A juvenile delinquent is described as?

• A. A child that is at least 7 and less than 16 who commits an act that would be a crime if committed by an adult
• B. A child who disobeys a parent
• C. A person over 18 who commits a crime
• D. A teenager caught skipping school

Answer: (A)

Juvenile delinquency is a legal label for a young person who, within a specific age range, commits an act that would be a crime if an adult did it. In this context, that means a child who is at least 7 but under 16 and who commits a criminal act as defined for adults. That description fits because it combines both the age range and the conduct being something criminal if an adult committed it. The other ideas describe behavior that isn’t a crime (disobeying a parent), or apply to adults, or describe truancy rather than a delinquent act.