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GIRLS AND THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

GIRLS AND THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

Submitted by Norma Schatz, Kidslink Juvenile Justice Editor, E-mail: Nrma520@aol.com
Programmers and funders are learning something that youth workers in many fields - private and public - have known for a long time: girls are different than boys in their adolescent development. Habit, traditions, attitude - whatever the cause - studies have shown differential treatment in schools, in recreational facilities, in the juvenile justice system, often in families. Racism and classism, as well as sexism, may also play into the difference in treatment. The messages girls get from the culture around them are also confusing and conflicting, and further complicate healthy development.
Female Offenders in the Juvenile Justice System, a report from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) indicates that, nationally, females are entering the juvenile justice system at younger ages and, although male offenders account for most deli...

Posted by: Melissa T. Littlefield

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