2006/09/01 by Stephen M. Gavazzi, Courtney M. Yarcheck, Meda Chesney‐Lind · 2 citations
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis #Child Abuse and Trauma #Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
paper · doi:10.1177/0093854806288184
openalex publication_date 2006/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Growing evidence regarding the gender-specific nature of risk/needs factors in girls coming to the attention of the juvenile court is contrasted with the limited availability of gender-sensitive assessment instruments designed to measure risk/needs. In the present study, data are gathered from a sample of male and female youth assessed at a juvenile court detention facility. As hypothesized, analyses revealed significantly higher scores for males on prior offenses and significantly higher scores for females on family/parenting, mental health, traumatic events, and health-related risks. Unexpectedly, females also scored significantly higher than males in domains associated with psychopathy, accountability, and peer relationships. Female and male youth also differed in type of offense that brought them to the attention of the detention facility. In turn, type of offense was a predictor of risk/needs levels in the family/parenting domain, underscoring the particularly salient role family factors play in the lives of court-involved youth.