Which of the following is listed as an example of a status offender?

• A. ABC code applicable to minors only
• B. Running away from home
• C. Violation of standards of student conduct
• D. A traffic violation

Answer: (A)

Status offenses are acts that are illegal only because the person is a minor; they wouldn’t be crimes if committed by adults. A code that applies only to minors embodies this idea—it creates rules that exist specifically because of juvenile status, so violating that code is an offense rooted in being a minor. That’s why this option is the best example of a status offender. The other choices describe behaviors or violations that aren’t defined solely by being a minor (they can apply to adults as well or are policy/school issues rather than minor-status crimes).