Sometimes children do things that would be OK for an adult to do but not for a child. Although an adult may drive a car, stay out all night, and drink, a child may not. A child may not drive until age 16, may not stay out past curfew until age 18, and may not drink alcohol until age 21.

If you are a child and you do these things, they are called status offenses. That means you are breaking the law just because of your age.

Children do things that are status offenses for many reasons. For example, some children have problems that never seem to go away. These children feel sad, alone, and angry. They may feel so angry and alone that they always disobey their parents, never go to school, or even run away from home. But because of their age it is against the law for children to do these things. Children can get help with these feelings. They can see a school counselor, a person at their church, synagogue, or mosque, or any adult they trust to talk to about their feelings.

Usually status offenders are allowed to go home, but if you are detained you can call a lawyer, your parents, or someone else to help you.