Marissa's Story

Marissa Dawson was arrested for shoplifting on 2/12/93. At the time of her arrest, Marissa was 15 years old and 4 months pregnant. Throughout the next 12 months Marissa received services from no less than ten social service agencies or programs. The state juvenile correctional system eventually placed her in a staff secure shelter program for 18 weeks. After the birth of her son, she was moved to a foster home where she could live with her baby.

Marissa was a young African-American woman born into a family that struggled with many different problems. Her closest relationship was with her older sister, Cheryl. During her time at the state shelter care program, Marissa maintained almost daily contact with her mother, but it was Cheryl who appeared to hold the strongest influence in Marissa's life.

Marissa was cooperative and only occasionally “acted out” her anger. The shelter care program, considered progressive in its philosophy of respecting the dignity of the client, assisted Marissa through limit-setting and behavioral methods to control her anger. Staff often allowed Marissa to claim “space” from the other residents as a way of avoiding conflict situations. Marissa left shelter care for a pregnant teen program where she remained until she delivered her son a few weeks later.

A foster placement appeared to be successful for a short time, but Marissa began to get restless with the suburban setting and often traveled into the city. In time Marissa left the placement and stayed with family members. Within a few weeks she reestablished contact with the staff of the shelter care program and told them she was then living in a homeless shelter with her baby and needed money for diapers.

Sixteen months later after the birth of her son and at the age of 18, Marissa was shot dead on the front steps of her sister's home. She was pregnant with her second child (story told by Pepi, 1997, 86-87).

 

The Growing Problem of Female Delinquency

When the issue of juvenile delinquency and youth crime within the United States is discussed in any context, the focus is almost always on adolescent boys. This shouldn't be surprising considering girls commit a smaller number of offenses than boys. In fact, girls make up only one out of every four juvenile offenders (OJJDP, 1998a). Despite this difference, adolescent girls' involvement in the juvenile justice system has accelerated rapidly in recent years, and girls have been identified as the fastest growing segment within the juvenile justice system (Acoca, 1999; American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, 2001; OJJDP, 1998a, 1998b; Veysey, 2003). Between 1993 and 1997, juvenile girls' arrest rates either increased at a faster pace or decreased less than that of boys in almost every type of offense category (Acoca, 1999). Girls' involvement in violent crime is also increasing (Prescott, 1998; Veysey, 2003). In 1996, there were 723,000 juvenile girls arrested, which represents a 106% increase over the 350,000 girls arrested in 1989. Additionally, there has been a consistent increase in the proportion of juvenile arrests that have involved girls over the past 40 years. Girls accounted for 11% of juvenile arrests in 1960, 15% in 1975, 21% in 1992, and 28% in 2000 (Girls Incorporated, 2002a; Jenson, Potter, & Howard, 2001).

 

What Does the Typical Delinquent Girl Look Like?

Although no two delinquent girls' pathways to delinquency are exactly the same, research has identified common characteristics of girls who become involved in the juvenile justice system. The following portrait depicts the “typical” female juvenile offender.

RACE: She is likely to be an ethnic minority.

• It is important to note that while African American girls are only 12% of the general population, they make up 50% of girls in the juvenile justice system. Thirteen percent are Latina (OJJPD, 1998a). Although Caucasian girls make up 65% of the at-risk population, they compose only 34% of the total number of girls in the juvenile justice system (Bloom & Covington, 2001).
• Custody rates also vary significantly by race. For every 100,000 girls in the United States, 234 African American females are taken into custody for juvenile offenses, compared with 75 per 100,000 for Caucasian girls. Similarly, the custody rate for Native American/Alaska Native and Latina girls is disproportionately high (224 and 100 respectively; Girls Incorporated, 2002a).

VICTIMIZATION: She has suffered physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse.

