Treating Girls like Boys: The Juvenile Court and the Impacts of Gender Neutral Programming

• In Event: The Role of Gender in Juvenile Justice Decision-Making and Treatment

Abstract

Just as delinquency case rates boomed more for girls than boys in the 80s and 90s, recent declines show, yet again, that advances in case processing favor boys over girls. While evidence-based "What Works" efforts offer new and effective programming alternatives, few adequately address the qualitative differences between girls and boys. Given that so few gender responsive programs meet the "What Works" standards, juvenile courts have little choice but to rely on gender neutral programming; in effect treating girls like boys. Drawing a random sample of youth (N=471) processed by a large, Midwestern Juvenile Court filed between January 1st, 2012 and December 31st, 2016, the present study examines the joint effect of gender and court intervention on recidivism rates. Controlling for legal factors (e.g. prior involvement, offense severity, presiding judge), individual factors (e.g. age, race, class), and social factors (e.g. parental involvement, court involved peers), the present study shows, statistically, that diversion programs yield higher recidivism rates for girls compared to boys. Based on these findings, the present study argues that girls are not boys and that girls require intervention efforts supportive of their unique social position.

Author

• William A. Chernoff, Kansas State University