The study of juvenile crime, however, shows that young females are far less likely than males to violate the law. As a matter of fact, male juveniles account for most of the delinquent acts even though the rate for female juveniles is increasing at a faster pace. More than three-quarters of juvenile arrests and juvenile court delinquency cases involve males. The research that's currently available on female delinquency is very limited. However, most of the research concludes that female delinquent behavior is related to weak bonds to parents and school.
Most violent behavior is learned behavior.
Unfortunately, for too many youth, violence is either the only or the most effective way to achieve status, respect, and other basic social and personal needs. The initial causes of violence are found in the early learning experiences in the family, which includes weak family bonding, and ineffective monitoring and supervision. The exposure to and reinforcement for violence in the home, including physical abuse, has a tremendous impact on the potential for later adolescent female violence. Involvement with delinquent friends is the strongest and most immediate cause of the actual onset of serious violent behavior. It is within this group that violence is modeled, encouraged, and rewarded.