Question

question 22 (1 point)
a law violation by a young person is considered an act of juvenile delinquency if the behavior meets all of the following criteria except ______.

a) the act would be a criminal offense if it were committed by an adult

b) the young person is below the age at which the criminal court traditionally assumes jurisdiction

c) the juvenile is charged with an offense that must be adjudicated in the juvenile court or the prosecution and juvenile court judge exercise their discretion to retain jurisdiction

d) the act is illegal for underage persons but not for adults

Explanation:

To determine the answer, we analyze each option based on the definition of juvenile delinquency:

• Option a: A key criterion for juvenile delinquency is that the act would be criminal if done by an adult. So this is a valid criterion.
• Option b: The age of the young person (below the age where criminal court has jurisdiction) is a core aspect of juvenile delinquency, as juveniles are handled in juvenile court due to their age. This is a valid criterion.
• Option c: The jurisdiction of juvenile court (either mandatory or discretionary retention) is part of the juvenile delinquency process. This is a valid criterion.
• Option d: Acts that are illegal only for underage persons (like underage drinking) are called "status offenses" and are not considered juvenile delinquency (which involves acts that are criminal for adults too). So this is the exception.

Answer:

d) the act is illegal for underage persons but not for adults