Abstract
Girls’ rates of arrest and adjudication, although still far below those of boys, have been rising for the past 15 years. In the United States, arrest rates for girls increased 35% from 1991 to 2000, while the rates for boys decreased 11% (Snyder, 2002). Accompanying this rise in arrest rates has been a 65% increase of girls in juvenile detention facilities (Porter, 2000). The U.S. Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act Reauthorization of 1992 acknowledged the increasing number of girls in the juvenile justice system and mandated that states investigate treatment options for girls and gender disparity within the justice system (Budnick & Sheilds-Fletcher, 1998; OJJDP, 1998). The subsequent generation of intervention programs focusing on gender-specific issues appears promising as they emphasize a comprehensive approach to treatment. However, gender specific programs may be overly focused on self-esteem and empowerment issues, without addressing other important problems, such as mental health needs. Unfortunately, research on treatment options that work for justice-involved youth is limited, and the paucity of research on what works for girls is particularly striking. In this chapter, we use the term “justice-involved” to represent youths experiencing various degrees of involvement in the justice system, ranging from those who have gone to court for committing minor delinquent acts to those who have been placed in state custody. As such, we do not examine prevention programs per se, although in some instances, we do discuss the efficacy of school or community-based pro grams because they may serve as exemplars for programs in the justice system. We focus on four key questions related to justice-based intervention efforts for girls: 1) What are the outcomes for justice-involved girls? 2) Are the intervention needs of girls the same as those for boys? 3) Are interventions designed for boys appropriate for girls? 4) Should programs be developed specifically for girls? We conclude with recommendations for developing interventions for girls.
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Antonishak, J., Reppucci, N.D., Fried Mulford, C. (2004). Girls in the Justice System. In: Moretti, M.M., Odgers, C.L., Jackson, M.A. (eds) Girls and Aggression. Perspectives in Law & Psychology, vol 19. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8985-7_12
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