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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -  Gang Involvement Prevention 
            -           Girls, Juvenile Delinquency, and Gangs      

# Girls, Juvenile Delinquency, and Gangs

While female juvenile justice system involvement is the lowest it has been since the 1970s and females make up a little less than 10 percent of the overall gang population, research suggests that girls may account for between one-fourth and one-half of the gang members in younger adolescent gangs.1 Overall, female gang members appear to be more heavily represented in gangs located outside of large cities, with half of gangs located in these areas reporting female members, compared to large cities, where about a quarter of gangs located in larger cities report female members.2

While the types of delinquent acts that girls in gangs commit are often less severe than boys, their involvement with gangs is still a concern and demands unique prevention, response, and rehabilitation efforts.3 Research on this topic has identified key factors that are significantly correlated with girls’ delinquency including gang involvement:

Risk Factors include:
                      - As girls mature through adolescence they face an increased chance of experiencing risk factors for gang involvement and delinquency, such as physical and sexual abuse and assault, and have higher rates of diagnosed depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. A violent family environment where there is parental substance abuse, physical abuse, or sexual abuse is also a significant predictor of gang involvement for female youth.  4
                      - A lack of family supervision and monitoring has been shown to have a causal link to delinquency for both boys and girls, but ineffective parenting practices (harsh or inconsistent discipline), family conflict, growing up in poverty, a lack of a consistent caregiver, and frequent family moves are more likely to affect the chance that girls will be involved in gangs and conduct delinquent acts.
                      - Early dating has been established as a key risk factor for girls’ gang membership.  5
                      - A lack of connection or engagement with school is correlated with increased rates of delinquency for girls.  6  Other school related factors such as low academic performance or academic failure, low educational aspirations, frequently getting into trouble at school, and negative labeling are all correlated with gang involvement for girls, and these factors may be more significant predictors of involvement than for boys.  7

Protective factors for girls and boys alike include:
                      - A strong attachment or connection with school and high educational aspirations and self-esteem are key protective factors against gang involvement, particularly for girls.
                      - Not living with a gang member is a protective factor for youth gang membership.  8
                      - Positive feelings toward self and towards parents have been found to be protective factors that decrease likelihood of gang involvement.  9
                      - Strong parental supervision of youth behavior and choice of friends is an important protective factor against gang violence.  10

As a result, it is important to ensure services targeted at young women include trauma-informed approaches (particularly since they may be more likely than their male counterparts to experience certain risk factors such as sexual abuse), provide adequate mental health services, focus on school connectedness, and address family relationships.

## Resources

**Gender-Specific Programming**This resource provides a comprehensive summary about girls and delinquency and their involvement in the juvenile justice system. It also covers more in-depth information about how girls develop differently than boys, how this affects their experiences with the juvenile justice system, and why services need to be tailored to their needs. Evaluation of gender-specific programming has shown encouraging results in substance use and gang prevention programs for girls.

**Girls in the Juvenile Justice System**This report presents a detailed summary of current statistics for female youth involvement in the juvenile justice system. Included are analyses of trends for: female youth arrest rates, residential placement, types of offenses committed, girls’ involvement in the system across racial/ethnic lines, and formal adjudication process for female youth.

## References

1 Ehrman, Hyland, Puzzanchera, 2019; National Gang Center, 2012; Howell, 20072 National Gang Center, 20123 Petersen & Howell, 20134 Peterson, 20125 Thornberry et al., 20036 Zahn et al., 20107 Peterson, 2012; Thornberry et al., 2003; Erhman, Hyland, & Puzzanchera, 20198 Erhman, Hyland, & Puzzanchera, 20199 Krohn, Lizotte, Bushway, et al., 201410 Krohn, Lizotte, Bushway, et al., 2014; Erhman, Hyland, & Puzzanchera, 2019

