In the Juvenile Justice Code, the term 'child' means a person who is ______ years of age or older and under ______ years of age.

In the Juvenile Justice Code, the term 'child' means a person who is ______ years of age or older and under ______ years of age.

• A. 12 and 18
• B. 8 and 15
• C. 10 and 17
• D. 11 and 16

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the statutorily defined age range that determines who falls under juvenile court jurisdiction. In the Juvenile Justice Code, a “child” is a person who is at least 10 years old and younger than 17. This means 10-year-olds up to 16-year-olds are considered children for purposes of the juvenile system, while 17-year-olds are not counted within that definition and may be treated differently, such as being subject to adult processes in some cases. The correct range, then, is from 10 to under 17 because it matches the exact wording and the intended jurisdiction boundaries. The other ranges either start too low or too high or end at a boundary that would include or exclude ages outside the statute’s definition.

The key idea is the statutorily defined age range that determines who falls under juvenile court jurisdiction. In the Juvenile Justice Code, a “child” is a person who is at least 10 years old and younger than 17. This means 10-year-olds up to 16-year-olds are considered children for purposes of the juvenile system, while 17-year-olds are not counted within that definition and may be treated differently, such as being subject to adult processes in some cases. The correct range, then, is from 10 to under 17 because it matches the exact wording and the intended jurisdiction boundaries. The other ranges either start too low or too high or end at a boundary that would include or exclude ages outside the statute’s definition.