• A majority of girls in the juvenile justice system report some kind of prior traumatic victimization—either physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse (Acoca, 1998; American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, 2001; Bloom & Covington, 2001; Girls Incorporated, 2002a; Kendziora & Osher, in press; OJJDP, 1998a; Veysey, 2003). Female delinquents are also more likely to have suffered prior abuse than male delinquents in the justice system (Jenson, Potter, & Howard, 2001). The experience is extremely widespread in this population—over 70% of female delinquents have experienced physical or sexual abuse at some point in their life (Kendziora & Osher, in press; National Mental Health Association, 2004).
• There is a solid link between girls' victimization and girls' delinquency. Young girls who suffer abuse are almost two times as likely to be arrested as those who have not experienced abuse (Bloom & Covington, 2001; Veysey, 2003). Also, experiences of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse have been identified as a first step in young girls' pathways to delinquency and the juvenile justice system (Acoca, 1999). Many young girls run away from abuse only to be ordered back to abusive situations by well-intentioned judges and court personnel (J. Burrell, personal communication, April 28, 2004).
• Victimization may also lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic experience, including physical and sexual abuse. Approximately 50% of girls in the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for this disorder (Girls Incorporated, 2002a; Kendziora & Osher, in press; National Institute of Mental Health, 2004).

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH: She has received little attention for physical and mental health needs.

• Almost all girls in the juvenile justice system suffer from physical and/or mental health problems (American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, 2001; OJJDP, 1998a). Additionally, they experience mental health issues at much higher rates than boys who are incarcerated (Kendziora & Osher, in press; National Mental Health Association, year). One study revealed that an astonishing 84% of incarcerated girls demonstrated a need for mental health treatment; this number is in contrast to 27% of boys (Jenson, Potter, & Howard, 2001; Prescott, 1998). Even more considerable is the fact that when compared with males in the juvenile justice system, girls are more likely to meet criteria for more than one disorder, especially a mental health disorder with a substance abuse disorder (Veysey, 2003). Additionally, suicide attempts and self-mutilation among incarcerated females are of special concern; it has been reported that the environment in the detention facilities can exacerbate these problems (National Mental Health Association, 2004).
• Rates of mental health disorders differ greatly for children in the general population versus those in the juvenile justice system. The chart below illustrates this disparity ( Trupin & Boesky, 2001).

• Misdiagnosis and misinterpretation of female delinquents' mental health disorders are also problematic. For instance, the findings of one recent study suggested that girls in the juvenile justice system were often mistakenly diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) when the real problem was PTSD (Ambrose & Simpkins). Symptoms of ODD include recurrent temper tantrums, excessive conflicts with adults, and frequent rejection of established rules (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1999).
• Because girls usually express symptoms consistent with internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders, their problems are either ignored or misdiagnosed. For example, depression is also extremely common in young female offenders, but it often goes unnoticed (Beyer, 2001). Without the appropriate treatment, girls become caught/entangled in a pattern of mental disorders, risky behavior, and delinquency (Veysey, 2003). Many times staff in juvenile justice facilities are more concerned with girls' behavior patterns than with the underlying emotional issues that are at the root of their conduct (Beyer, 2001; Prescott 1998; Veysey, 2003).
• Female delinquents' physical medical care is also an area of concern. Delinquent girls often need more medical attention than boys. Many have contracted difficult-to-treat sexually transmitted diseases and some are pregnant (Beyer, 2001).

SUBSTANCE ABUSE: She abuses drugs and/or alcohol.

• Many girls in the juvenile justice system have problems with drugs and/or alcohol (OJJDP, 1998a). It has been documented that between 60% and 87% of juvenile girls are in need of substance abuse treatment (Prescott, 1998). Many of these girls may self-medicate with drugs and/or alcohol in an effort to avoid confronting their mental health disorders and painful past victimization (National Mental Health Association, 2004). Among incarcerated girls who manifest depressive or anxiety symptoms, 79% were also diagnosed with a substance abuse problem (Veysey, 2003).

ACADEMICS: She has performed poorly in school and may be a high school dropout.

• Large numbers of female youth in the juvenile justice system have a history of academic failure (Acoca, 1999; American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, 2001; Guiding Principles 1998). In fact, poor academic achievement is the most immediate factor associated with criminal conduct in girls (Veysey, 2002). Girls in the juvenile justice system are commonly delayed in their academic development compared with peers their age and generally fall through the cracks in the education system. One review of the California juvenile justice system found that 85% of girls had been either suspended or expelled at least once (American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, 2001; Beyer, 2001).

OFFENSE TYPE: She has been arrested for a status offense.

