Why Do We Think Young Women Are Committing More Violent Offences? - Page 4

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." (p. 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.

And Then There's the Issue of Abuse In Custody...

The emerging picture of the extent of institutional abuse of young people is grotesque. Young people who have already been labelled as behaviour or management problems are especially vulnerable to abuse at the hands of institutional staff. It is extremely important that victims of abuse can take action and be heard and responded to in supportive ways. Audits and investigations into abuse allegations in residential schools, group homes, orphanages, and custodial centres provide horrendous examples of how and why youth are inadequately protected from abusive conduct. Institutional mechanisms for dealing with internal and external abuse are overwhelmingly inadequate. Reports generally place specific emphasis on the particular needs of young women, who have often been victims of abuse prior to their institutionalization.

It is indeed frightening that children placed under the control of the Canadian government should be experiencing physical, sexual, verbal and emotional abuse. We know that such abuse can have an irreparable debilitating impact on the lives and psyches of youth. The fact that abuse is perpetrated by the very systems established to assist them only underscores the reasonableness of youth rejection of the values and authority that do harm to them.

So What? Now What?

There is sufficient evidence that preventative approaches to addressing crime within the context of socio-economic, gender, racial, and ethno-cultural realities are far more cost-effective than current criminal justice approaches. Accordingly, we should all work towards and support the enhancement and development of high quality supportive services and assistance for children, youth, and adult from universal and enriched health care, child care, and educational opportunities to effective gender, anti-poverty and antiracism and conflict resolution programs.

Rather than see young people in either the adult or the juvenile justice system, the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) would prefer to see better services for youth in community settings. While popular in the short term, " quick fix" criminal justice responses cannot address what are fundamentally social justice and equality issues. It is far too simplistic and shortsighted to presume that the off-loading of scapegoated youth onto the criminal justice system will solve youth crime. Nor will youthful offending be eliminated by tinkering with the Young Offenders Act in isolation. Broader based social reform is fundamental. Harsher sentences have not proved successful in protecting society or rehabilitating the individual.

The legal system reinforces sexist, racist and, classist stereotypes of women while simultaneously legitimizing patriarchal notions of the need to socially control women. We must all commit to transforming the social and economic position of girls and women and adamantly challenge attempts to further subjugate women if we are truly interested in addressing violence in our communities. We must also refuse to fuel panic with exaggerated and inaccurate claims about increased violent offending by women and girls. Refusing to address the issues raised by the involvement of women and girls in our criminal justice system will continue cost us a lot more than money.

Kim Pate is the executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies. CAEFS' 22 member organizations work with and on behalf of women and girls involved with the justice system, particularly those in conflict with the law.

References

Butts, Jeffrey A., Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Update on Statistics: Offenders in Juvenile Court, 1992 Washington, DC: October 1994.

Chesney-Lind, Medal The Female Offender: Girls, Women, and Crime. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc., 1997.

Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies. Submission of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies to the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs Regarding the Comprehensive Review of the Young Offenders Act -Phase II. Ottawa: April 1996.

House of Commons. Renewing Youth Justice: Thirteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs Ottawa: April 1997.

Howard League. " Imprisoning Girls." Criminal Justice The Magazine of the Howard League. Volume 15, Number 2, London, UK: May 1997.

Sales, Nancy Jo. " Privileged Predators: Lost in the Park,'. New York June 16, 1997.

Shaw, Margaret Ontario Women in Conflict with the Law: Young Offenders in the 1991 Survey. Toronto: Ministry of Community and Social Services, 1994.

Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. Youth Court Statistics: 1991-92. Ottawa: September 1992.

Women and Imprisonment Group. Women and Imprisonment. Melbourne, Australia: Fitzroy Legal Service, 1995.