Criminal Justice EOPA Practice Test

Which of the following is an example of a status offense?

Truancy. Robbery. Drug possession. Theft.

Correct Answer:

Theft.

Explanation:

Status offenses are actions that are illegal only because the person is a juvenile; they wouldn’t be crimes if committed by an adult. Truancy—the act of a student skipping school—fits this pattern because an adult who misses school isn’t charged with truancy. The purpose of classifying truancy as a status offense is to address attendance and rehabilitation for youths, not to criminalize adult behavior. In contrast, theft involves taking someone else’s property and is a crime regardless of the offender’s age. So truancy is an example of a status offense, while theft is not.

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