Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Adolescent Girls
There was a time when law enforcement calls involving youth were nearly always for adolescent boys. Girls were rarely arrested, and when they were, it was usually for non-violent “status” offenses such as running away, truancy, or curfew violations. But this has changed. Although juvenile crime overall has decreased in the past decade, arrest rates for girls have declined at a much slower rate on most crimes and status offenses, compared to boys. At the same time, research on the adolescent brain and childhood trauma has given us new insights into juvenile behavior, including ways that girls differ from boys. It is becoming clear that some juvenile justice approaches geared to boys may not be as effective with girls and, in some cases, may even make the situation worse. The IACP has developed a number of training, tools, and resources for law enforcement to enhance police response to adolescent girls.
Coming Soon!! New Online Training Series
In Fall 2018, the IACP will be launching a new online training series, titled Enhancing Law Enforcement Responses to Adolescent Girls. The series includes three training sessions:
- Understanding Adolescent Girls and Delinquent Behavior
- Interpreting and Responding to Adolescent Girls’ Behavior
- Interacting with Adolescent Girls
This self-paced, interactive online training series will be available at no cost and is targeted at law enforcement, juvenile justice system staff, and allied stakeholders who work with adolescent girls.
This training series will provide information to participants to effectively respond to situations that involve contact with girls 12 to 17 years old. Throughout this training series, participants will learn about current trends in adolescent girls’ behavior, examine their pathways to delinquency, discuss risk factors and gang involvement for girls versus boys, practice ways to interpret adolescent girls’ behavior to assist in assessing and responding effectively, and explore communication strategies that aid law enforcement officers in gathering information, de-escalating potential crisis situations, and enhance their decision-making abilities.
For additional information, contact [email protected].
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Adolescent Girls Classroom Training Curriculum
This two-day classroom curriculum, last updated in 2014, was designed to equip law enforcement with effective responses to situations that involve contact with girls aged 12-17 who may be suspects, offenders, or victims. Through lecture, interactive discussions and exercises, law enforcement officers learn strategies they can use to increase positive interactions with, and decrease the probability of arrest or incarceration of, adolescent girls who may be at-risk of or involved in delinquent behavior. This curriculum is best suited for first responders, patrol, youth/school resource officers, or juvenile detectives/investigators. The following topics are covered in this curriculum:
- Girls and Law Enforcement
- Adolescent Girls and Delinquent Behavior
- Interpreting and Responding to Adolescent Girls’ Behavior
- Interacting with Adolescent Girls
- Next Steps in Your Community
To request this classroom training curriculum, including the Facilitators’ Guide, Participant Workbook, and presentation material, please contact Erin Feeley at [email protected] or 1-800-THE-IACP ext. 815.
Improving Law Enforcement Responses to Adolescent Girls Resource Brief
In 2013, the IACP, in partnership with the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), released a publication that provides law enforcement tips and strategies on how to improve outcomes when interacting with adolescent girls in the field. This resource brief provides some reasons why girls often behave differently from boys and tips on how to approach situations involving girls in a way that will lead to the best possible outcome for them while ensuring public safety. By understanding the unique needs of adolescent girls, police officers will be better prepared to de-escalate conflicts and address underlying problems - and ultimately avoid being called back to the same situations again and again.
