Little help for girls in NL caught up in crime: study

There is very little help for girls and young women who get caught up in the Dutch criminal justice system, a new government-backed study has found. The findings show the majority of treatment options are aimed at boys, who have different needs and problems.

The study is by the justice ministry’s research centre WODC and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. They looked at 22 international treatment methods for young female criminal offenders.

Only one such method is studied, used and seen as promising for girls in the Netherlands: a treatment that helps them manage aggression. For most other kinds of help, it is simply not known whether they do any good.

Different problems
Most programmes are built around boys, who make up the majority of young offenders. But girls and young women usually end up in the system for different reasons.

Their behaviour more often traces back to issues such as anxiety, trouble with their parents, or sexual abuse. Boys are more likely to struggle with aggression, poor self-control, or falling in with the wrong crowd.

Because of that, help designed for boys does not always help girls – especially the lighter support given at home or through youth care.

Divided opinions
Not all experts and researchers agree this is a problem. Some say programmes are always tailored to the individual anyway, so they work for boys and girls alike. Others want clearer guidance for working with girls.

Girls and young women are behind only a small share of recorded crime, usually less serious, such as theft.

Among the youngest, under 16, there has been a slight rise in violent offences. Why is not clear. It follows a wider rise in teen crime recorded last year.