The Lost Population

A status offense is one that can only be committed by a youth. Examples include running away, truancy, incorribibility, curfew violations, underage drinking and smoking. While these behaviors may seem innocuous, many of them are considered "gateway" activities to more systematic and chronic forms of delinquency. The study of status offenders gained a great deal of popularity in the 1970s, but since than has been largely overlooked in the study of delinquency. The reasons for this stem largely from the fact that the difference between a status offender and a true delinquent have been blurred; there is no simple or neat distinction between the two types of offenders. However, there remain a number of unresolved issues for many status offenders, such as whether or not they should be under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system. This book, the first of its kind, explores the many faces of status offending and its impact on the treatment of juveniles.