Transcript Research on Girls
“We’ll Take 10 of Your Boys if You Take 1 of Our Girls !”
Wisconsin Juvenile Court Intake Association Training Conference Madison, Wisconsin
September 14, 2005
Trainer: Paula Schaefer
Introduction
*
Power point notes * Resources * Goals *Evaluations
“ …girls are at the intersection of numerous social systems such as public health, human services, criminal & juvenile justice, housing, education, employment and treatment services. The degree to which girls’ gender & cultural needs are recognized, acknowledged and met in these systems can either interrupt or perpetuate the intergenerational cycle of crime, poverty, chemical dependency and abuse.”
MN Action Plan for Female Offenders Report, Feb. 2002
“Justice by Gender: The Lack of Appropriate Prevention, Diversion and Treatment Alternatives for Girls in the Justice System”
American Bar Assoc. & the Nat’l Bar Assoc.
2002 Report www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus
We Know The Risk Factors
(Pathways)
Childhood sexual, physical abuse, neglect
Domestic violence
Conflicted family relationships
Family substance abuse
School failure
Poverty
Early teen pregnancy “Justice by Gender: The Lack of Appropriate Prevention, Diversion and Treatment Alternatives for Girls in the Justice System”
What The System Needs: “A developmentally sound, culturally competent system of care for at-risk & delinquent girls from arrest to commitment must individualize services to meet girls’ educational, emotional, health & family needs.” ABA/NBA Report
Understand & Respect Where Girls Come From Family Community Life Stressors & Experiences/Trauma Culture of Survival Historical Trauma Response ~
beyond
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Historical Trauma
“Past events shape current reality.” “Historical trauma refers to cumulative wounding across generations as well as during one’s current life span.” “Examining Two Facets of American Indian Identity: Exposure to Other Cultures and the Influence of Historical Trauma”, by Weaver & Yellow Horse Brave Heart, printed in Voices of First Nations People: Human Services Considerations, edited by Hilary Weaver 1999
Our girls are NOT crazy
What girls want staff to know about girls:
”When working with girls you need patience – we are very emotional & need attention.”
“We are different in every way”
“ We’re alike them in some type of way – were not always as bad as some people make us sound. We need them to have a little faith in us.” “We all need care, love, suport.” “We all have emotional problems & need more counseling than disiplen.” “We are not so bad.” “No matter how odd girls seem or how difficult they seem they still deserve respect.”
“Girls take more time than guys ~ you need to talk more deeper with us”
“Stuff that happens to girls stays with them longer than it does with boys ~ stays in our heads longer…”
“We are more sensitive”
“Everything we do in juvenile justice must be value driven.”
Gordon Bazemore
Our values about the girls we work with determine the care and treatment they receive from us…
How are the girls in your system viewed?
Dr. Laura Burney Nissen Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Victim Lens
The Villain Lens
The RESOURCE Lens
One thing I’d like staff to know about me:
“I have a quick temper & run out of patience
very quickly. I tend to have strange moments
when I cry or sing or dance for no reason.” best to express myself in a positive way.”
“I am a kid.” “I am unique & get along with people.”
“I do try to control myself from acting out & I try my
“I’m very out spoken but, I have feelings to, I may appear angry but I’m very sweet also. I just need for people to respect me & except me for me.” “I’m nice. I’m intelligent. Pretty good child.”
“Sometimes I need a little bit of comfort.”
What do we know about girls?
Psychosocial Development
Girls: Boys:
Define self in relation to how others feel about them Focus is on connectedness & interdependence Relationships are central Work to avoid isolation Define self in relation to their place in the world Focus is on independence & autonomy Interested in how to get ahead & gain status Work to avoid intimacy
What We All Need
To feel safe To feel loved To feel important To belong (or why girls do what they do …)
We need to help girls get their needs met in healthy , legal & safe , ways.
“Feeling Safe: What Girls Say”
Report from the Girl Scout Research Institute 2003
“My mental health is most important because if I don’t think clearly then I can’t act right.”
age 16
Considerations for Adults Regarding Safety
Don’t assume to know what girls consider important Do not judge, threaten, lecture, issue orders, and/or try to ‘teach girls a lesson’ by withholding help Realize that a safe location is not enough.
Trusted relationships, in which girls feel valued & supported, are what makes girls feel emotionally safe.
Source: “Feeling Safe: What Girls Say” by Girls Scouts Research Institute
“If I can’t trust you, which I don’t trust many people, then I’m not safe.”
“I will not speak without being shy unless I know the person and trust that person.”
We can only get our needs met within the context of our relationships …
For girls, becoming healthy will require an assessment and potential reshaping of their relationships. Juvenile justice professionals play a key role in helping girls do this work.
What is any agency or facility’s most important safety & security tool?
RELATIONSHIPS!
Between staff & staff Between girls & staff Between girls & girls
Relationships are central to girls’ lives.
“In the absence of loving relationships, rules inspire rebellion in adolescents.
Relationships are what holds girls’ lives in place.”
