Citation

Siegel J, Fix RL. J. Sex. Aggress. 2020; 26(2): 263-273.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13552600.2019.1618932

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Female juveniles with sexual offences (FJSOs) are an understudied population. The current study compares FJSOs with their male counterparts and evaluates whether male and female juveniles with sexual offences from different family types have similar charges and court outcomes. Data were obtained from a statewide court dataset in Alabama from 2004 to 2014 (n = 205 females, 2816 males). Participants were categorised by offence category, family type, and court outcome. Chi-square tests and hierarchical logistic regressions were conducted to test for differences in offence patterns and court outcomes by gender and family type, respectively. Females committed less severe offences and received less severe punishments for a given offence compared with males. Family type and two-way interactions between family type, gender, and offence severity played limited roles in offence patterns and in court sentencing. Disposition patterns in females point towards the feasibility of providing more services for all juveniles with sexual offences.

Keywords: Juvenile justice

Language: en

Keywords

court outcomes; family types; female juvenile offenders; juvenile court; Juvenile sex offenders; juveniles