Did They Move on? An Outcome Evaluation of the Gender-Responsive Program, Girls...Moving On

Abstract

The current study is an outcome evaluation of the gender-responsive program, Girls...Moving On (GMO). Outcomes for treatment ( n = 135) and control group ( n = 135) participants reflected mixed findings, with no significant reductions in recidivism, which may have been due to problems with implementation. Nevertheless, girls who completed the program had significantly larger reductions in risk scores and increases in strength scores compare to non-completers, but little to no differences in recidivism. Additionally, GMO completers showed improvements in self-efficacy scores. Several implications and considerations regarding the outcomes are discussed to guide future gender-responsive programs for system-impacted girls.

Gender-Responsive Approaches in Juvenile Justice: How the System Prioritizes the Content- and Context-Related Needs of Girls

“…In sum, the literature on gender-responsive services focuses on the importance of comprehensive, wraparound services, use of a continuum-of-care, formal and informal service provision through collaboration, and the development of a therapeutic alliance between court officials and youth (Bloom et al, 2003; Matthews & Hubbard, 2008). The extant literature provides some preliminary evidence that gender-responsive services are worthwhile and effective despite most court interventions operating as “gender-neutral” (Anderson, Walerych, et al, 2019; Belisle et al, 2022; Javdani, 2021; Javdani & Allen, 2016). However, there is limited research on the perceptions of juvenile justice practitioners regarding how gender-responsive approaches are understood, implemented, and, ultimately, how they prioritize these empirically documented content- and context-related needs.…”