NCJ Number
239772
Date Published
August 2012
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This research brief synthesizes findings from 106 random-assignment, intent-to-treat evaluations of social interventions that targeted the developmental needs of female children, adolescents, and young adults, as well as co-ed interventions that provide separate data on impacts for the female subgroup and that included at least 100 girls in the evaluation sample.
Abstract
Fifty-one of the 106 programs had a positive impact for girls on at least one of the outcomes reviewed; 27 had mixed findings, and 28 did not have a positive impact on any of the outcomes examined. There was no approach that was effective across all outcome areas. Nine outcome areas were considered in the synthesis: academic achievement, delinquency, externalizing or acting-out behaviors, mental health/internalizing (depression) outcomes, physical health and nutrition, reproductive health and sexuality, self-sufficiency, social skills, and substance use. The database contained 11 programs that measured delinquency outcomes for girls. Of these 11 programs, 1 was found to have positive impacts, 2 had mixed impacts, and 8 were not effective for girls. Due to the small number of studies with positive or mixed impacts, no conclusions could be drawn about approaches that work in reducing female delinquency or had mixed benefits. Overall, however, the reviews indicate that social interventions can have positive impacts on the well-being of girls and young women. Generally, including parents in interventions in some way led to desirable impacts for girls' mental health outcomes. A summary table shows the findings for each of the nine outcome areas.