The value and rationale of gender‐specific intervention with at‐risk adolescent girls

Abstract

Gender-specific intervention (GSI) with at-risk adolescent girls (ARAGs) is highly prevalent in Israel and elsewhere; professionals commonly consider GSI to be beneficial for ARAGs. However, despite the popularity of such programmes, there is little empirical support for their effectiveness and almost no critical examination of their theoretical rationale. The aim of this qualitative, naturalistic study was to explore how experienced professionals in this domain perceive the value and rationale of GSI with ARAGs, based on in-depth, semistructured interviews with 15 female Israeli professionals. All of the interviewees claimed that overall, GSI is the "right" or most effective way to work with ARAGs. The discussion reviews the empirical support for participants' assumptions regarding the value of GSI for ARAGs and critically considers the potential drawbacks of GSI with ARAGs.

Gender Differences among Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth in Israel

“…COMSEY receive services from various programmes, including residential treatment centres, child protective group homes and juvenile correction facilitiesall of which offer mainly gender-specific interventions (GSI) (Perkins and Ruiz, 2017). For the past three decades, GSI has been the main intervention approach with at-risk youth (Javdani and Allen, 2016;Kerig and Schindler, 2013;Piller et al, 2019). Part of the rationale for GSI with at-risk youth is rooted in empirical evidence (Piller et al, 2019) which suggests that adolescent females differ from males in risk-related antecedents, behaviours and ways of coping (Kerig and Schindler., 2013).…”

“…For the past three decades, GSI has been the main intervention approach with at-risk youth (Javdani and Allen, 2016;Kerig and Schindler, 2013;Piller et al, 2019). Part of the rationale for GSI with at-risk youth is rooted in empirical evidence (Piller et al, 2019) which suggests that adolescent females differ from males in risk-related antecedents, behaviours and ways of coping (Kerig and Schindler., 2013). For example, research conducted among youth involved in criminal behaviour suggests that at-risk females, compared to males, experience more adversity and conflicts in their family relationships (Anderson, 2012), engage in more 'survival crimes', including prostitution, and suffer from more mental disorders (Perkins and Ruiz, 2017).…”

“A girl's place is in the home”: Spatial gendered scripts in narratives of girls who have left or been pushed out of home

“…For example, only girls may be sent to Israeli protective locked institutions, whereas there is no such service for male youth. Further, Israeli helping professionals were found to attribute unique gendered risks to at‐risk girls, mainly involving increased vulnerability to sexual abuse, promiscuity, and commercial sexual exploitation (Komem, ; Piller, Gibly, & Peled, ).…”

“…First, the findings enrich the literature on runaway and homeless youth by providing a critical gendered perspective and a socio‐political view of girls' experiences. Second, the study contributes to the evolving domain of girlhood studies the application of a critical gendered perspective to the plight of girls who are pushed out of home or leave it (Piller et al, ).…”

Editorial

“…Within the social work and social development circle, many researchers and practitioners have been calling for a gender perspective to capture the socio-cultural impact on people's lived experiences (Baum, 2016;Hicks, 2014;Sandlund et al, 2017). Some social work practitioners are developing 'gender-specific intervention' to address critical gender issues in supporting the disadvantaged population (LeCroy et al, 2018;Piller et al, 2019;Warwick-Booth & Cross, 2018). Three articles published in this issue contribute to this movement for gender sensitivity, in seeking to understand the life situation of different clientele population in Chinese communities from a gender perspective.…”