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Announcements 

                          - Literature Review: Hate Crimes and Youth
                          - National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims
                          - Parents’ Guide to Gangs: Now Available in Spanish
                          - Podcast: The Science of School Safety
                          - Report: Gun Carrying Among Youth
                          - Report: Patterns of Juvenile Court Referrals of Youth Born in 2000
                          - Report: Prevention with Purpose: A Resource for Campus Police and Public Safety Personnel
                          - Resource: A Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model
                          - Resource: Association of County-Level Poverty and Inequities with Firearm-Related Mortality in U.S. Youth
                          - Resource: Data Snapshot: Youth Victims of Suicide and Homicide
                          - Resource: Fast Facts on Firearm Violence Prevention
                          - Resource: Firearm Deaths Grow, Disparities Widen: Comprehensive Strategies Can Prevent Violence and Help Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities
                          - Resource: Five Things About Juvenile Delinquency Intervention and Treatment
                          - Resource: Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources
                          - Resource: Let's Talk Podcast - The Offical National Runaway Safeline Podcast
                          - Resource: Prevention and Early Intervention Efforts Seek to Reduce Violence by Youth and Youth Recruitment by Gangs
                          - Resource: Probation Reform: A Toolkit for State Advisory Groups (SAGs)
                          - Resource: Resilience, Opportunity, Safety, Education, Strength (ROSES) Program
                          - Resource: The Fight Against Rampant Gun Violence: Data-Driven Scientific Research Will Light the Way
                          - Resource: Trends in Youth Arrests for Violent Crimes
                          - Resource: Violence Prevention in Practice
                          - Resource: We Meet Them Where They Are: The Importance of Mentoring as a Component of Youth Gang Violence Intervention
                          - Second Chance Month: April 2023
                          - Student Reports of Bullying: Results from the 2019 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey
                          - Webpage: Youth Violence Intervention Initiative
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - Memphis Fast Forward
                          - National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention (NFYVP)

### Data Sources 

                          - National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
                          - National Youth Gang Survey Analysis
                          - Uniform Crime Reports

### Feature Articles 

                          - Bryan Stevenson Delivers Five Key Messages During 2013 Summit Closing Remarks
                          - Cities Working Together to Reduce Youth Violence
                          - Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs
                          - Highlights from the 2012 Summit on Preventing Youth Violence
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Working Session 2011
                          - National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Working Session 2012
                          - September 2013 Summit on Preventing Youth Violence

### Programs 

                          - Gang Resistance and Education Program

### Publications 

                          - 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment
                          - Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model
                          - Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership
                          - Growth of Youth Gang Problems in the United States: 1970-98
                          - Highlights of the 2010 National Youth Gang Survey
                          - Highlights of the 2012 National Youth Gang Survey
                          - Implementing the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model
                          - Juvenile Justice Bulletin: Gang Prevention
                          - Predictors of Youth Violence
                          - Prevalence and Implementation Fidelity of Research-Based Prevention Programs in Public Schools
                          - The Impact of Gangs on Communities
                          - Violence by Gang Members, 1993-2003

### Resources 

                          - Gender-Specific Programming
                          - Q&A: Robin Petering on Homeless Youth and Gangs
                          - Research and Evaluation Projects on Gangs
                          - Resource: Redesigned National Gang Center Website

### Tools & Guides 

                          - A Guide to Assessing Your Community’s Youth Gang Problem
                          - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Strategic Planning Tool
                          - Parents’ Guide to Gangs
                          - Parents’ Guide to Gangs: Now Available in Spanish
                          - Risk and Protective Factors Data Tool

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - Why Youth Join Gangs

### Websites 

                          - Federal Bureau of Prisons
                          - Gangs (Security Threat Groups)
                          - National Gang Center

### Youth Topics 

                          - Adverse Effects
                          - Gang Involvement Prevention
                          - Girls, Juvenile Delinquency, and Gangs
                          - Prevention Efforts
                          - References
                          - Violence Prevention

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

- Gang Involvement Prevention
- Federal Data
- Risk & Protective Factors
- Adverse Effects
- Girls, Juvenile Delinquency, & Gangs
- Prevention Efforts
- References

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## Latest Resources

### Announcements

Second Chance Month: April 2023

Report: Prevention with Purpose: A Resource for Campus Police and Public Safety Personnel

Resource: We Meet Them Where They Are: The Importance of Mentoring as a Component of Youth Gang Violence Intervention

### Collaboration Profiles

National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention (NFYVP)

Memphis Fast Forward

### Feature Articles

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

Bryan Stevenson Delivers Five Key Messages During 2013 Summit Closing Remarks

Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs

### Publications

Violence by Gang Members, 1993-2003

The Impact of Gangs on Communities

Predictors of Youth Violence

### Resources

Resource: Redesigned National Gang Center Website

Research and Evaluation Projects on Gangs

Q&A: Robin Petering on Homeless Youth and Gangs

### Youth Topics

Adverse Effects

Prevention Efforts

References