A status offense is a noncriminal act that is considered a law violation only because of a youth's status as a minor. 1 Typical status offenses include truancy, running away from home, violating curfew, underage use of alcohol, and general ungovernability.
Status offenses are not crimes, but they are prohibited under the law because of a youth's status as a minor. While status offenses are not serious offenses, they can have serious consequences for youth.
A separate juvenile justice system was established in the United States about 100 years ago with the goal of diverting youthful offenders from the destructive punishments of criminal courts and encouraging rehabilitation based on the individual juvenile's needs.
Based on above mentioned explanations a separate category for status offenders makes sense.