Are Girls More Violent?

We hear stories every day that girls and boys today are more violent and are committing more serious crimes.  But hold on a moment — is it true? — or are we just charging kids with more serious crimes?  According to a report issued by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in May 2008, it may be that we are just arresting girls now and charging them for serious offenses when in the past they would have been let go with a warning.  Since 9/11 and Columbine there is “zero tolerance” for threats or adolescent missteps. The report cites that some of the increase is due to tougher charges.  Santa Clara County also recently completed its own study on women in the justice system which concluded that girls are more violent and committing more serious crimes.  However, there is no footnote that it may be that school districts and the police are being less tolerant and insisting on charging kids for these crimes.

What all the researchers do agree on is that most of these girls have experienced trauma and domestic violence in their homes and lives.  In Santa Clara County, 70% of the girls in juvenile hall interviewed for the study reported that they had been in foster care, according to Sheila Mitchell, Chief Probation Officer.  Obviously, we have a lot more work to do to get these kids connected, in the right way, to the community.   I hope we can work to move these kids out of juvenile hall and to programs, like Bill Wilson Center, that can help address their past domestic violence and trauma and teach them the skills to become productive adults.