Reviving Ophelia, Mary Pipher
Success through Relationships: Make sure each girl is connected ~ within the program and within her community
Adults work to become key relationships
Focus on community responsibility vs. rules
Focus on violation of relationship vs. violation of rules & laws
Reintegration into community (program & home)
“Do’s & Don’t’s” in Relationship Building with Girls
Don't send girls to strangers …
Let girls know you care about them (even when they mess up)
“Catch them doing good” and praise them for their efforts
Teach them how to make good decisions & then let them make them
Teach girls ways to stay connected with people who are important to them without sacrificing themselves to their relationships.
Societal Influences
“I don’t like no females!
I only hang out with the guys!!
Messages from the Dominant Culture
“Addressing racism and sexism in an open and forthright manner is essential to building psychological health in African American children.”
~
Janie Victoria Ward
“Raising Resisters: The role of Truth Telling in the Psychological Development of African American Girls”
Restore girls to their relationships, their communities and to themselves
Individual Change Relational Change Community Change We need to acknowledge & deal with girls’ strengths, problem behaviors and life stressors.
We must intentionally intervene with girls as offenders and victims.
The majority of girls who come into the juvenile justice system are crime victims themselves …
“Being abused is consistently identified as the first step along a girl’s pathway into the juvenile justice system.”
Girls Inc. August 2002
Helping Girls Heal
Create communities of healing Educate girls on victimization issues Give girls an opportunity to process what happened to them & learn new ways to cope Mandatory staff training on sexual/physical abuse & PTSD Access “expert” community resources Understand impact of culture, race, ethnicity & all of the “isms” on trauma recovery Assess policies and procedures
“Traditional methods of preserving order & asserting authority in [detention] centers ( especially ‘tough’ physically confrontational approaches & the use of isolation & restraints from PTSD.” ) may backfire with female detainees who suffer “Trauma Among Girls in the Juvenile Justice System” National Child Traumatic Stress Network 2004
We Talk About “Empowering Girls” Power & Control Misuse of Power Overuse of Power Under use of power
How is Power used in your agencies & facilities?
We can’t teach girls how to regain their sense of personal power by misusing power ourselves … To empower girls requires that we SHARE POWER with Girls!
Promising Approaches for Girls Staff are well trained & have a voice Restorative Treatment Communities Health & Wellness as a treatment focus Address trauma issues & provide support Culturally relevant interventions & services Resources: Books, curricula, interventions & support services designed for girls Girls have a voice in the services they receive
What Group Topics Girls Would Like: “Drugs, anger, guys, sex.”
“What should we do when you have boyfriends or family members that use drugs.” alcohol.” “Health class, art.” “Anger management, abuse issues, drugs &
“How to protect myself from violence.”
“Emotions, family, funny past times… Things that aren’t so serious all the time.”
“Domestic violence, sex, placement”
“Sexual abuse, anger management” “Gangs, Domestic Violence & all types of abuse”
“Drugs: affects, harms, etc.”
“Sex, drugs, and emotions.”
“Drugs, pregnancy.”
“Family violence.”
“Family issues * more substance abuse groups with graphic movies, stories, pictures * sexual abuse * teen pregnancy * STD’s * HIV * AIDS”
“Life in the real world”
“Sex, drugs, relationships”
“Family issues, Run away behaviors, Drug abuse, Life & Future” “Anything interesting”
“Rape, domestic violence, death of a friend or family member, anger.”
“Law, women’s rights, sex.”
“Social skills.”
Wisconsin Program for Girls
Brooke Whitley
Polk County G.I.R.L.S Group
Funding Sources
Lion’s Clubs Snowmobile Clubs Homemakers Groups Women’s Clubs Small Businesses Law Firms Individuals Supply Donations Grants
Polk County G.I.R.L.S. Group
G
reat
I
ndependent
R
ockin’
L
oyal
S
isters
What We Do
We get to take a break from our lives for a few hours a week… Each week a woman from the Polk County Community comes and spends the afternoon with us.
She teaches us a hobby or skill and also has lots of supplies for us to take home. We also go on field trips to various places to experience new things.
We practice respect and gratitude through the thoughtful and sincere “thank you” notes that we write.
We discover talents and skills that we never knew we had.
Our self esteem improves, our relationships strengthen and our brains grow!
We also just get to be GIRLS and we get to be SILLY!!
Here are some highlights…
You Can Do It!!
☺☺☺
More Promising Approaches…
Gender separate programming & residential services Strong community support & connections Strength based individual & family services
A Strength-Based Interventions… Is one that creates an interconnected web of positive opportunities, linkages and resources that propel and encourage a youth.
To a trajectory of success, competency, development, accountability, accomplishment and positive, supportive community relationships. We have to make a deep commitment to simultaneously develop our capacity to BUILD kids, not just control and contain, or heal them.
Dr. Laura Burney Nissen
Recommendations from the Justice By Gender Report
:
Facilitate communication & collaboration with federal, state, national & community based organizations that serve or are concerned about girls
Map the flow of girls through the JJ system & identify points at which the system can divert or treat girls more effectively
Collect & review state & local policies & practices to assess the gender impact of decision making & system structure
ABA/NBA Recommendations Cont’d
Promote an integrated system of care for at-risk & delinquent girls & their families based on their competencies & needs.
