What Happens When Girls are In the Same
Programs as Boys
Girls make up the fastest growing population in the juvenile justice system. However, they interface
with a system designed to meet the needs of boys. As such, the system needs to make appropriate
gender-responsive changes and accommodations. Coed facilities are not designed to confront the
developmental, mental health, and life experiences of girls.
Co-Ed Facilities
In the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP), thirty-six percent of youth in custody live in
facilities that house both males and females. Similarly, 35 percent of programs are coed. However,
coed placement in living units is uncommon (6 percent). Coed placement predominates in detention
programs—86 percent of youth are in a coed program and 17 percent are in a coed living unit.
According to that same OJJDP report (2010) more females than males say they fear being attacked
(44 percent versus 36 percent). More girls express fear of attack from another resident and from
someone outside the facility. 1
“Research has shown that for women in mixed or co-ed treatment groups, there is often a smaller
ratio of females than male members, where women report a gender imbalance. The result is
potential withdrawal from discussion or failure to address personal issues. When issues are left
unaddressed in co-ed groups, this may magnify a woman’s feelings of guilt, shame, and failure, and
ultimately adversely affect treatment outcomes (Hodgins et al, 1997; Nelson-Zlupko et al, 1995)” 2
Impact of Trauma and the Risk of Re-traumatization
Girls enter the juvenile justice system with higher rates of trauma and abuse than their male peers.
In fact, estimates suggest that nearly 78 percent of girls entering the system have a significant
history of emotional, physical and sexual abuse. 3 Most co-ed juvenile justice programs do not make
changes to their detention, intervention and punitive practices that consider girls’ history of abuse.
As a result, “many characteristics of the detention environment (e.g., seclusion, staff insensitivity,
loss of privacy) can exacerbate negative feelings and the sense of a loss of control among girls. In
fact, for females with PTSD, the detention experience may result in ret-traumatization and/or revictimization.” 4
Furthermore, the assessments and techniques used to evaluate juveniles upon entry into detention
facilities are skewed toward the male experience. Therefore, the girls with histories of abuse, PTSD
or other mental illnesses can go undiagnosed and unnoticed.
1
2
3
4
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227729.pdf
NCCD: The Center supports single gender or “girl only” juvenile justice environments”, http://www.justiceforallgirls.org/resources/SmSx.pdf
http://www.act4jj.org/media/factsheets/factsheet_29.pdf
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/img/Gender_Responsiveness_and_Equity.pdf
NCCD Center for Girls &Young Women – 1022 Park St., Ste. 207 • Jacksonville, FL 32204 • 904.598.0901 • www.justiceforallgirls.org
Impact of Male-Centered Programming on Girls
Co-ed facilities and programs often interpret boys and girls behavior similarly despite distinct
developmental and socialization differences between the sexes. Moreover, co-ed facilities are often
poorly equipped to handle the unique way in which girls respond to their incarceration.
Girls tend to want to discuss their punishment or incarceration. Facilitators of co-ed facilities tend
to interpret this response as girls attempting to “talk their way out of the consequences” of their
actions3. This misconception is driven by the fact that their male counterparts are less likely to
respond in a highly verbal manner to their incarceration. In fact, it is estimated that girls use up to
5,000 words a day while males only use 1,500 5. Therefore, the more talkative nature of girls is
indicative of a developmental difference and is not a method of circumventing punishment.
Nevertheless, the more talkative girls are sometimes regarded as more resistant and oppositional.
Moreover, when girls lack the appropriate avenues for self-expression, the results can be
detrimental. To co-ed facilitators, girls’ reactions can be construed as self-destructive, disruptive,
manipulative and attention-seeking, but in fact, the response “may be [a] logically adaptive
response to the world 6.” When programs do not address the different developmental and
externalizing behaviors of girls, the negative labels these girls acquire “erode girls’ pre-existing low
self-esteem and create feelings of shame and distract from underlying causes of behavior4.”
Impact of Co-ed Programming on Recidivism
On March 5, 2004, a Connecticut Judiciary Committee discussed “An Act Prohibiting the Placement
of Female Juvenile Offenders at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School,” a traditionally male
juvenile justice facility. The Committee evaluated the practices of co-ed juvenile justice facilities
and the resulting dangers specific to girls. The Committee found that success rates for girls within
female only facilities were much higher than the success rates for girls within co-ed programs
because “female only facilities are better able to address the specific behavior and treatment needs
of girls, which increases the effectiveness of the program and thereby reduces recidivism and
improves public safety.1”
How Gender Socialization is Reinforced by Co-ed Programming
A male presence within a co-ed program opens the avenue for inappropriate, exploitative sexual
relationships between incarcerated youth. And even in the absence of such a sexual relationship,
even the “presence of a male in the group may produce sexual tension—no matter how innocent—
at a time when young women need to be concentrating on themselves.2”
Additionally, research suggests that many girls commit crimes “for the sake of or to please others...
in shared facilities, girls will compromise their own treatment, even for an imaginary relationships
with a male.2” Therefore, not only is there the opportunity for sexual relationships, but co-ed
programming provides another environment in which an at-risk girl may create an unhealthy
relationship with a male. Same-sex programming can be necessary to “allow young women the time
and environment to overcome their previous socialization to value male relationships over female
ones” and potentiate the opportunity for girls to “learn to cooperate and support one another 7.”
