The Provision and Completion of Gender-Specific Services for Girls on Probation

Abstract

Beginning in the late 1980s, the number of girls entering the juvenile justice system increased dramatically. Although historically girls had entered the justice system with status offenses, recent examinations suggest a sharp rise in the number of girls charged with more serious crimes. Researchers and policy makers have increasingly acknowledged the need for a gender-specific approach, which has prompted the development of gender-responsive theories, strategies, and programming to specifically address female delinquency. This article focuses on an evaluation of a gender-specific intervention and examines factors that contribute to its efficacy. More specifically, the current article explores the provision and completion of services by girls in the Reaffirming Young Sisters' Excellence Program, paying particular attention to variations by race and ethnicity.

Significant Gender Differences in Factors Related to the Detention of Youthful Offenders

“…A few programs have been designed for females only, with positive outcomes. For example, the Reaffirming Young Sisters' Excellence Program has effectively had probation officers take on a caseworker role, providing intense supervision with gender-and culturally responsive services (Wolf, Graziano, and Hartney 2009).…”

The Art of Yoga Project: A Gender-Responsive Yoga and Creative Arts Curriculum for Girls in the California Juvenile Justice System

“…A gender-responsive approach comprehensively addresses the unique and specific needs of girls, creates an environment that reflects the realities of girls' lives, and acknowledges their unique developmental experiences and pathways to problem behaviors. 7 Girls entering the Juvenile Justice System (JJS) are at a difficult developmental period, in which they are treated like children for the commission of mostly adult offenses. Further, many of them are forced to cope with adult life circumstances (such as unsupported living or pregnancy) with a child's abilities and limited resources.…”

Evaluating the effectiveness of Moral Reconation Therapy with the juvenile offender population

“…These same limitations, lack of testing with juvenile females and with racially/ethnically diverse populations, represent limitations of evaluative MRT research, as well. Along with the concern about lack of representation of females within evaluation research and greater proportions of certain ethnicities and races committing delinquent behavior, ethnic differences related to type and severity of crime and the change in offenses committed by females represent areas that necessitate examination (Kenny & Lennings, 2007;Wolf, Graziano, & Hartney, 2009).…”

“…Baffour (2006) stated the importance of gender and race/ethnicity in relation to interventions with juvenile offenders. She also mentioned the continued high level of recidivism among juvenile offenders and the lack of attention to intervention with females who represent an increasing presence in the juvenile justice system as well as the high ratio of certain ethnic groups, Ethnic and race-related concerns existed not only in completion of services in the Wolf et al (2009) study, but also in the over-representation of certain ethnic and racial groups in the juvenile justice system, a topic that shaped the purpose of Piquero and Brame's (2009) study. The two possible reasons for the greater representation of these ethnic and racial groups in the juvenile justice system included first, that certain ethnic groups committed more criminal offenses and second that discrimination existed, therefore influencing a larger number of certain ethnic youth involved in the juvenile justice system.…”

“…In addition, gender-based programming marked another significant portion of the JJDP. Recent movement within the juvenile justice system to dampen or eliminate the goals of the JJDP Act created concern regarding appropriate and beneficial consequences and outcomes for juvenile offenders involved with the juvenile justice system (MacDonald & Chesney-Lind, 2001;Wolf et al, 2009). Cauffman, Piquero, Broidy, Espelage, and Mazerolle (2004) studied the relationship between gender, social-emotional issues, and delinquent behavior through self-report assessment.…”