Gender Differences in Service Needs among Youths Entering a Juvenile Assessment Center: A Replication Study

Girls in Detention

“…Most girls were poor, of minority Kakar et al / GIRLS IN DETENTION 69 status, and had histories of childhood victimization and alcohol and substance abuse. These findings are consistent with the results of studies conducted by Chesney-Lind and Brown (1999), Artz (1998), Dembo et al (1993), andBodinger-Deuriate (1991). Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data demonstrated that girls in the detention center face a host of risk factors, many of which derived from their family environment, that may contribute to the violent crimes they commit.…”

“…Existing research confirmed that in most cases, girls are victims themselves before they become offenders (Davis, Schoen, Greenberg, Desroches, & Abrams, 1997;Girls Incorporated, 1996;Prescott, 1997). Similarly, according to Dembo, Williams, and Schmeidler (1993), a substantial proportion of girls in the juvenile justice system report a history of childhood victimization through physical and/or sexual abuse. Chesney-Lind and Brown (1999) also reported that young women in the correctional system are mostly poor, undereducated girls of color who have complex histories of trauma and substance abuse.…”

Examining relations between psychopathology and psychopathy dimensions among adolescent female and male offenders

“…Method We examined 91 male and 123 female adolescent detainees (aged [14][15][16][17][18][19] for psychopathology -using the Youth Self Report, the Overt Aggression Scale-Modified and a Conduct Disorder Self Report Scale-and for psychopathic dimensions using the psychopathy checklist youth version (PCL:YV). Based on a linear regression analysis we compared the specific associations between psychopathology and psychopathy in both male and female delinquent juveniles.…”

“…Authors have repeatedly emphasized the need to perform more research on the coexistence of comorbid disorders in adolescents, and on the need for more research on female juvenile delinquents, since female delinquency is a comparatively new phenomenon [51,53]. The few studies with females have described them as more likely to have a history of previous psychiatric help than criminal males and to be more often referred to mental health services when delinquent [18,66]. In comparison with male criminal offenders, female delinquents were shown to endure more severe emotional and behavioral problems [38,67].…”

Working With Female Juvenile Delinquents: What Youth Practitioners Need to Know

“…Some researchers have found that female delinquents have a lack of problem-solving skills and a tendency to avoid challenges, which can hinder healthy psychological and emotional functioning (Fejes-Mendoza and Miller, 1992). In addition, since there is an extremely high rate of physical and sexual abuse among female juvenile delinquents, this abuse contributes to a number of other delinquent acts as well as being intertwined with poor self-image, sexual attitudes, relationship with family, career and educational goals and further healthy development (Dembo, Williams, & Schmeidler, 1993;Siegel & Senna, 2000).…”