Gender-Responsive Services in the U.S. Juvenile Legal System: A Scoping Review of Programs and Their Impact

• In Event: Roundtable: Juvenile Justice

Abstract

Activists and advocates have long recognized girls’ and gender-expansive young people’s unique pathways into the juvenile legal system and their specific needs, arguing for gender-responsive services and programs to support these groups of young people. Unfortunately, research and anecdotal evidence suggest such services are not always offered, and certainly not to all who need them, and when they are offered, they do not meet all of these young people’s unique needs. There are also few published evaluations of these programs’ effectiveness. This scoping review asks, what kinds of gender-responsive programs are currently offered to girls and gender-expansive young people in Juvenile Justice secure care in the U.S. and what percentage are they reaching? What needs are they intended to target? To what extent have these programs been evaluated and have been found to meet these young people’s needs? What needs are not being met? Focusing primarily on peer-reviewed articles and the U.S., the review answers these questions through a synthesis of studies published in the past 10 years. We identify and describe the most promising programs as well as document ongoing service gaps and needs.

Authors

• Sarah Jane Brubaker, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Jeongah Nam, Virginia Commonwealth University