The Conflict Center’s new Female Specific curriculum was designed in response to a disturbing trend noted in juvenile justice departments nationwide over the last decade. According to a 2001 study by the American Bar Association, while the overall crime rate for juveniles has been falling since 1994, the number of girls arrested and incarcerated for drug and assault charges has more than doubled. The recidivism rate for girls has also increased by about 10 % over the past ten years. These increases have been attributed to a need to better understand female delinquency as well as the need for the justice system to better tailor its responses to the needs of girls and women.

 

Historically, the justice system has been designed for men, and this gender bias has resulted in a system that is not effective in either preventing crimes committed by women (because there was no understanding of why women commit crime) nor reducing recidivism (because rehabilitation programs were based on knowledge of typical male developmental and behavioral patterns).

 

In 1996, Colorado formed the Girls Equitable Treatment Coalition (ETC) to address the needs of females.  The coalition is based on the belief that quality, gender specific services need to be provided in order to reduce the risk of girls and women committing an offense, or re-offending.  The ETC guidelines state that there are several criteria that need to be met in order to create successful female specific programming, which have then been incorporated into the Female Specific classes offered by The Conflict Center.

 

One of the most critical components to female specific programming (as identified by ETC) is a focus on relationships.  Girls and women are primarily motivated by relationships. Additionally, attachments to others often help form the foundation of a girl’s identity. Quality gender specific programming needs to not only help young women identify and build healthy, positive relationships but also to respect and acknowledge the importance of the existing relationships a girl has. Failing to acknowledge or respect existing relationships can come across as rejection of the girl herself, resulting in increased feelings of low self worth and a renewed tendency to act out.

 

April 2009

Why Have We Incorporated a Female Specific Class?

By Kelsey Hopson

Another important component of female specific programming is the creation of a safe space.  Many women who commit crimes are victims of violence themselves.  It is important to create a “women-only” space where girls can be free from physical and emotional violence, so that the girls are able to break down some of their emotional barriers and begin to engage in positive, relationship building dialogue in class. Creating an emotionally safe environment encourages the girls to express themselves, share feelings, and develop trust which teaches them new, positive communication skills that they can use to strengthen existing relationships and be better able to build new ones.

 

Lastly, gender specific programming must be empowering.  Many of the women and girls in the justice system are victims of physical and sexual abuse, they have increased responsibility for children in the home, and these and other risk factors inhibit their ability to form mutually supportive peer networks.  Female specific programming should provide strong, female role models in the form of the class instructors, the opportunity for mutual peer support with their classmates, and the opportunity for the girls to look to the future, express and develop dreams, goals, plans and objectives that enable them to envision a path to achieving their ambitions.

 

The hope is that with a clear view of what they want from the future, girls are less likely to commit crimes that will inhibit those goals. By providing them with an example of a positive peer support network, we hope they will be more likely to discuss an issue, instead of physically resolving it. By teaching the girls to value themselves, and utilize support, hopefully the rates of female committed crimes will no longer continue to rise so rapidly.