February 2006

Q: Let’s Talk About Girls: What can we do for and about girls in the juvenile justice system?

Every few months, the question comes up about what can we do for and about girls in the juvenile justice system. These girls are seen as having very complex needs that push budgets to the limit when systems attempt to serve girls adequately. The reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act in 2002 requires states to analyze how they are addressing the gender specific prevention and treatment needs of youth in juvenile programs and facilities. (This is not as direct as when OJJDP required gender-specific programming under Challenge E in the previous authorization, but there is some comfort in knowing that gender specific language was not eliminated in the reauthorization.) Kudos must be given to Girls, Inc., which pushed for this amendment to the JJDP Act in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act for 2006.

When communities ask about specific characteristics or patterns of behavior that are predictors of trouble and the increased probability of involvement with the juvenile justice system for adolescent girls, there really is a growing body of literature to consult. Girls are still entering the system at alarming rates and with very special needs, some of which are very different from the needs of boys. Girls now represent 29% of all juvenile arrests and present with family, school, mental health, neglect, abuse and significant trauma issues, in addition to the criminal matter. They are often afraid and very vulnerable given their experience in and on the streets. The number one crime for which girls are arrested is prostitution, and number two is running away from home. Although the seriousness of these crimes is much worse than it was ten years ago, it is surprising to see that numbers one and two have not changed in ten years.

Studies in Los Angeles County, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and across the state of Florida show some of the following as indicators of girls in trouble or at high risk of involvement in delinquent activity:

1. Sexually active before the age of 18 (yes, 18)
2. Major family disorganization*
3. Victims of sexual abuse (often family related) (violence)
4. Victims of physical abuse (violence)
5. Victims of emotional abuse (violence)
6. School failure, especially in the middle school years
7. Truancy, especially truancy starting in middle school years
8. Running away
9. Suicide attempts
10. Exposure to or victims of domestic violence
11. Substance abuse (cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs)
12. Recent loss(es) of loved one(s)
13. Mother has a history of substance abuse
14. History of previous involvement in the system that manages child abuse and neglect
15. History of previous mental health problems
16. Low involvement in extracurricular and age-appropriate, supervised community activities
17. Perceives little to no caring or trust from her parent(s)
18. Major disruption in education, from expulsion or suspension(s) especially between age 12 and age 15
19. Preoccupation with perfection, especially in body image and performance

It is essential that we thoroughly assess the adolescent female's needs so that her strengths, needs, and competencies are prioritized in any plan that is developed. Through collaboration with others, including the adolescent girl and her family, strength-based plans can be developed.

Since adolescent girls are not adult women, it is critical that we assess what is going on in the environment at home, at school, and in the broader community. If home is the problem, she cannot just leave because running away is a status offense. She may not fully disclose what is really going on in a first interview; therefore it is critical that we listen as actively as we possibly can, following up on leads she verbalizes or demonstrates through her body language. Treatment should be appropriate, evidence based, and easily accessible. A wonderful guide for working with girls in detention was recently published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and written by Dr. Fran Sherman. It is volume 13 of the Pathways Series and is available on the website: http://www.aecf.org/publications/data/jdai_pathways_girls.pdf.

In our efforts to design or find programs and services that meet the needs of girls, it is essential to directly address the needs they present individually, especially if those needs might be as result of any of the above-referenced indicators of risk. Programs and services must be developmentally sound and evidence-based. It is important that staff be culturally responsive and that they create a safe environment for adolescent females to report abuses of any kind. It is very important that time be included for girls to talk. They are relational and need connections and develop those relations and connections when adults listen intently and allow them to share their experience.

Make sure to stress and reward positive values like school achievement, staying in school, and not using illegal substances, alcohol, or cigarettes. These are the messages girls need to hear from adults. Successes, large and small, must be celebrated. Most of the girls we see in the juvenile justice system have not had the opportunity to celebrate the importance of living on this earth, contributing to their well-being and that of their peers, or knowing and celebrating their history. This places the burden on those outside of their homes, such as grantee communities and staff, to make certain that these girls recognize their importance and place in their community and the world.

Girls can thrive in programs if we adopt a model framework that is collaborative; is data based/evidence-based; supports expeditious resolution of the court matters; provides gender-responsive alternatives to secure detention and corrections; addresses condition of confinement issues; and is available at the first decision point and throughout the juvenile justice process. For more information on working with adolescent girls, read Melissa Bristow’s Special Topics article on female delinquency.