Intervention outcomes for girls referred from juvenile justice: effects on delinquency

Abstract

An increasing number of girls are entering the juvenile justice system. However, intervention programs for delinquent girls have not been examined empirically. The authors examined the 12-month outcomes of a randomized intervention trial for girls with chronic delinquency (N = 81). Girls were randomly assigned into an experimental condition (Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care; MTFC) or a control condition (group care; GC). Analyses of covariance indicated that MTFC youth had a significantly greater reduction in the number of days spent in locked settings and in caregiver-reported delinquency and had 42% fewer criminal referrals than GC youth (a trend) at the 12-month follow-up. Implications for reducing girls' chronic delinquency are discussed.

Figures

Figure 1

Flow diagram of participants through each stage of the randomized trial.