5http://www.women.iowa.gov/ICSW_initiatives/juvenile_justice/docs/GC_Apr_06.pdf
6 http://www.women.iowa.gov/ICSW_initiatives/juvenile_justice/docs/GC_Dec07.pdf; NCCD: The Center supports single gender or “girl only”
juvenile justice environments”, http://www.justiceforallgirls.org/resources/SmSx.pdf
Iowa Commision P Iowa Commission: Promising Directions – Programs that Serve Iowa Girls in a Same-Sex Environment -2005
http://www.women.iowa.gov/resources_tools/docs/PromisingDirections.pdf
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NCCD Center for Girls &Young Women – 1022 Park St., Ste. 207 • Jacksonville, FL 32204 • 904.598.0901 • www.justiceforallgirls.org
Impact of Co-ed Programming on the Facility
In Ventura County, California, one of the co-ed juvenile justice facilities was forced to separate the
girls from boys with a 16 foot fence after a series of sex scandals 8. Having both sexes detained in the
same facility caused a host of problems which “encompass the full spectrum of the facility's
operation including ward treatment services, medical services, mental health services, education,
fund-raising, internal investigations and institution security.1" Therefore, co-ed incarceration not
only had direct impacts on the youth within the program, but it also places undue stress on the
facility’s resources.
Impact of Co-ed Programming on Girls Physically
“A typical girl will gain 30 to 40 pounds during her first three months in a co-ed juvenile justice
facility, while a typical boy gains no weight at all. Separate and different physical plants and
program models allow differential treatment based on gender, which is so critical to the success of
those adolescent girls. 9” Meaning, when girls are placed in co-ed facilities, their developmental and
nutritional needs can be neglected because of the traditional policies used to serve boys. Genderresponsive programming enables girls to receive appropriate nutritional support and care.
Guidelines for Services for Girls
According to the National Institute of Corrections, gender-responsiveness means creating an
environment through site selection, staff selection, program development, content, and material
that reflects an understanding of the realities of women’s
lives and addresses the issues of the participants. Single-sex
programming environments are considered a vital
component of gender-responsive approaches 10. Genderresponsive approaches are multidimensional and are based
on theoretical perspectives that acknowledge women’s
pathways into the criminal justice system. These approaches
address social (e.g. poverty, race, class, gender inequality)
and cultural factors, as well as therapeutic interventions.
These interventions address issues such as abuse, violence,
family relationships, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders. They provide a strength-based
approach to treatment and skills-building. The emphasis is on self efficacy.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1998) recommends the following
guidelines for girls’ programming:
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Programs should be all female;
Girls should be treated in the least restrictive environment, whenever possible;
Programs should be close to their home so as to help maintain family relationships;
Programs should be consistent with female development and stress the role of relationship
between staff and girl;
California coed unit fails to protect girls - October 2002 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3985/is_200210/ai_n9091053/?tag=content;col1
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/juddata/chr/2004jud00305-r001300-chr.htm
Iowa Commission: Promising Directions – Programs that Serve Iowa Girls in a Same-Sex Environment -2005
http://www.women.iowa.gov/resources_tools/docs/PromisingDirections.pdf
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NCCD Center for Girls &Young Women – 1022 Park St., Ste. 207 • Jacksonville, FL 32204 • 904.598.0901 • www.justiceforallgirls.org
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Programs should be prepared to address the needs of parenting and pregnant teens.
According to the National Mental Health Association, programs are needed that focus on building
healthy relationships, addressing victimization, and improving self esteem of girls:
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Adolescent girls have multiple and unique programming needs, including: health care,
education, mental health treatment, mutual support and mentoring opportunities, prenatal
care and parenting skills, substance abuse prevention and treatment, job training, and
family/support strengthening services;
Adolescent female offenders have complex and sometimes conflictual relationships with
family members, boyfriends/relationship partners, and children which present special
challenges for their reintegration and rehabilitation Appropriate treatment of adolescent
female offenders must address these kinds of family issues as well as issues such as violence
and conflict in dating relationships;
Many adolescent girls will not seek mental health treatment or other forms of support for
themselves, instead relying on internalization, avoidance, and self harm as coping strategies.
Juvenile personnel and mental health professionals must be cautious not to re-traumatize
girls who have been abused or victimized while they are encouraging them to learn
appropriate coping strategies and to constructively explore and resolve their feelings.
NCCD Center for Girls &Young Women – 1022 Park St., Ste. 207 • Jacksonville, FL 32204 • 904.598.0901 • www.justiceforallgirls.org