Guiding Principles for Promising Female Programming

Book excerpt: This monograph outlines the promising practices in programming for girls who are already involved in the juvenile justice system or who are at risk of delinquency. The purpose of the monograph is to provide practical information to practitioners and policymakers on how to design and implement gender-specific programs for girls. The first chapter emphasizes the urgent need for programming for girls and offers a statistical look at female delinquency, provides a summary of female adolescent theory, and identifies the risk factors girls face because of gender. Chapter 2 describes the planning involved in creating gender-specific programs. It cites the policies that encourage gender-specific programming for girls and presents reports from States that have taken ground-breaking steps on behalf of girls. It defines gender-specific programming and provides an overview of the elements programs must provide for girls. Chapter 3 provides an in-depth look at the key elements and features of programs that are designed to serve the specific needs of girls. An appendix describes 16 promising programs currently offering gender-specific services to girls in both residential and community-based settings.