• Most young girls' first contact with the juvenile justice system is likely to be a result of a status offense. (Girls Incorporated, 2002a). A status offense is one that is illegal only if it is committed by a juvenile, such as running away, failure to attend school, violating liquor laws, or curfew violation (OJJDP, 1998b; Girls Incorporated, 2002a). In 1999, girls represented 59% of juvenile arrests for running away but made up only 27% of the total number of juvenile arrests (Bloom & Covington, 2001). Similarly, one study revealed that by a 12 to 1 margin, girls were more often arrested for status offenses than boys (Hartwig & Myers, 2003).
• However, offense types and criminal activities do vary according to race. For instance, in 1997, roughly 17 per 100,000 African-American girls committed murder and nonnegligent manslaughter while only approximately 3 per 100,000 Caucasian girls committed these kinds of crimes (Porter, 2003).

ADDITIONAL FACTORS: A number of additional factors converge to form the overall picture of the typical delinquent girl.

Age : The characteristic girl in the juvenile justice system is between the ages of 14 and 16 and lives in an impoverished neighborhood with a high crime rate (OJJDP, 1998a).

Family Structure : Family structure is another risk factor when considering female involvement in the juvenile justice system. In 1997, more than 50% of all African American children lived with only one parent compared with approximately 30% of Latino children and roughly 20% of Caucasian children. Approximately 55% of African American incarcerated youth and nearly 50% of Caucasian incarcerated youth lived in mother-headed households (Porter, 2003).

Family Fragmentation : Many of the girls in the juvenile justice system have a history of being placed in multiple foster homes, and they have a more fragmented family than boys (Ambrose & Simpkins; Beyer, 2001). In one assessment, over 95% of girls were considered to be living in an unstable home environment (Acoca, 1999).

Poverty : A family's socioeconomic status also serves as a risk factor for female delinquency. The PACE Center for Girls has reported that 75% of participants in their program live in low or very low-income areas (PACE Center for Girls Inc., 2003). As the chart shows, when race and income are examined together, African American adolescent females who come from a low-income household are the most likely group to be arrested (Porter, 2003).

Outlook on Life : Girls in the juvenile justice system feel that life is difficult and have few expectations for the future (OJJDP, 1998a).

 

How are Female Juvenile Offenders Served in the Juvenile Justice System?

Despite the growing number of girls that have become involved in the juvenile justice system, the system is unprepared to handle such an increase. Delinquent girls have a specific set of needs and issues that should be addressed in both prevention and treatment programs. Unfortunately, their unique problems are not receiving attention in a juvenile justice system that has been designed for boys. Because female delinquents enter the system generally by committing status offenses and have complex issues surrounding victimization, mental health, substance abuse, and academic failure, they are in need of services within the community and non-secure residential facilities rather than assignment to high-security incarceration facilities. However, the availability of these types of placements is scarce (Prescott, 1998).

Placement for female juvenile offenders typically results in assignment to programs and environments that have neither been created with girls' needs in mind nor demonstrate positive treatment effects for them (American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, 2001; Hartwig & Myers, 2003; Jenson, Potter, & Howard, 2001). An acceptable number of programs that promote effective prevention and intervention for female delinquents and those girls at-risk of becoming delinquent simply do not exist (American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, 2001; Beyer, 2001; Bloom & Covington, 2001; Joseph, 1995; OJJDP, 1998a; Veysey, 2003). A recent study found that out of 443 delinquency prevention programs, 2% served girls only and just 6% served primarily girls (Bloom & Covington, 2001).

Not only are programs that focus specifically on female delinquents extremely limited in number, but few staff members in the juvenile justice system receive specialized training on issues that are specific to adolescent girls, such as female development (Beyer, 2001; Bloom & Covington, 2001; Veysey 2003). Females develop differently than males in that they place a higher premium on relationships and connection to others. Therefore, identifying with a peer group is very important to them. Additionally, girls suffer from problems with depression and anxiety more often than boys (Beyer, 2001). Without this type of knowledge surrounding the unique aspects of female adolescent development, it is difficult to work with girls. Many workers have articulated greater frustration when working with girls than with boys (Beyer, 2001; Daniel, 1999). When staff do not receive enough training, there is a risk of over- or under-diagnosing mental disorders, of being extremely punitive and imposing inappropriate disciplinary practices, and of holding girls responsible for behavior that is due more to prior victimization than delinquency (Veysey, 2003).

