DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF DELINQUENT BOYS AND GIRLS IN JUVENILE COURT

• NCJ Number: 64811
• Journal: Child Welfare Volume: 53 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1974) Pages: 16-22
• Author(s): P C KRATCOSKI
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Welfare League of America (CWLA)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A LITERATURE REVIEW OF CHANGING FEMALE DELINQUENCY PATTERNS AND CAUSES OF FEMALE DELINQUENCY IS PRESENTED, AND FINDINGS ARE REPORTED FROM A JUVENILE COURT STUDY OF DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF JUVENILE GIRLS AND BOYS.

Abstract

STUDIES AND OFFICIAL CRIME STATISTICS SHOW A TREND TOWARD JUVENILE FEMALES ENGAGING IN CRIMES GENERALLY COMMITTED BY MALES, NOTABLY PROPERTY OFFENSES AND VIOLENT CRIMES. SEVERAL RESEARCHERS CONCLUDE THAT THE PERSONAL PROBLEMS OF FEMALE DELINQUENTS, ALTHOUGH NOT RADICALLY DIFFERENT IN NATURE FROM THOSE OF MALE DELINQUENTS, ARE OFTEN MORE INTENSE. FEMALE DELINQUENTS, MORE OFTEN THAN MALES, HAVE A HISTORY OF SEVERE DEPRIVATION AND NEGLECT. THE RESEARCH SURVEY PRESENTED IS BASED ON THE RECORDS OF 845 YOUTHS REFERRED TO THE JUVENILE COURT IN AN URBAN COUNTY OF A MIDWESTERN STATE. A 20 PERCENT SAMPLE OF ALL THE CASES HANDLED BY THE COURT FOR 1971 WAS COLLECTED BY TAKING EVERY FIFTH NAME IN THE CASE FILE, PRODUCING A FINAL SAMPLE OF 682 MALES AND 163 FEMALES. FINDINGS SHOW OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY AND PERSONS ACCOUNT FOR 69 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL MALE OFFENSES, BUT ONLY 44 PERCENT OF THE FEMALE OFFENSES. OTHER FEMALE OFFENSES WERE LISTED AS TRUANCY, SEXUAL MISBEHAVIOR, RUNAWAY, AND INCORRIGIBILITY. FIFTY-NINE PERCENT OF THE GIRLS COMPARED WITH 45 PERCENT OF THE BOYS CAME FROM DISTRUPTED HOME SITUATIONS. ALTHOUGH THE GIRLS COMMITTED LESS SERIOUS OFFENSES THAN THE BOYS, 31 PERCENT OF THE FEMALES WERE HELD IN DETENTION COMPARED WITH ONLY 24 PERCENT OF THE MALES. COURT PERSONNEL AND POLICE EXPLAINED THAT THE GIRLS REQUIRED THIS KIND OF PROTECTION FOR THEIR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING. A FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION CENTER WAS RECENTLY ESTABLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE JUVENILE COURT IN THE STUDY. THE CENTER WILL PROVIDE MORE OPTIONS FOR GIRLS IN NEED OF FAMILY COUNSELING, SO THERE CAN BE A REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF FEMALES PLACED IN DETENTION. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)