NCJ Number
93424
Date Published
1979
Length
32 pages
Annotation
These conference papers, delivered in the United Kingdom in late 1979, discuss how attitudes about females have shaped the ways in which teachers, youth workers, probation workers, social workers, and others have related to teenage females.
Abstract
A discussion of the concept of feminity provides an overview of theories on female deviance which are based on belief in certain innate, feminine characteristics. It also examines the prevalence and implications of sexual offenses among teenage females. Teenage prostitution is discussed, including modern parallels to Victorian attitudes, links between attitudes toward prostitution and the conflicting attitudes towards sexuality in modern society, and a distinction between promiscuity and prostitution. One paper points out that anyone trying to live up to society's image of niceness has to face so many double binds that the image is virtually impossible to achieve. Also considered are the increased pressures on teenage females due to expectations of a wider range of activities and lack of social space and opportunities to explore these issues away from adults and teenage males. A youth project established to expand activities for teenage females is described, with emphasis on how it offers an alternative to many of the sexist and discriminatory practices of traditional youth clubs through activities such as health and support groups and social history and video projects.