HOW CAN THEY BE TYPIFIED? Trajectories of delinquent behaviour of institutionalized girls. September, 2008 European Society of Criminology Thessa Wong VU University Amsterdam

Overview of Presentation Methods Trajectories Type of offences in each of the trajectories Type of girls in each of the trajectories Conclusion

Methods Who are the girls? Harreveld: juvenile justice institution in The Netherlands Residential treatment Discharged Jan. ’92 – Dec. ’95 Minimal length of stay: 2 months Complete treatment dossier = 147 girls

Methods What is measured? Judicial documentation Age: 12 – 33 (March, 2008) Dossier variables  Psychological factors (intelligence, personality, disorders)  Substance abuse  Family factors (criminal models, parental neglect, divorce)  Peer factors (delinquent friends, contact with peers)

Analyses Group based trajectory models  Maximum likelihood estimation Cross-tabs

Trajectories 4 group model

Trajectories Adolescent Limited (42.9%)

Trajectories Low Desistance (45.6%)

Trajectories High Desistance (7.5%)

Trajectories Late Onset (4.1%)

Type of Offences Adolescent Limited (42.9%) 63 girls Commited 4.1% (27) of total offences 74.1% property offenses 11.1% violent offenses 11.1% public order

Type of Offences Low Desistance (45.6%) 67 girls Committed 38.3% (251) of all offenses 36.3% property offences 18.7% violent offences (committed by 40%) 12% public order offence More drugs offences than other groups More traffic offences than other groups

Type of Offences High Desistance (7.5%) 11 girls Committed 35% (229) of all offenses 49.3% property offences 12.7% violent offences 14.8% public order offences More weapon use than other groups

Type of Offences Late Onset (4.1%) 6 girls Committed 22.6% (148) of total offenses 54.1% property offences 9.5% violent offences 6.1% public order offences

Type of Girls In general Highly neurotic Highly impulsive Highly thrill seeking 80% depressed Around 9% attempted suicide Around 65% used drugs Not many alcohol abusers 30-45% sexual abused Only 3 girls normal parent-child relationship

Type of Girls Adolescent Limited (42.9%) Average intelligence Low self-esteem 2/3 problems with aggression regulation Better social skills than girls other groups 1/3 personality disorder (MOST) Less negative life events Moderate contact with peers 57.1% delinquent friends 18% from divorced family

Type of Girls Adolescent Limited (42.9%) In combination with offending behaviour Individual and environmental factors least problematic for this group And so is delinquent behaviour Personality disorders

Type of Girls Low Desistance (45.6%) Average intelligence Low self-esteem 2/3 problems with aggression regulation Bad to very bad social skills Almost no girls with personality disorder Many negative life events (less than HD) Bad to moderate contact with peers 69% delinquent friends 37% from divorced family

Type of Girls Low Desistance (45.6%) In combination with offending behaviour: Individual and environmental factors quite problematic, but Minor delinquent behaviour Except violent behaviour Threshold?

Type of Girls High Desistance (7.5%) Low intelligent 100% problems with regulating aggression Very bad social skills Very low self esteem Very bad contact with peers ¾ delinquent friends 100% experienced negative life events 36% from divorced family

Type of Girls High Desistance (7.5%) In combination with offending behaviour Most ‘typical’ delinquents Profile similar to Low Desisters, but more negative However, big difference in frequency of offending Threshold

Type of Girls Late Onset (4.1%) High intelligent Low self esteem Not really good social skills No personality disorders Delinquent friends Relatively little negative life events No really good contact with peers No divorce

Type of Girls Late Onset (4.1%) In combination with offending behaviour More difficult to typify because of small n Relatively little risk factors High impressionable?

Conclusion Clearly different groups of girls Most girls do not cause a lot of problems (88%!) Correct expectation recidivism by institution