Juvenile Female Offenders: A Status of the States Report

• NCJ Number: 174464
• Date Published: October 1998
• Length: 121 pages
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored

Annotation

This report describes State efforts to develop and implement programs and policies to address issues related to female juvenile offenders and females at risk of juvenile delinquency and juvenile status offenses.

Abstract

The strategies presented in the report include developing gender-specific programs for females; providing training for juvenile personnel who work with adolescent females; and focusing on the prevention of delinquent behavior through the establishment of front-end, community-based services. The discussion also notes that efforts to address the needs of juvenile females are evolving and changing with the times. Nevertheless, the goal established by Congress in 1992 to develop policies to prohibit gender bias and ensure that female youth have access to a full range of services remains a challenge. Policymakers, service providers, and juvenile justice professionals now need a commitment to evaluating services that work and implementing the necessary policies for provision of effective programs for this population. Tables, section reference lists, and appended lists of resource organizations and publications