In juvenile law, the term 'delinquent act' applies to behavior that would be what if committed by an adult?

• A. A crime
• B. Status offense
• C. Civil violation
• D. Traffic violation

Answer: (A)

Delinquent acts are acts that would be crimes if committed by an adult. In juvenile court, a youth is charged with delinquency for conduct that, if an adult did the same thing, would be a criminal offense. This distinguishes delinquency from status offenses—acts that are illegal only because of being a juvenile, like truancy or curfew violations. Civil violations and many traffic violations aren’t crimes that would apply to an adult, so they aren’t delinquent acts under this definition. For example, stealing is a crime for adults, so theft by a juvenile would be a delinquent act, whereas truancy is a status offense.