# K.S.A. § 21-5603: 21-5603 - Contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation

> Kansas · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5603

## Section

- **Citation:** K.S.A. § 21-5603
- **Heading:** 21-5603 - Contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation
- **Jurisdiction:** Kansas
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** KS Code / Chapter 21 / Article 56 / Section 21-5603

## Text

21-5603. Contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation. (a) Contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation is:

(1) Knowingly causing or encouraging a child under 18 years of age to become or remain a child in need of care as defined by the revised Kansas code for care of children;

(2) knowingly causing or encouraging a child under 18 years of age to commit a traffic infraction or an act which, if committed by an adult, would be a misdemeanor or to violate the provisions of K.S.A. 41-727 or subsection (j) of K.S.A. 74-8810, and amendments thereto;

(3) failure to reveal, upon inquiry by a uniformed or properly identified law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of such officer's duty, any information one has regarding a runaway, with intent to aid the runaway in avoiding detection or apprehension;

(4) sheltering or concealing a runaway with intent to aid the runaway in avoiding detection or apprehension by law enforcement officers;

(5) knowingly causing or encouraging a child under 18 years of age to commit an act which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony; or

(6) knowingly causing or encouraging a child to violate the terms or conditions of the child's probation or conditional release pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of K.S.A. 38-2361, and amendments thereto.

(b) Contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation as defined in:

(1) Subsection (a)(5) is a severity level 7, person felony;

(2) subsection (a)(4) is a severity level 8, person felony;

(3) subsection (a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3) or (a)(6) is a class A nonperson misdemeanor.

(c) A person may be found guilty of contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation even though no prosecution of the child whose misconduct or deprivation the defendant caused or encouraged has been commenced pursuant to the revised Kansas code for care of children, revised Kansas juvenile justice code or Kansas criminal code.

(d) As used in this section, "runaway" means a child under 18 years of age who is voluntarily absent from:

(1) The child's home without the consent of the child's parent or other custodian; or

(2) a court ordered or designated placement, or a placement pursuant to court order, if the absence is without the consent of the person with whom the child is placed or, if the child is placed in a facility, without the consent of the person in charge of such facility or such person's designee.

## Nearby sections

- [K.S.A. § 21-5601 21-5601 - Endangering a child; aggravated endangering a child.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5601.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5602 21-5602 - Abuse of a child.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5602.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5603 21-5603 - Contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5603.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5604 21-5604 - Incest; aggravated incest.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5604.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5605 21-5605 - Abandonment of a child; aggravated abandonment of a child.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5605.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5606 21-5606 - Criminal nonsupport.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5606.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5607 21-5607 - Furnishing alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage to a minor; furnishing alcoholic beverage to a minor for illicit purposes.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5607.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5608 21-5608 - Unlawfully hosting minors consuming alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5608.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5609 21-5609 - Bigamy.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5609.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5610 21-5610 - Unlawful possession of a visual depiction of a child.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5610.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5611 21-5611 - Unlawful transmission of a visual depiction of a child.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5611.md)
- [K.S.A. § 21-5612 21-5612 - Promoting travel for child exploitation.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5612.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_KS_C21_A56_S21-5603. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.