Criminalizing abused girls

The juvenile justice system routinely criminalizes girls who are victims of extreme abuse. These girls often act out in ways that cause them to be arrested. For many of these girls there seems to be a significant link between the abuse and neglect they have experienced, the lack of appropriate interventions or treatment, and the behaviors that lead to their arrests. Courts focus on the girls' aggressive actions, instead of the trauma they have endured and how that trauma might be related to the crime for which they are charged. Because the juvenile justice system fails to encompass an understanding of why girls use force, the system fails to adequately address girls' needs. This article depicts the cycle of trauma, aggression, misdiagnosis, and inadequate treatment that is common in the juvenile justice system and results in driving girls deeper into the system.