Staff also cite a complete lack of resources for young women in terms of job training (in the community or institutions), education with day care for teenage mothers, or parenting programs. In addition, there are no provisions for pregnant teens within the institutions. Lack of medical staff also places limitations on the movement of pregnant youth to camps or open custody facilities.

The over-representation of young women in custody for administrative breaches (such as the non-payment of fines) and child-welfare type concerns (such as child neglect) are further indicators of systemic bias. Canadian, American, British, and Australian studies of youth court charges and sentencing reveal that young women are disproportionately and overwhelmingly charged and imprisoned for administrative breaches, non-criminal behaviour, and non-status offences (such as traffic violations) (Howard League; Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs; Chesney-Lind 1986).

Of the very few who are arrested for crimes of violence, most involve young women reacting to violence perpetrated against them, or offences previously labelled as status offences that have been reclassified as serious offences as a result of "zero tolerance" (CAEFS; Chesney-Lind 1986). Obviously, we all wish to see a decrease in the use of violence in our communities. However, criminalizing youth does not diminish violence, it merely legitimizes it in the hands of the state.

Young women appearing before the courts tend to have fewer charges against them than males. Systemic bias and discriminatory practices undergo a multiplier effect where gender, race, class, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation converge. The stereotype of girls becoming gun-toting gang-robbers is simply not supported by statistics. That does not mean that there are not specific and egregious examples of young women committing violent offences. It does mean, however, that every time one such incident occurs, journalists and talk show hosts beat the bushes for other examples to support extreme interpretations of the event. Police officers, teachers, social workers, criminologists, and others asked to supply "expert" opinions have a responsibility to present an accurate picture when they choose to comment in such circumstances.

In a discussion of the current focus on girls as gang members and gang leaders, Meda Chesney-Lind succinctly frames the issues and our challenges:

As young women are demonized by the media, their genuine problems can be marginalized and ignored. Indeed, the girls have become the problem. The challenge to those concerned about girls is, then, twofold. First, responsible work on girls in gangs must make the dynamics of this victim blaming clear. Second, it must continue to develop an understanding of girls' gangs that is sensitive to the context in which they arise. In an era that is increasingly concerned about the intersections of class, race, and gender, such work seems long overdue. (1998: 57)

Much is already known about effective and empowering ways to meet the needs of young women. This information, combined with adequate funding for existing and innovative support services and networks, will result in more effective interventions, increased prevention, and decreased recidivism.