Perceptions of judicial professionals on the treatment of girls and boys in the Dutch juvenile justice system

• In Event: Juvenile Justice 1. Offender and Participant Prespectives

Abstract

There are concerns from judicial practice and policy that there is too little knowledge of delinquent girls. To implement adequate policy aimed at delinquent girls, further insight into this perpetrator group is needed. This presentation discusses recent research into the characteristics and risk factors of delinquent girls and young adult women in general, police and judicial populations. Various sources and methods were used for this, namely a systematic literature study, self-report data linked to police registrations, interviews with 27 judicial professionals and a case law analysis. The empirical data were collected in the Dutch juvenile justice system. This presentation discusses the qualitative part of the research (interviews with 27 judicial professionals), which examined the considerations of professionals regarding the decision-making process for suspicion, prosecution and conviction of girls and boys. The results show that differential treatment according to gender is experienced as undesirable by professionals, but nevertheless appears to be present. Several possible explanations were formulated. For example, girls and boys appear to differ in delinquent behavior, which means that girls are less likely to be identified as suspects by the police. In addition, girls are said to behave differently in contact moments with professionals, which influences how they are treated. Professionals also admitted their use of a stereotypical image of 'the delinquent girl'. However, according to these professionals, this gender differentiation does not play a major role in their considerations. Based on the results, several recommendations for policy and practice have been formulated.

Authors

• Anne-Marie Slotboom, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• Charlie Stoeldraaijers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam