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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study by Burquest was to conduct a review of current knowledge in the area of interpersonal violence committed by adolescent girls.
METHODOLOGY:
The author employed a non-experimental review of the literature to determine the extent of the problem of interpersonal violence conducted by females, the causes of such violence, and the roles of treatment and of the courts.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The author began by examining current official arrest statistics on violence in the United States. From 1970 to 1975, rates of violent crime, including murder and manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, increased dramatically for both male and female juveniles, including a 65.3% increase in overall violent crime committed by females under the age of 18 years. However, from 1975 to 1979, rates in most categories of violent crime actually decreased, with an overall decrease for both males and females. Rates of violence have been found to be higher in urban than in rural or suburban areas, although rates in these latter areas have recently been increasing faster than those in the cities. Whilst much studying has been conducted upon the issue of violence, little hard data exist to facilitate a reduction in levels of interpersonal violence. Studies about sources of violence have centered upon three areas: biological, sociological and psychological explanations. One of the biological sources of violence has been thought to be instinct. Whilst some theorists have posited that the survival instinct in man has led to uninhibited aggression, the author claimed that man has inherited merely the capacity for aggression and violence, which is modified by contextual events and factors. Another suggested biological source of violence is abnormal physiology, where generalized brain damage, hormone levels or various substances, particularly alcohol, can interfere with the functions of the brain that inhibit violent behavior. Social factors that have been thought to influence the development of violent behaviors began with the changing roles of women, as they moved from dependent housewives in the late nineteenth century to participants in the workforce in the twentieth century. This move resulted in a blurring of generational boundaries and duties within families, as the role of parenting was often left to the children. This lack of constant and always-present parental nurturance, communication and guidance has been found to be an effective predictor of aggression. The acquisition of aggression has been explained in terms of learning by imitation and modeling of individuals within the family and of people and themes presented in the mass media, particularly through television. Psychological factors believed to be involved in violent behavior include the lack of development of a bond between a mother and daughter leading to a struggle for power and control; the interference in childhood of the child's appropriate expressions of anger; and inconsistent and apparently unfair discipline. Treatment options for the violent adolescent are varied. Violence caused by organic illness can be addressed via drug treatment for the condition. However, since most violence is not caused by specific medical problems, the most common form of treatment is a combination of tranquilizers and psychotherapy and/or behavior therapy. Outcomes for the young female delinquent vary greatly according to her socioeconomic status. When arrest seems imminent, upper classes can turn to physicians and personal attorneys to place the girl in a hospital for treatment. The juvenile justice system does, however, allow the adolescent to undergo treatment in a psychiatric inpatient setting rather than in detention, and it has recently begun to divert girls into outpatient treatment programs without having to be adjudicated by the court. If no treatment is available, the violent delinquent is often sent to training schools or to other residential facilities. However, theorists have found fault in the juvenile justice system, as the goals of rehabilitation and segregation from adult offenders are often conflicting, especially when handling violent offenders.
AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
The author suggested that, in order for therapeutic efforts to provide maximum opportunity for a reduction of violence, individualized therapy and treatment should be considered as a far better approach than the mass treatment that is often found in public institutions.
EVALUATION:
The author presents an interesting discussion of some of the issues surrounding the violent female juvenile delinquent. Whilst his discussions of the causes of violence and of the options for treatment of violence do constitute an informative examination, the brief and often cursory nature of the work suggests that a more detailed and thorough review would have been helpful. Also, a summary section to bring together the information discussed into one concluding review would have lent some cohesion to the work. Despite these flaws, the paper represents an important foray into a field that has been much neglected in the past. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Literature Review
KW - Arrest Statistics
KW - Juvenile Female
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Female Offender
KW - Female Violence
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Violence Causes
KW - Offender Treatment
KW - Juvenile Treatment
KW - Violence Treatment
KW - Juvenile Delinquency
KW - Delinquency Treatment
KW - Juvenile Justice System
KW - Juvenile Court
KW - Correctional Decision Making
KW - Sociocultural Factors
KW - Biological Factors
KW - Psychological Factors
KW - Psychotherapy
KW - Drug Therapy
KW - Medication
KW - 1970s
Language: en |