This book offers a critical analysis of girls’ and women’s experiences in the justice system, from their initial contact with law enforcement to their interaction with prosecutors, judges, and other court officials. Examining the gendered organization of the justice system is an essential step towards gender equity and effective practice in diverse legal settings. This includes recognition of the way women’s intersecting identities influence their perception and experience of the law and the justice system. This book discusses the way gender intersects with race, class, and sexual orientation ... More

This book offers a critical analysis of girls’ and women’s experiences in the justice system, from their initial contact with law enforcement to their interaction with prosecutors, judges, and other court officials. Examining the gendered organization of the justice system is an essential step towards gender equity and effective practice in diverse legal settings. This includes recognition of the way women’s intersecting identities influence their perception and experience of the law and the justice system. This book discusses the way gender intersects with race, class, and sexual orientation in ways that impact the legal status and psychological, behavioral, and economic well-being of diverse girls and women. It examines the way social norms regarding the rights of girls and women influence policies and procedures in multiple arenas of the justice system and highlights the role of psychology and helping professionals in shaping legal policy. Each chapter provides a summary of the research on specific female populations in diverse arenas of the justice system; outlines practical implications for training and interventions grounded in psychological research; and formulates new organizing principles for working with diverse women and girls in legal settings.