Why has there been such a disparity in prevention and treatment programs for girls in the juvenile justice system? First, the sheer numbers have played a role in the discrepancy. Boys commit more crimes than girls, and as a result, programs have historically been designed specifically for boys. Secondly, girls appear less menacing to society because they are more likely to endanger themselves, whereas boys lash out against others and commit more violent crimes. Because of the difference both in numbers and the prevalence of gender stereotypes, female delinquents' needs have largely been ignored within the juvenile justice system (OJJPD, 1998a).

While there are still not enough services that address the needs of females in the juvenile justice system, the issue has gained some recognition. For instance, in 1992, Congress reauthorized the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 with a new requirement that obligated states to examine the availability and effectiveness of gender-specific services for females and encouraged states to make modifications in overall programming for girls. The reauthorization of the 1974 Act prompted states to take a first step toward addressing the needs of females in the juvenile justice system (OJJDP, 1998a). Unfortunately, in the latest reauthorization, this specific mandate for girls is absent.

 

Gender-Responsive, Gender-Specific Programming

Defining it : There is an immense need to improve gender-responsive service options for girls in the juvenile justice system. But what exactly does “gender-responsive” or “gender-specific” mean? The terms can be defined as “creating an environment through site selections, staff selection, program development, content, and material that reflects an understanding of the realities of the lives of women and girls and is responsive to their needs and strengths” (Covington, cited in Bloom & Covington, 2001). Gender-specific programming does not mean simply placing girls in the same prevention and intervention programs as boys. Rather, these programs should be based on the unique experience of adolescent females. They incorporate both the developmental issues that all girls encounter during adolescence as well as the specific factors known to place females at-risk for delinquency (OJJDP, 1998a).

Key Features of Promising Gender-Specific Programming: While specific components of gender-responsive programming vary depending on the specific needs of the area's population, there are some common features among those programs that have been identified as most effective. (Source for the following Key Features: OJJDP, 1998a)

• Organization and Management : Effective gender-responsive programs create an environment conducive to positive change. For instance, management that takes a teamwork approach will show girls the importance of cooperation, respect, and good communication skills. Likewise, a case management approach allows girls to form a consistent relationship with a caring adult—a factor extremely important in adolescent girls' lives.
• Staffing Pattern : Delinquent girls have greater respect and appreciation for staff that have had similar experiences. Girls value staff who have “been in their shoes” at one time because they can better relate to these staff members, thus allowing for better communication between them. Staff in gender-specific programs should also mirror the diversity of the girls they are serving.
• Staff Training : Because the idea of gender-specific programming will be new to some staff members, it is important to train all staff so that they have a common set of beliefs about girls and can convey consistent messages to girls in the program. Staff training should include instruction in adolescent female development, risk and resilience, cultural competence, assessment strategies, and abuse and victimization.
• Intake Process : From the beginning of a girl's participation in a gender-specific program, she should be treated as an individual. A thorough assessment should be made to determine a girl's strengths and needs related to substance abuse, physical, sexual, emotional abuse, and mental health. The staff should then create an individualized service treatment plan.
• Education : Education is a key part of promising gender-specific programs. The educational focus in the most effective gender-responsive programs expands beyond academics to include training in women's history and culture, life skills, women's issues, arts-based curriculum, physical development, and sexual behavior. For instance, education in the area of women's history and culture incorporates materials that relate directly to females' life experiences. Teachers may incorporate Women's History Month or African American History Month into the curriculum.
• Skills Training : In addition to education, skills training encourages girls to develop in positive ways. Girls may receive training in self-defense, assertiveness, self-esteem, empowerment, and problem solving.
• Relationship Building : It has been well documented that females place a greater emphasis on relationships and connection with others than males (Beyer, 2001). Consequently, competent gender-specific programs will contain activities that help girls to develop relationship skills and healthy relationships. One way to achieve this goal is through group therapy, and another is through peer activities that allow girls to develop an affiliation and closeness with prosocial others.
• Culturally Competent Activities : Since many girls in the juvenile justice system are of color and since many have internalized negative stereotypes related to race and culture, it is important that a gender-specific program work to reverse these attitudes. Culturally competent activities promote individual pride and teach respect for other ethnic groups.
• Career Opportunities : Many girls in the juvenile justice system have been taught that females cannot have the same kind of careers that men can have. Gender-responsive programming will expose girls to female role models from a variety of career fields and help them prepare for the future by offering academic, professional, and/or technical training.
• Health Services : Competent gender-specific programs offer girls comprehensive services and promote both physical and mental wellness. Girls learn about nutrition, exercise, reproductive health, disease prevention, and stress management. Additionally, the medical staff should screen for a variety of health problems ranging from sexually transmitted diseases to symptoms of PTSD, ensuring that every aspect of girls' health has been adequately addressed.
• Recreational Activities : Offering girls in gender-specific programs recreational activities is extremely important because it provides them with an alternative to delinquent behavior. Engaging in sports or volunteer projects allows girls to explore their own interests, make new friends, and improve their self-confidence.
• Mentoring : It is crucial that delinquent girls have interaction with healthy females who have successfully completed their adolescent development and can provide them with a positive example. Female role models can be professionals or older adolescents from within the girl's community.
• Full Family Involvement : Effective gender-specific programs create family involvement and support for girls by holding discussion groups for parents, by regularly visiting families at home after a girl completes the program, and by helping to strengthen the mother-daughter bond (or if the mother is not part of the picture, to strengthen the female relative-girl bond).
• Community Involvement : Getting girls involved in their communities in positive ways will help them to see themselves as productive members of the community. Community projects not only help girls realize that they can promote change in their own communities, but involvement in these types of projects also increase delinquent girls' leadership capacity. Additionally, when a girl completes an intervention program, she should receive aftercare that will help her re-enter the community. A girl will most likely be successful in re-entering the community when she has either ensured placement into an education program or secured a job, and when she maintains an ongoing connection with the appropriate primary care services, mental health services, and programs that strengthen the family.
• Specific Treatment Concerns : Because some delinquent girls may have special issues that need to be addressed, a gender-responsive program will have programs in place to handle issues such as prenatal and postpartum care for pregnant teens. This type of program should focus on mother and baby's health during and after pregnancy as well as parenting skills for the girl.
• Evaluation : Evaluation allows gender-specific programs to constantly improve themselves. An evaluation will help determine which approaches work best with girls, and documents the extent of the program's overall success. Evaluations are key tools for enhancement and should be in place from the outset of any gender-responsive program.

