What is a Person In Need of Supervision (PINS)?

• A. A person over 18 who does not attend school
• B. A person less than 18 who does not attend school, is incorrigible, beyond lawful control of parent or authority, violates marijuana possession
• C. A person under 18 who attends school regularly
• D. A person over 21 who violates curfew

Answer: (B)

A Person In Need of Supervision is a youth under 18 who is not meeting expected standards of behavior or school attendance and is beyond the control of their parents or guardians, requiring supervision rather than formal criminal charges. This item tests that idea by describing a minor who does not attend school, is incorrigible, and beyond lawful control of a parent or authority. Those elements—being under 18, not in school, and being ungovernable—are the defining factors that signal a PINS situation, since the goal is supervision and guidance rather than punishment. The other scenarios involve adults or a minor who attends school regularly (or an older person) and thus do not fit the PINS framework.