Kristi Holsinger

The Gendered Nature of Risk Factors for Delinquency

Traditional delinquency theories typically exclude girls and examine economic marginalization as the primary risk factor for boys. More recent mainstream theories expand the childhood strains associated with delinquency but fail to account for the link between childhood abuses and subsequent offending reported in the feminist pathways studies of girls and women. In addition, policies since the 1990s request the development of “gender-specific services” for delinquent girls without examining how the risks are gendered. This study of 444 incarcerated youths’ self-reports indicates the contribution of feminist pathways to better understand the risks associated with and improve the responses to girls’ and boys’ delinquency by examining demographic, abuse, family, school and peer, and self-esteem variables.

Differential Pathways to Violence and Self-Injurious Behavior: African American and White Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

Since the early 1990s, research, largely from a feminist perspective, has been devoted to identifying the “gender-specific needs” of delinquent girls. This article explores racial differences between girls and how these differences may affect the commission of violent behavior and self-injurious behavior. Self-report data were collected from 163 girls incarcerated in Ohio in 1998. Data were collected on a wide range of variables, including potentially criminogenic areas such as abuse, antisocial attitudes, drug use, type of parenting received, self-esteem, family experiences, and mental health. The findings indicate that some of these variables differ significantly by race. Furthermore, these criminogenic areas are investigated in order to test their relationship to self-reports of violence, self-injurious behavior, suicide attempts, and overall delinquency. These models are then examined by race with findings that demonstrate the fallacy of representing girls as a homogeneous group. Of particular interest is how differently girls respond to abuse, based on race.

Sexual Minority Status, Abuse, and Self-Harming Behaviors among Incarcerated Girls

This self-report study of 404 incarcerated youth found extraordinarily high rates of sexual minority status (SMS; i.e., lesbian/gay or bisexual) among the girls, particularly girls of color. Further analyses of the 107 girls 16 and older found that SMS girls reported being the victims of abuse and engaging in self-harming behaviors more than non-SMS (straight) girls. Structural equation models indicated that regardless of sexual identity, abuse was a risk factor for self-harming. This relationship held for physical or sexual abuse and for abuse by family members or people outside the family. Relative to non-SMS girls, SMS girls demonstrated higher rates of sexual abuse, primarily family sexual abuse, which mediated the relationship between SMS and self-harming.

Teaching to Make a Difference

This article addresses college classes as forums for activism. One course brought college students together with system-involved girls for a mentoring program to provide often-unavailable, relationship-oriented services to girls. A second course provided a unique educational experience for incarcerated youth and traditional college students to study restorative justice. As such, the course itself was an attempt to practice restorative justice principles by strengthening the damaged relationship between offenders and the community. Data collected from participants allow for an exploration of the experiences, perceptions, and changes in attitudes and beliefs. Further discussion on linking activism and teaching is presented.

The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Girls in Juvenile Justice Systems

Recent research finds that youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) are disproportionately incarcerated in juvenile justice systems. These systems have paid little attention to this subgroup in terms of their unique needs and risk factors. Using a feminist perspective, we analyze in-depth interviews with juvenile justice staff to better understand their perceptions about working with these youth. We examine the challenges for staff, for facilities, and for the girls, as well as consider staff recommendations for changes in policies or programs that are needed to support girls who identify as LGBT.

Mentoring girls in juvenile facilities: Connecting college students with incarcerated girls

This paper describes a course offered over the past two summers (2000 and 2001) in the Sociology/Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The course brought college students together with system-involved girls for an eight-week mentoring program. The development and a description of the course are presented, along with the rationale for providing this type of relationally-oriented program to girls. Based primarily on analyses of student papers, there is an exploration of the experiences, perceptions, and changes in attitudes and beliefs of the student mentors. The goal of the course was to provide enriching educational experiences for the students and to provide beneficial and often unavailable services to girls involved in the juvenile justice system. This assessment shows that the course was successful in achieving those outcomes and highlights the key components of a positive and productive relationship between mentor and mentee. This process analysis demonstrates the successes and problems and issues faced in the implementation of such a course.

Predictors of Domestic Violence Prosecution in a State Court

Abstract Successful prosecution of state-level domestic violence cases typically requires participation from the victim. However, given the unique factors associated with these cases, the assistance of a victim advocate may be beneficial in maintaining victim cooperation. This research examines 353 cases to determine if victim cooperation and case disposition could be predicted by victim advocacy, victim injuries, defendants use of a weapon, and the presence of witnesses. Findings from logistic regression analysis suggest that victim assistance was significantly related to both victim cooperation and case disposition. Further, victim cooperation and the presence of witnesses significantly increased the likelihood of a conviction.

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth Incarcerated in Delinquent Facilities

The incarcerated population of both youth and adults has long been characterized as disproportionately male, of color, and poor, compared to their numbers in the community (non-incarcerated individuals). When sexual minority status (SMS) or sexual identity has been addressed, it has typically been to sensationalize, demonize, and pathologize incarcerated SMS youth and adults. Our research is the only existing study, of which we are aware, that documents the representation of SMS youth among incarcerated youth. In this state-wide study of 404 girls and boys incarcerated in Ohio, we found it significant that SMS incarcerated youth tended to want more treatment/counseling than their non-SMS counterparts, particularly sexual and physical abuse counseling. There were far fewer differences in these youth based on SMS in terms of their desires for programs that were not treatment/counseling, and in all of these cases, the non-SMS youth wanted the programs more than the SMS youth. The findings stress the need to acknowledge incarcerated youths’ needs that may be accentuated by SMS.

College course participation for incarcerated youth: Bringing restorative justice to life

This paper describes a course taught in restorative justice during fall semester 2003. The objective of this semester‐long class was to offer a unique educational experience to incarcerated youth and traditional college students. Youth from a correctional facility traveled to campus once a week to participate in the class. The theory and practices of restorative justice provided the foundation for the content of the course. Restorative justice, one of many correctional ideologies, seeks to repair the harm caused by crime, mend the relationship between the community and offenders, and attempts to reintegrate the youth back into society. As such, the course itself was an attempt to practice restorative justice principles by strengthening the damaged relationship between offenders and the community. Using qualitative data, the paper examines the impact of the course on court‐involved youth and the college students, and provides a detailed description of the course itself. Problems and issues are also discussed to facilitate replication of the class.