Ensure that resources exist to provide multi-level, multidisciplinary training & technical assistance for lawyers, service providers & other justice system personnel Identify & re-evaluate the charging & diversion, detention & disposition procedures that do not meet the needs of at-risk or delinquent girls & recommend how to address these problems.
Assess the adequacy of services to meet the needs of at-risk or delinquent girls & address gaps in services
Re-evaluate risk & other assessment practices for their gender sensitivity, & recommend alternatives that more adequately identify the competencies & needs of at-risk & delinquent girls
Identify/Promote Policies & Practices Which
Avoid:
Ushering girls into juvenile justice facilities for status offenses
Charging girls with assault in family
conflict situations Detaining girls to “protect” them
Over-utilizing secure facilities for girls, particularly for minority girls
Systems Change …
Prevention & early intervention focus Childhood trauma: interventions & support Restorative/community justice initiatives Evaluation: tied to funding, prove female responsive services are cost effective, develop performance outcomes, indicators & measures Conditions of confinement: address & prevent abuse in residential services Strength Based & Resiliency Focus
Color Outside of the Lines: Involve Anyone & Everyone in the Work
YWCA’s & YMCA’s Community Service Groups College/Universities Dept. of Health Dept. of Education Dept. of Economic Security United Way Faith Communities Girls Scouts Cultural Communities
Other Resources
GIRLS! Their Families & Communities!
Girls Circle Curriculum Ph: (707) 794-8477 www.girlscircle.com
Looking for Love Ph: 513-721-8932 An Income of Her Own www.independentmeans.com
Passages: A Journal for Growing Home Ph: 651-224-8967 www.growinghome.org
Voices: A Program For Self-Exploration & Empowerment For Girls Ph: 858-454-8528 Email: [email protected]
National Women’s History Project www.nwhp.prg
AMICUS – Ph: 612-348-8570 www,amicususa.org
Training & Technical Assistance Nat’l Institute of Corrections (NIC) Seminar: Juvenile Female Offenders www.nicic.org Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Tech. Assist. & training through DSG: 1-877-465-2424 Native American Training Institute http://www.nativeinstitute.org/ Annual MOAPP Conference www.moappp.org
Annual Whispers & Screams Conference, Iowa www.state.ia.us/dhr/sw/girls May 12 & 13 th 11 th National Workshop on Adult & Juvenile Female Offenders – Hosted by MN DOC Oct. 15 – 19, 2005 www.ajfo.org
One hope that you have for staff:
”Staff will be more understanding about our problems.”
“will learn to accept us as we are – stay calm to the best of your ability”
“that they have patience to live with us when we have a little attitude.” “Someday staff will really see that even though we’ve made mistakes, staff can see that we can have a future in our lives.” “Get a better understanding of girls & the way we feel & the way we act & why we act that way.” “staff learn that even though they think we aren’t listening & understanding, staff really are helping us in the long run.”
“It’s all about the ‘ears’ - Listening!”
The End ~ Thank You!
Evaluations Please
Paula Schaefer Ph: 612-702-5317 [email protected]
Recommendations from the Justice By Gender Report
:
Facilitate communication & collaboration with federal, state, national & community based organizations that serve or are concerned about girls
Map the flow of girls through the JJ system & identify points at which the system can divert or treat girls more effectively
Collect & review state & local policies & practices to assess the gender impact of decision making & system structure
ABA/NBA Recommendations Cont’d
Promote an integrated system of care for at-risk & delinquent girls & their families based on their competencies & needs.
Ensure that resources exist to provide multi-level, multidisciplinary training & technical assistance for lawyers, service providers & other justice system personnel Identify & re-evaluate the charging & diversion, detention & disposition procedures that do not meet the needs of at-risk or delinquent girls & recommend how to address these problems.
Assess the adequacy of services to meet the needs of at-risk or delinquent girls & address gaps in services
Re-evaluate risk & other assessment practices for their gender sensitivity, & recommend alternatives that more adequately identify the competencies & needs of at-risk & delinquent girls
Identify/Promote Policies & Practices Which
Avoid:
Ushering girls into juvenile justice facilities for status offenses
Charging girls with assault in family
conflict situations Detaining girls to “protect” them
Over-utilizing secure facilities for girls, particularly for minority girls
Systems Change …
Prevention & early intervention focus Childhood trauma: interventions & support Restorative/community justice initiatives Evaluation: tied to funding, prove female responsive services are cost effective, develop performance outcomes, indicators & measures Conditions of confinement: address & prevent abuse in residential services Strength Based & Resiliency Focus
Color Outside of the Lines: Involve Anyone & Everyone in the Work
• • • • • • • • YWCA’s & YMCA’s •
Community Service Groups
•
College/Universities Dept. of Health Dept. of Education Dept. of Economic Security United Way Faith Communities Girls Scouts Cultural Communities