MCOLES State Licensing Practice Exam

A juvenile can be taken into protective custody if:

1. The juvenile is emotionally neglected

2. The juvenile is mentally disabled

3. The juvenile's health, welfare, or morals are endangered

4. The juvenile is engaging in criminal behavior

The correct answer is: The juvenile's health, welfare, or morals are endangered

The correct choice highlights a critical concept in juvenile law: the need to protect children from situations that pose a risk to their overall well-being. When a juvenile's health, welfare, or morals are endangered, intervention through protective custody becomes necessary to ensure their safety and facilitate appropriate support and care. This concept is rooted in the understanding that children are vulnerable and may not have the ability to protect themselves from harm, whether that harm is physical, emotional, or situational. Protective custody serves to remove juveniles from environments or situations that could lead to further trauma or exploitation. Other options presented, while relevant to various aspects of juvenile issues, do not specifically meet the threshold that would justify taking a juvenile into protective custody. Emotional neglect does not automatically lead to protective intervention unless it can be shown that the juvenile's overall health and welfare are at risk. Similarly, while mental disabilities might require special accommodations, they do not inherently indicate endangerment. Lastly, engaging in criminal behavior might indicate that a juvenile needs support or rehabilitation, but this does not necessarily mean that they require protective custody unless their safety or well-being is also compromised.