Differences in How Girls and Boys Respond to Family Group Conferences: Preliminary Research Results (From Repositioning Restorative Justice, P 136-148, 2003, Lode Walgrave, ed., -- See NCJ-204284)

• NCJ Number: 204289
• Author(s): Gabrielle Maxwell; Venezia Kingi; Allison Morris; Jeremy Robertson; Tracy Anderson
• Date Published: 2003
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: Willan Publishing
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter presents preliminary findings from an analysis of how gender differences affect family group conferencing and the restorative process in general.

Abstract

Research on family group conferencing suggests that the restorative justice practice has the potential to induce responsibility and remorse in offenders, heal the pain of victims, and reduce recidivism. However, as most young offenders are boys, relatively little research has focused on how gender affects family conferencing outcomes. This chapter presents the preliminary results of a study of 1,000 family group conferences that involved interviews with 302 boys and 59 girls, perusal of family group conference data files on 616 boys and 117 girls, and reviews of reoffending information for 590 boys and 110 girls. Following a brief examination of offending patterns and previous criminal histories of the participants, girls’ and boys’ responses to family group conferencing were analyzed. Although 80 percent of the total sample of boys and girls claimed they understood what was happening in the conference, three-quarters of the boys and only half the girls reported that they were able to say what they wanted during the conference. Over half the girls and 40 percent of the boys reported feeling intimidated. Furthermore, boys were significantly more likely than girls to report being treated fairly, being treated like a trustworthy person, being given another chance, and that people told them they could put the offense behind them. Only 19 percent of girls, compared to 35 percent of boys, reported that the family group conferencing had helped them to reduce their offending. However, when reoffending rates were reviewed, the reconvictions for girls (35 percent) were significantly lower than for boys (55 percent) at both the 12-month and 18-month follow-up. The final analysis revealed that girls responded to the family group conferencing process in ways that were less likely to be restorative. Possible explanations for this finding include the fact that responses to the process may vary by the type of offense committed (girls were found to have committed less serious offenses), the relative seriousness of their offending, and their history of previous victimization. While the current study uncovered gender differences in the response to restorative practices, more research should focus on why the gender differences exist. Tables, notes, references