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Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile delinquency can be defined as a violation of law or ordinance by an individual below the legal adult age of the community.Juvenile delinquency is essentially a legal concept. It does not include all acts of misbehaviour or even serious misbehaviour by children or youth but only those acts that violate a law.

Adults are considered more responsible for their actions and when they perform juvenile delinquent behaviour it is termed as criminal behaviour.The legal age dividing juvenile delinquency from adult crime is most often 18 years but can vary country to country. The punishment of delinquent behaviour is influenced by the attitudes of the local community and the degree of general tolerance of youthful misbehaviour.