Status Offense

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Status Offense

A type of crime that is not based upon prohibited action or inaction but rests on the fact that the offender has a certain personal condition or is of a specified character.

Vagrancy—the act of traveling from place to place with no visible means of support—is an example of a status offense.

West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Sprott and Doob argue that in both the US and Canada young people are being incarcerated for 'normal' youthful behaviour and that these status offences are being used disproportionately with girls, thus pushing girls into the justice system.
Jane B. Sprott and Anthony N. Doob, Justice for Girls? Stability and Change in the Youth Justice Systems
Crimes against property and status offences had been committed by everyone, while all except a few participants had committed crimes against the person and public disorder offences.
Self-reported delinquency in persistent young offenders

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