was established on July 15, 1948 as Law 168. Etymology According to Wiktionary, 少年 (pronounced as shàonián) originates from Mandarin. 少年 evolved into other pronunciations as Shonen (japanese) and a similar pronounced word with a similar meaning in Korean as 소년 (sonyeon). The word 法(fa) originates as a han character. It contains the same meaning(law) as the japanese character (法) except being pronounced as Ho. Legal definitions According to Japanese law, the term "shonen" refers to "a person from the time they enter elementary school until the time they are 15 years of age", and "Any person who has not reached the age of 15 years" (, Article 2.1). In the realm of education and culture, this is the period of compulsory education. While the term "shonen" can refer to both young males and young females, the generally accepted term for young females is shōjo. The following meanings can also be inferred from "shōnen" (a person under 15 years of age) with regard to juvenile law in Japan: A youth who has been convicted of a crime or confessed to a crime. Other terms include hanzai shonen, shokuhō shōnen and guhan shōnen, depending on the crime and the age of the perpetrator. A youth who has committed a crime. (Juvenile Law Article 3.1.1; Juvenile Activities, Police Regulations Article 2.2) A youth under the age of 14 who has committed a crime. (Juvenile Law Article 3.1.2; Juvenile Activities, Police Regulations Article 2.3) A youth refusing to abide by parental authority, a youth having a lawful reason for not being with his or her family, a youth who is naturally disposed toward criminal activity or who associates with those disposed toward criminal activity, a youth who frequents suspicious locations, a youth with a tendency to injure or assault other people. (Juvenile Law Article 3.1.3; Juvenile Activities, Police Regulations Article 2.4) A youth who does not fall under the descriptions under hikō shonen (above), but who is found drinking alcohol, smoking, being out late at night, or participating in other activities that might harm her or his moral character; basically youth that are being generally delinquent. (Juvenile Activities, Police Regulations Article 2.6) A youth who has committed crimes due to having had a difficult upbringing. (Juvenile Activities, Police Regulations Article 2.7) A youth who has been the victim of child abuse, in cases where there is no guardianship or guardianship has been deemed