 

Are There Any Programs That are Both Effective and Gender-Specific?

There are delinquency prevention and intervention programs that have been accredited as effective for females. While by no means comprehensive, the following list details a few of the current programs and organizations for those females who are involved in or are at-risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system.

PACE Center for Girls, Inc.: The PACE Center for Girls, Inc. is one program that has received acclaim for its effective gender appropriate programs and services to young delinquent and at-risk girls (Acoca, 1999; OJJDP, 1998a; Veysey, 2002). Practical Academic Cultural Education (PACE), was founded in Jacksonville, Florida and since 1985, has provided extensive prevention, early intervention, and high school education to girls between the ages of 12 and 18 (OJJDP, 1998a). In 2002, PACE also created a Pre-Teen Center to focus on the growing needs of “tween” girls who fall between the ages 8 and 11 (PACE Center for Girls, Inc., 2003). While at PACE, girls are exposed to both traditional academic classes and a curriculum called SPIRITED GIRLS!, which focuses on enhancing gender-specific life management skills. In this program, girls learn about effective communication strategies for various situations, cultural appreciation, career awareness, healthy lifestyle choices (sexuality, nutrition, drugs/alcohol), and violence prevention. Girls also receive individualized attention (student/staff ratio is 10:1) as well as an ongoing, individualized treatment plan that includes parental involvement. Additionally, every girl who remains in the PACE program for 30 days or more receives three years of follow-up transitional services to ensure that they remain on the right track (PACE Center for Girls, Inc., n.d.). In the 2002-2003 fiscal year, an astonishing 93% of girls enrolled in the PACE program avoided contact with the juvenile justice system, and 94% improved their academic performance (PACE Center for Girls, Inc., 2003).

Sophia's Success Story: Before coming to PACE at age 15, Sophia had performed poorly at the 13 different schools she attended while moving with her transient military family, headed by her single parent father. Her poor school performance led to her finding recognition as a gang member and headed directly toward a run in with the law. Upon coming to PACE she thrived on the individualized attention, completing her course work for high school graduation and performing over 100 hours of community service in one year. With PACE's help she learned how to gain positive recognition through positive actions and had enough confidence to vie for a scholarship to art school that she subsequently won. (To view more PACE success stories, see http://www.pacecenter.org/success.htm . Retrieved May 5, 2004.)

