What do status offenses include?

Status offenses refer to behaviors that are considered offenses only because of the youth status of the individual involved; these are actions that are not considered criminal if committed by an adult. Examples of status offenses include truancy, underage drinking, curfew violations, and running away from home.

This classification recognizes that certain behaviors are viewed through different lenses depending on age, indicating that legal consequences for such actions are specific to minors. In contrast, the other options describe activities or categories that apply differently: crimes with specified penalties, drug-related offenses, and violent crimes can all be criminal regardless of the age of the perpetrator. Thus, the unique aspect of status offenses lies in their dependency on the individual’s age, making option B the correct choice.