Delinquent Girls

Until recently, girls delinquency has received little scholarly attention. Delinquent behaviors were thought to be uncommon among girls, and many of the large-scale studies guiding our current theoretical models have been, to date, based on all-male samples. However, official arrest data show a startling increase in the proportion of girls in the juvenile justice system. Specifically, a decade ago, girls accounted for 20% of all juvenile arrests, whereas the most current data show a nearly 50% increase, with girls now accounting for 29% of all juvenile arrests. Yet we know very little about the development of these behaviors, underlying processes and mechanisms, and effective interventions.
This volume not only builds on a growing base of research, it also provides unique coverage in its primary focus on more "deep end" delinquent behaviors, such as gang involvement, and girls who have been arrested or are in the juvenile justice system. It also reports on data at points of penetration in the justice system. For example, one chapter focuses on population-based data using the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS). A second chapter focuses on trends in girls arrests using national data from the FBI s Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). Additional chapters report on other points in the justice system including adjudicated girls, girls in out of home placements, and girls held in detention facilities.
Related to this breadth of study, chapters cover multiple types of data, ranging from large-scale administrative records to in-depth qualitative analysis to quantitative studies to intervention studies. Accordingly, the volume includes research across a number of disciplines, including psychology, criminal justice, and sociology. In addition, the book covers not only delinquent behaviors, but also a range of interrelated issues, such as legal issues, the role of context and relationships in girls delinquency, mental health problems and trauma exposure, and prevention and intervention. Finally, the volume includes a chapter on practice and policy implications from two Project Officers from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Most notably, this volume is the first of its kind to bring together scholars who have empirically examined "deep end" behaviors and girls in the juvenile justice system.
The chapters each share a focus on reviewing the relevant theory and empirical evidence on a particular topic as well as presenting ideas for further advancements in that topic area. The first section of the book sets the stage and provides background information on trends in girls arrests, the legal system, and causes and correlates of girls delinquency. The second section focuses on the role of relationships and context in girls delinquency, and includes chapters on peer and partner relationships, characteristics of the arrest context, and girls in gangs. The third section focuses on psychological functioning in its coverage of mental health and trauma exposure. The fourth and final section presents topics related to prevention and implications for practice and policy.
Given that research in this area is relatively new, this volume serves both as a synopsis of the research in its infancy and a springboard toward further empirical understanding of girls delinquency and informing interventions to prevent and reduce delinquent activity. In summary, Delinquent Girls: Contexts, Relationships, Adaptations is timely and covers an important issue that is receiving increasing attention. This volume very nicely builds on the foundation established by the small number of recent books and expands the existing knowledge base with its focus on more high-end delinquent behaviors and system-involved girls. Given the challenges of translating research findings into practice, this book is an invaluable tool for researchers, policymakers, program developers and service providers alike.