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Status Offense Essay

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Status Offense Essay
A status offense is a non-criminal act that is considered a law violation because of youth. Status offenses include violating curfews, general governability, running away from home, and underage drinking. The criminal offense I will focus on is runaways. Runaways are usually defined as a child who leaves there home without permission and stays away overnight or for numerous days. Juveniles tend to run away from home for numerous reasons. Most common runaways are those who run away and return home in a few nights for small situations. Then you have long term runaways that include youth who run away to escape serious family problems. Serious family problems may consist of neglect or abuse. Lastly, you have throwaways when parents tend to neglect …show more content…
One in seven young people will runaway between ages ten and eighteen. 75% of runaways are female. Youth who tend to runaway usually become “homeless runaways” because most have nowhere to go. Most juveniles tend to not go far. Depending on what the youth runs away for depends on how long they plan on staying away. Youth run away for family problems that include physical and sexual abuse, substance abuse, neglect, and more. Measuring juveniles runaways play a huge factor in their maturity level and the environment surrounded around them. These measures align with this status offense because it is a non-criminal offense dedicated specifically for children who try to find a way out.
Runaways is a legitimate reason to be a juvenile offense. Runaways are specifically juvenile offenses because children are to be supervised by an adult at all times. It is an offense that best describes the understandings of children, morality, and delinquency because children do not run away for fun. Children runway because of problems at home regarding them personally or the household. There is no better way to describe juvenile runaways. Many pros and cons align with runaways. Pros would include juveniles getting away from being abused and harmed. A con could include the child having a lack of shelter, and food. Another con could include safety. Running away causes a higher risk at sexual exploited and

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