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 delinquency are discussed, from a behavioural and psychiatric perspective. At first the existence and nature of female juvenile delinquency is described. Further a, mostly literature-based, analysis of gender-related differences in juvenile delinquency and psychopathology is presented. Finally the results are given of a dossier research project into the behavioural aspects of female juvenile delinquency. Girls commit fewer and less serious offences. Girls in a detention centre are younger than boys in the same centre. Few 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, substance 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 development 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 and the reasons for placing girls in a detention centre should throw light on the development process of female juvenile delinquents. Copyright 2000 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.