The Girls Circle: An Outcome Evaluation of Gender Specific Programming

• In Event: The Girls Circle: A Randomized Evaluation of a Structured Support Group Program for Girls

Abstract

This research offers an experimental evaluation of the Girls Circle model. The sample was obtained from the Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department of the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago, IL. A total of 178 girls were recruited for the study and randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group (119 treatment and 59 control). The treatment subjects were placed in the Girls Circle group and also received probation services, while the control subjects received only traditional probation services. The short-term (from intake to program completion) assessment examined the improvement among Girls Circle participants in four families of outcomes: (1) risky behavior (substance use and sexual behavior), (2) psychosocial assets, (3) school aspirations and expectations, and (4) perceived body image. The long-term assessment examined whether Girls Circle participants differed from girls in the control group in terms of recidivism at 12 months post-program completion. This presentation reports on the final results of the study.

Authors

• Stephen Gies, Development Services Group, Inc.

• Marcia Cohen, Development Services Group, Inc.

• Amanda Bobnis, Development Services Group, Inc.

• Giovanna Taormina, One Circle Foundation