Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
Definitely Not the Girls in the Juvenile Justice System
This chapter focuses on the specific challenges faced by girls within the juvenile justice system—challenges that stem from their gendered identities and perceptions about female sexuality. It also examines how girls' sexual agency is criminalized, rendering girls' sexual conduct non-normative or deviant. Unlike boys, girls are expected to remain pure until marriage and not to explore their sexuality. If girls act on their sexual curiosity, they are considered promiscuous and are subject to delinquent behavior. Moreover, once in the juvenile justice system, they are treated differently than their male counterparts. Existing treatment programs to rehabilitate juveniles were developed primarily for male offenders, meaning that girls' treatment and rehabilitation needs often go unmet.
Keywords: juvenile justice system, gendered identities, female sexuality, sexual curiosity
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