NCJ Number
83671
Date Published
1981
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The perpetuation and consequences of the myth that female delinquency is predominantly sexual delinquency are examined.
Abstract
The assumption that female delinquency is primarily sexual delinquency is deeply ingrained in sociological accounts of delinquency. This assumption operates in the organization of juvenile justice wherever care and control, being exposed to moral danger, and related charges exist, and these charges are used more often in relation to juvenile females than juvenile males. The assumption that female delinquency is sexual delinquency also affects the treatment of young females, where nonoffenders are controlled in the same way as offenders and where girls are not offered services which would help them escape the structural limitations of the femininity stereotype. An examination of patterns of female juvenile offenses charged in South Australia and Queensland and England and Scotland shows that in both South Australia and Scotland the predominant female delinquency offense is petty larceny, while the predominant female delinquency offense in England and Queensland carries connotations of sexual promiscuity. Since the social environments of juveniles in all four of the areas do not differ significantly, it is reasonable to conclude that official labeling of juvenile behavior is what varies between the jurisdictions. The primary consequence of interpreting female delinquency as primarily sexual is to distort the reality of the meaning of female juvenile behavior and limit the battery of services female juveniles require to meet their developmental needs. Change must be initiated by those within the legal system in a position to challenge official interpretations of female juvenile behavior. Tabular data and 14 references are provided.