Girls violence in Philadelphia: A Community Assessment

Little has been done to address the issues contributing to girl-committed violent crimes. The negative effects of an uninterrupted cycle of female adolescent violence include short- and long-term consequences: trauma and other mental health disorders, dropping out of school, incarceration, difficulty in relationships, and having children who are at increased risk for delinquency.

In 2008 we concluded a preliminary qualitative assessment for Philadelphia's Department of Human Services involving face-to-face interviews with 100 girls in the juvenile justice system and with 14 key informants knowledgeable about adolescent violence and involved in city-wide policy development. The assessment provided Philadelphia with first-time information to effectively reduce and prevent female youth violence. Findings suggest a need for local programming that goes far beyond replicating what is done for at-risk males:

• Address trauma in female-initiated violence;

• Train parents and mentors to provide age-appropriate advice and modeling for girls;

• Build formalized and improved connections between school, family, and specialists such as the truant officer and school nurse;

• Multi-faceted programming in the juvenile justice system for girls and focusing on integration into social and home environments.

This presentation will:

• Review the unique issues confronting girls in Philadelphia, specifically gaps in service, service accessibility, and barriers to access to programs.

• Illustrate the recent national increase in violent crimes committed by girls.

• Explore services available to girls nationwide and in Philadelphia.

• Describe the assessment process and recommendations for next steps.

• A step-by-step protocol for creating girl-specific programming.