The Nature of Girls' Crime

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Girls' involvement in delinquency and crime, though still less than boys', appears to have increased significantly in the past two decades. There is, however, little knowledge about the causes of girls' violence, and few studies have been conducted on young women's delinquency and crime. This article reviews current research on girls' violent behavior, the factors contributing to it, and effective programming strategies to prevent it.

The Nature of Girls' Crime

Although girls are involved in more violent crime than they were a decade ago, violent crimes accounted for only 3.4 percent of girls' arrests in 1994 (Chesney-Lind and Brown, 1999). Part of the increase in their arrest rate for violent crimes may be attributable to changes in the way girls are charged. For example, a girl who shoves her parents in self-defense as she tries to run away is now likely to be arrested for assault, which is a criminal offense; previously, she would have been arrested for the lesser offense of running away (Chesney-Lind and Shelden, 1998). Nonetheless, girls continue to be arrested predominantly for "status" offenses (considered offenses only because the perpetrator is a minor), such as running away or violating curfews (Chesney-Lind and Shelden, 1998).

Differences Between Girls' and Boys' Violence

Violent crimes committed by girls differ significantly from those committed by boys. Although boys are two to three times more likely to carry weapons, girls are more likely to use knives than guns, which are boys' weapon of choice. Girls remain less likely than boys to be arrested in general and far less likely to be arrested for violent crimes (homicide, forcible rape, and aggravated assault) and serious property offenses (burglary and arson). The sex ratio of arrests changed very little during the 1990s: increases in girls' arrests paralleled increases in boys' arrests, suggesting that the upward trend simply "reflect[ed] overall changes in youth behavior" (Chesney-Lind and Brown, 1999, p. 176).

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Girls' Participation in School-Related Violence

Most, but certainly not all, aggressive acts in school, such as physical fighting, bullying, and weapon carrying, are carried out by males and aimed at males. One study reported that nearly 18 percent of boys but only 5 percent of girls carried a weapon to school (Flannery, 1997). However, another study showed that in schools characterized by large numbers of boys carrying weapons, there was a correspondingly high rate of girls carrying weapons (Webster, Gainer, and Champion, 1993).

Causes of Girls' Violence

In the 1970s, violent girls began ...

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