1. Female Delinquency
Similarities and differences between male and female delinquency:
girls offenses less serious
crimes committed by boys more varied
half of all girls arrested are arrested for one of two offenses:
Larceny theft (which for girls is usually shoplifting)
Running away from home.

2. Paths into the Juvenile Justice System
Delinquent Offenses
Status Offenses
Runaway
Truancy
Curfew
Alcohol/Cigarettes

3. Females and Status Offenses
60% of those referred for running away are girls
13% of girls are in correctional facilities for status offenses, compared to just 3% of all boys
Just under one-fourth of girls are in juvenile court for a criminal offense

4. Abuse and Running Away
For girls running away stems from abuse, especially sexual abuse
Some estimate that 70% of girls who run away have been sexually abused
As many as 2/3 of girls in detention have been sexually abused

5. Most Serious Crime under the Uniform Crime Reports Part I/Index Offenses
Index Crimes
Homicide
Forcible rape
Robbery
Aggravated assault
Burglary
Larceny
Motor vehicle theft
Arson

6. Part II Offenses Include:
simple assault
curfew offenses
loitering
embezzlement
forgery and counterfeiting,
disorderly conduct
driving under the influence
drug offenses
fraud
gambling
liquor offenses,
Prostitution
public drunkenness
stolen property
vandalism
weapons offenses

7. Violent Crime Index (OJJDP)

8. Murder (OJJDP)

9. Robbery (OJJDP)

10. Aggravated Assault (OJJDP)

11. Burglary (OJJDP)

12. Property Crime Index (OJJDP)

13. Drug Abuse Arrests (OJJDP)

14. The daily patterns of juvenile violent crimes are similar for males and females (OJJDP)

17. Extent of Female Delinquency
Arrests of males outnumber female arrests by more than a 2:1 ratio
Common Males Offenses:
Males more likely to be arrested for violent crimes and serious property crimes
Possession of stolen property, vandalism, weapons offenses, “other assaults,” drugs.
Common Female Offenses:
Running away, prostitution, shoplifting

18. Nature of Female Delinquency
Shoplifting
Young people (esp. girls) are especially sensitive to the consumer culture: they steal things they feel they need, or indeed may actually need but cannot afford.
Women constitute a large proportion of those who shop, spend more time doing it as a pastime, and consequently are exposed to greater temptation.
girls are more likely than boys to shoplift cosmetics and clothes; boys are more likely to steal electronic items (and also steal items they give to girls)
girls spend more time shopping, are more carefully watched by store detectives, who report they are suspicious of young people in groups, particularly if they are not dressed well

19.  Status Offenses
running away and curfew violation constitute a major portion of official female delinquency (about 25% of their arrests) and that they are far less prominent in male delinquency
Girls are more likely than boys to not only be arrested for these two offenses, but referred to court
The more further into the juvenile justice system we get, we find girls receiving harsher punishments for status offenses than their male counterparts.
23% of girls in residential placement are in for status offenses, compared to only 4% of the boys.
Parents apply a double standard, which is one explanation for the over-representation of girls charged with status offenses in court

20. Importance of Sexual Abuse
Childhood sexual abuse often leads girls into behaviors such as running away from home or other status offenses.
Effects of abuse last longer for girls
fear, anxiety, depression, anger and hostility, and inappropriate sexual behavior, running away from home, difficulties in school, truancy, and early marriage and others are among the long-term effects
Note the findings from surveys of females in correctional institutions
girls’ problem behavior commonly relates to
an whereas boys' law violating behavior reflects their involvement in a delinquent life style

21. Sexual Abuse 
Childhood sexual abuse often leads girls into behaviors such as running away from home or other status offenses.
Effects of abuse last longer for girls
fear, anxiety, depression, anger and hostility, and inappropriate sexual behavior, running away from home, difficulties in school, truancy, and early marriage and others are among the long-term effects
Note the findings from surveys of females in correctional institutions
girls’ problem behavior commonly relates to an abusive and traumatizing home, life, whereas boys' law violating behavior reflects their involvement in a delinquent life style

22. Aggression and Gender 
Research has uncovered two types of aggression: relational aggression and the effects of trauma.
girls demonstrate higher levels of relational aggression
behavior aimed at hurting someone without the use of physical aggression (yelling, insulting, and teasing)
Trauma (resulting from physical and sexual abuse), which results in the lesson that “might makes right”
As a result girls often engage in “horizontal violence” directed at other powerless girls (often with boys as the audience).

23. Re-labeling Status Offenses
Behaviors once categorized as status offenses and domestic violence cases have been re-labeled into violent offenses, potentially accounting for increases in girls’ arrest trends.
Proportion of those in domestic violence cases who were women or girls went from 6%  in 1988 to 16.5% in 1998  in California.
Blacks women and girls were 3 times more likely to be arrested than whites
Maryland study found that half of girls referred to juvenile court for “person offenses” were “family centered” and involved such activities as “a girl hitting her mother and her mother subsequently pressing charges”
Same findings from a study of 1,000 cases in Calif.
Examine table 5-5

24. Girls and Robbery 
Juvenile robbery is different than the stereotype would suggest
It is the “low‑yield,” criminal “mischief” category of offenses, rather than the stereotypical “armed robbery” like mugging or bank robbery
Mostly involves stealing from fellow peers who have material possessions, rather than adults (rarely do they rob seniors)
Often done for thrills and excitement and a desire to target kids who are perceived as “show‑offs”
Rarely planned in advanced and done in groups of two or more.

25. Girls and Robbery 
Very gender-specific - boys more aggressive (more likely to use weapons), girls less so
For both, getting money and ‘status conferring goods,” such as jewelry, are the primary motivations for committing the offense for both males and females