Status offenders and juvenile delinquents
Joe Wells
CJ150
April 28, 2015
Jennifer Hulvat
Status offenders and juvenile delinquents
When I look at a status offender, I notice that they are only offenders simply by age, if they were adults, no crime would be committed. Now where this will teach juveniles to take responsibility for their actions, it could also place them in a situation to be exposed to harder elements, which in turn could create an adult offender. However, if nothing is done, it could put them in a state of mind where they feel like laws or rules don’t apply to them. How can you take a ten year old juvenile that stole a beer and drank it from a neighbor and place him in a delinquency program with a fifteen year old that stole and wreck a neighbor’s car? Personally I feel like restrictions placed on minors could be a good thing. Curfews, will insure minors are not out to late and keep them safe from crimes committed by adults. Ensuring a juvenile attends school regularly, will make sure they receive an education. Most adults, return to get a GED and could have received a diploma if laws were enforced. Alcohol consumption by a minor could lead to alcoholism or addiction of illegal drugs.
According to The Free Dictionary, the definition of A juvenile delinquent is, ”a person who is under age (usually below 18), who is found to have committed a crime in states which have declared by law that a minor lacks responsibility and thus may not be sentenced as an