Which best defines a status offender?

• A. A child who is accused, adjudicated, or convicted for conduct that would not be a crime if committed by an adult.
• B. A child who is accused, adjudicated, or convicted for conduct that would be a crime if committed by an adult.
• C. An adult who commits a crime with a juvenile.
• D. A child who is adjudicated for violent crime.

Answer: (B)

Status offenses are actions that are illegal only because the person is a minor. A status offender is a child who is charged with conduct that would not be a crime if an adult did it. This is the key distinction from acts that are crimes regardless of age—those are delinquent acts, not status offenses. Examples of status offenses include truancy or curfew violations. So the best definition is the one that describes a child being accused or adjudicated for conduct that would not be a crime if an adult committed it. The other descriptions describe offenses that would be crimes for anyone, or situations not focused on the status-based nature of the offense.