NCJ Number
242434
Date Published
February 2009
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This fact sheet on girls in the juvenile justice system addresses offense type and severity, age, placement, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other underlying factors that impact girls' delinquency.
Abstract
Girls compose an increasing proportion of youth in the juvenile justice system. They are younger than boys in the system, and their offenses are less serious than boys' offenses, and they are often related to family issues. They also have greater mental health needs than boys in the system. Girls of color are overrepresented among youth in residential placement. Nationally, crime rates are decreasing for both girls and boys, but the rate of that decrease has been slower for girls. By 2007, girls constituted 29 percent of the 1.2 million arrests, compared to 27 percent in 1998. Nationally, girls compose 15 percent of the incarcerated population, and as much as 34 percent in some States. In 2007, 25 percent of the girls arrested were under the age of 18. Of all youth incarcerations, 42 percent of girls are 15 years old and younger, compared to 31 percent of boys age 15 and younger. For girls, the arrest rate for violent offenses has decreased 13 percent and 14 percent for boys over the last 10 years. Girls' offenses are often committed against family members, and family problems often contribute to girls' problem behaviors. Girls of color are overrepresented among youth in residential placement. Compared to White girls, African-American girls are placed over three times as often, Native-American girls four times as often, and Hispanic girls are placed at higher rates. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) youth often experience discrimination, and the justice system is not prepared to address their distinctive needs. Many girls enter the system with histories of abuse and experience additional victimization while incarcerated. 4 tables, 5 figures, and 15 references