NCJ Number
215644
Date Published
January 1999
Length
63 pages
Annotation
This report, in the form of a guide and resource, provides a description of the gender-specific programmatic framework for creating services and programs for adolescent female offenders and girls in high-risk situations.
Abstract
The report is divided into three parts and begins by providing information for those seeking to understand the gender-specific programming approach as well as the population the approach is designed to serve. It provides recent national and State statistics on female juvenile offenders and describes the four basic assumptions of gender-specific programming for girls, components of gender-specific programming, recommendation in program design, and staff characteristics. The report continues with questions that can be utilized in staff training or as discussion points. Lists are intended to assist girl-serving programs, advocates for girls, and change agents in business, education, and government in the facilitation of change, individually or systemically, in adults’ varied relationships with girls. Lastly, part three offers a range of resources for those who seek to use a gender-specific approach in providing programs and services to girls. A list of national and State organizations that provide resources relevant to gender-specific programs, as well as grants are provided. Descriptions and contact information on successful gender-specific programs for girls throughout the United States are provided. In the United States, the development of juvenile justice systems, theories, and program models were shaped by the needs and experiences of male offenders. Girls were required to fit into existing service resources that were not equipped to meet the specific needs of adolescent girls. In Iowa, through the receipt of the Challenge Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), funds are allocated supporting the development and adoption of policies to prohibit gender bias in the placement and treatment of adolescent females. Through this grant, programs are established that ensure these female youth have access to the full range of health and mental health services, treatment, and more. References