Female Intervention Team (FIT): The Female Intervention Team is a gender-specific program in Baltimore, Maryland that was created in 1992 to respond to the city's lack of appropriate services for female juvenile offenders. The previous system was reorganized so that a single unit now monitors all girls on probation. This unit, Female Intervention Team (FIT), took a number of steps to make sure that their program would be effective for the girls in the juvenile justice system. They first pinpointed the needs of the girls within the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice System as well as the needs of the typical female delinquent so that they could tailor the program to address girls' issues. FIT also provided training to its staff so that they would be better equipped to work with girls and address their unique needs. FIT runs a number of successful programs for the female juvenile offenders in Baltimore, including Academic Career Enrichment, Computer and Emerging Technology, Rites of Passage, Pregnancy Prevention, Teen Parenting, Substance Abuse, Conflict Resolution, and a Girl Scout Troop. Between 1992 and 1995, there was a 95% decrease in the number of Baltimore City girls committed to a secure facility. This decline was due to the fact that FIT rarely recommended girls to secure confinement because their offenses did not warrant secure facilities. Rather, FIT continues to provide girls with alternatives to secure commitment and also helps them make positive changes in their lives by offering the support and skills they need to do so (Daniel, 1999; OJJDP, 1998a).

Girls Incorporated: Girls Incorporated, a nonprofit organization committed to encouraging all young girls to be “strong, smart and bold,” has been a national presence for over 50 years. The organization offers a variety of educational programs to millions of American girls, with a special emphasis on high-risk girls who live in traditionally underserved areas (Girls Incorporated, 2001). Girls Inc. offers a variety of programs to girls ages 6-18 at 1,000 sites across the United States. One program, called Girls Inc Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy, helps young girls to recognize reasons to avoid teen pregnancy and gives them strategies to do so. The program achieves this objective by cultivating girls' communication skills, providing them with basic health information, and encouraging girls to think positively about their future. Another program, called Girls Inc. Discovery Leadership, helps girls ages 9-11 increase their leadership skills. The program fosters leadership capacity by pairing the young girls in the program with women in the community to work together on action projects chosen specifically by the girls. This program allows girls not only the opportunity to interact with a female role model, but it also allows them to see themselves as valuable members of the community (Girls Incorporated, n.d.).

(Note: For a more complete list of gender-responsive programs and their features, see http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/principles/chart.html )

In addition to the PACE, FIT, and Girls Inc. programs, there are also evidence-based and effective mental health interventions that can be applied to girls in the juvenile justice system. These include interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, multisystemic therapy, and delinquency prevention programs (Burns & Hoagwood, 2002).

 

What Steps Can Parents, Girls, and Those in the Community Take to Prevent Female Delinquency?

One way that parents and members of the general community can help girls avoid delinquency is to encourage what Girls Inc. calls a “girls' community.” A girls' community is one where girls come together “to be themselves, inspire each other and have fun” (Girls Incorporated, 2002c). Tips for adults in supporting girls' communities include the following:

Encourage Girls

• Affirm girls' right to speak up and speak out.
• Affirm girls' thought and feelings and encourage them to channel their enthusiasm, anger, joy, or frustration into positive action.
• Encourage respect. Help girls create diverse communities that recognize girls' similarities and celebrate their differences.

Stay in the Background

• Listen to girls! They have the answers or the seeds of solutions.
• Be an advisor and resource rather than a director; be proud as girls take charge.

Foster Pride in Girls, Women, and Their Achievements

• Anchor girls' experiences in appreciation of “herstory” – the achievements of girls and women of many times and cultures.
• Develop resources about organizations and institutions composed of women and girls, as well as those run by women and girls.

Articulate Gender Challenges to Girls' Communities

• Help girls succeed in traditional, male-dominated areas by emphasizing their shared experience
• Foster the notion of girls' sisterhood and help them avoid pressure to compete for boys' attention.

Connect, Support, and Defend Girls' Communities

• Help girls navigate others' criticism.
• Encourage girls to protect and preserve the communities to which they belong. Demonstrate the value of being there for one another over the long haul.

