Girls in detention: what are their characteristics? A project to explore and document the character of this target group and the significant ways in which it differs from one consisting of boys

In this article, the differences between male and female juvenile delinquen cy are discussed, from a behavioural and psychiatric perspective. At first the existence and nature of female juvenile delinquency is describ ed. Further a, mostly literature-based, analysis of gender-related differen ces in juvenile delinquency and psychopathology is presented. Finally the r esults are given of a dossier research project into the behavioural aspects of female juvenile delinquency. Girls commit fewer and less serious offenc es. Girls in a detention centre are younger than boys in the same centre. F ew Turkish and Moroccan girls are seen. The majority of girls are placed in a detention centre by a Civil Court Order. A relatively high percentage of retarded girls was found. Multiple sexual contacts from an early age, subs tance abuse, running away from home and truancy are risk behaviours in the development of female juvenile delinquency. In the majority of cases there was no record of previous contacts with the law. It seems as if there are gender related factors according to the developmen t of female juvenile delinquency. Answers on age-differences, early sexual development, the relation between behaviour and psychiatric diagnosis, the role of the risk behaviours in the development of the girls, intelligence a nd the reasons for placing girls in a detention centre should throw light o n the development process of female juvenile delinquents. (C) 2000 The Asso ciation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.