Chronic offending often starts with offenses, such as truancy, smoking, and underage drinking, but then escalates to more serious offenses, such as burglary, robbery, and assault.

Chronic offending often starts with minor offenses, such as truancy, smoking, and underage drinking, but then escalates to more serious offenses, such as burglary, robbery, and assault. The minor offenses are minimal violation of law and are less serious.
An offense can be said to be a minor offense if the punishment for it is just fine or warning or imprisonment less than three months.