ABSTRACT
Crimes committed by juveniles are typically defined by legal and nonlegal definitions. Legal definitions tend to reflect state and federal statutes on juvenile offenses and offenders. Nonlegal definitions are derived from interpretations of the law, community norms, social trends, and delinquency authorities. Most legal or nonlegal definitions differentiate serious and violent juvenile offenders from juveniles who perpetrate status offenses such as running away or truancy which are applicable only to minors.
