Female Juvenile Risk Factors

Essay # 57739

Criminology > Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminology > Juvenile Justice
Gender and Sexuality > Gender Studies

A look at risk factors associated with female juveniles and their impact.

2,023 words () | 9 sources | MLA | 2005 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how institutionalization has historically been the juvenile justice system's primary reaction to at-risk girls. The majority of female juvenile delinquents committed less serious offenses, such as running away and truancy. It discusses how the juvenile justice system concentrated on detaining and committing these status offenders instead of examining what caused their problems and providing community-based services to effectively address them. It points out that young girls are more likely than boys to be incarcerated for status and minor offenses, such as truancy, running away, curfew violations, and petty theft, although the number of detained cases involving girls is growing at a slower rate than the number of court referrals involving girls.

From the Paper:

"According to Chesney-Lind & Shelden (1992), young women may be acting out as a means of self-protection in response to life-threatening conditions in many cases. Female juvenile delinquency has been reportedly caused by family problems to include sexual and/or physical abuse in the home. A large majority of female juvenile offenders report that their first arrest was for running away from home to avoid physical and sexual abuse. According to Bergsmann (1994), commitment is still a frequently used solution in today's society when no alternatives are available within the community to assist young women in crisis situations. Many programs designed to address the special needs of female delinquents remain inadequate in most states."