another example is if a 17-year-old is caught drinking alcohol, they could be charged with a status offense of underage drinking. But if an adult is caught drinking, they would not be charged with any offense.
These examples illustrate how status offenses are only considered illegal because of the offender's age or status. They are not crimes that would be illegal for adults.