Female Offenders in the Juvenile Justice System: Statistics Summary

The appropriate treatment of female offenders by the juvenile justice system is a
matter of increasing interest to policymakers, practitioners, and the public. The
issue merits our attention and our concern.

Female Offenders in the Juvenile Justice System analyzes patterns in the arrest, judicial management, and correctional placement of female offenders. Citing data from diverse sources, the study notes that females are entering the juvenile justice system more frequently and at younger ages.

Although male juvenile offenders still account for most delinquent acts, the
relative growth in juvenile arrests involving females was more than double the
growth for males between 1989 and 1993. While juvenile arrests for violent
crimes increased 33 percent for males during that period, they increased 55
percent for females. In fact, the ratio of male juvenile arrests to female juvenile
arrests declined from eight to one in 1989 to six to one in 1993.

As the involvement of female offenders in delinquent behavior rises, we must
enhance our efforts to meet this challenge. Consideration of the changing
profile of female delinquency portrayed in this study is an excellent starting
point.