(Source: Girls Incorporated, 2002b. For a complete list of tips, see http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/content/GirlsCommunitiesadults.pdf )

While some accredited programs exist that serve girls who are in the juvenile justice system or at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system, there are not nearly enough. It is clear that more gender-responsive programs are needed. In the meantime, parents of young girls should become aware of specific factors that place adolescent females at risk of criminal activity and work to promote healthy development in a variety of areas, which that can help girls avoid contact with the juvenile justice system. Adolescent females need guidance in order to experience academic success, positive sexual development, positive self-esteem, positive family environment, positive minority identity, positive gender identity, and prosocial skills and competence. Likewise, gender-responsive programs should also focus on these issues ( OJJDP, 1998a).

 

Informative Links

Learn More about Female Delinquency

• Building Blocks for Youth Web site (this page has links to key studies and resources on girls in the juvenile justice system). http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/issues/girls/
• Justice by Gender: The Lack of Appropriate Prevention, Diversion, and Treatment Alternatives for Girls in the Justice System: http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus/justicebygenderweb.pdf
• Juvenile Female Offenders: A Status of the States Report: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/gender/

Resources for Girls

• Girls Incorporated Home Page: http://www.girlsinc.org/
• Girls Incorporated (this page provides numerous fact sheets, tip sheets, and resource sheets on a variety of girls' issues). http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/page.php?id=3.1
• National Women's History Project (programs/resources for girls): http://www.nwhp.org/ .
• Teen Voices (This is a teen magazine written by, for, and about adolescent girls. Teen Voices encourages its audience to participate by writing and submitting their own work to be published.) http://www.teenvoices.com/tvhome.html

Learn More about Programs for Girls

• Center for Young Women's Development http://www.cywd.org/
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/principles/chart.html
• PACE Center for Girls, Inc. http://www.pacecenter.org/

Advocacy

• Girls' Justice Initiative http://www.girlsjusticeinitiative.org/index.shtml

 

References

Acoca, L. (1999). Investing in girls: A 21 st century strategy. Juvenile Justice 6 , 3-13.

Acoca, L. (1998). Outside/inside: The violation of American girls at home, on the streets, and in the juvenile justice system. Crime and Delinquency 44 , 561-589.

Ambrose, A. M. & Simpkins, S. (n.d.) Improving conditions for girls in the justice system: The female detention project . Retrieved April, 2004 from http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus/gji.html

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (1999). Children with oppositional defiant disorder . Retrieved May, 2004 from http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/72.htm

American Bar Association and the National Bar Association. (2001). Justice by gender: the lack of appropriate prevention, diversion and treatment alternatives for girls in the justice system . Retrieved April, 2004 from http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus/justicebygenderweb.pdf

Beyer, M. (2001). Delinquent girls: A developmental perspective. Kentucky Children's Rights Journal . Washington, DC: Children's Law Center.

Bloom, B. E. & Covington, S. S. (2001). Effective gender-responsive interventions in juvenile justice: Addressing the lives of delinquent girls. Paper presented at 2001 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology. Atlanta, Georgia.

Budnick, K. J. & Shields-Fletcher, E. (1998). What about girls? Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Fact Sheet. Retrieved April, 2004 from http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/fs-9884.pdf .

Burns, B. J. & Hoagwood, K. (2002). Community treatment for youth: Evidenced-based interventions for severe emotional and behavioral disorders . New York: Oxford University Press.

Daniel, M. (1999). The female intervention team. Juvenile Justice 6 , 14-20.

Girls Incorporated. (2001). Girls and violence fact sheet . Indiana: National Resource Center. Retrieved April, 2004 from http://www.girlsinc.com/ic/content/GirlsandViolence.pdf

Girls Incorporated. (2002a). Girls and juvenile justice . Indiana: National Resource Center. Retrieved April, 2004 from http://www.girlsinc.com/ic/content/GirlsandJuvenileJustice.pdf

Girls Incorporated. (2002b). Tips for Adults . Retrieved April, 2004 from http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/content/GirlsCommunitiesadults.pdf

Girls Incorporated. (2002c). Tips for Girls . Retrieved April, 2004 from http://www.girlsinc.com/ic/content/GirlsCommunitiesgirls.pdf

Girls Incorporated (n.d.). Retrieved April, 2004 from http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/page.php?id=1.2

Hartwig, H. J. & Myers, J. E. (2003). A different approach: Applying a wellness paradigm to adolescent female delinquents and offenders. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 25 , 57-77.

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