juvenile delinquency: Meaning and Definition of

ju'venile delin'quency

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. behavior of a child or youth that is so marked by violation of law, persistent mischievousness, antisocial behavior, disobedience, or intractability as to thwart correction by parents and to constitute a matter for action by the juvenile courts.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.