One of the starkest statistics in the lives of girls today is that 73 percent of girls in the juvenile justice system have been physically or sexually abused, according to U.S. Bureau of Justice figures.<\/p>\n
A report last summer referred to this as the \u201csexual-abuse-to-prison pipeline.”<\/p>\n
Experiencing abuse is one of the major predictors of girls themselves getting into trouble, according to the report published by the Human Rights Project for Girls, the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality, and the Ms. Foundation for Women.<\/p>\n
The most common crimes for which girls are arrested \u2014 including running away, substance abuse and truancy \u2014 are also the most common symptoms of abuse, the report noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cGirls are pretty invisible\u201d in current efforts to reform the juvenile justice system, said Stephanie Covington, a psychologist who provides training and consulting services to criminal justice agencies through the La Jolla, California-based Center for Gender and Justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t talk about the girls,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Most people are really surprised to learn that the proportion of girls in the juvenile justice population is increasing, Covington said. They are surprised at the level of abuse girls have suffered and the prevalence of trafficking.<\/p>\n
Organizations that work with girls \u2014 from community organizations to juvenile justice agencies \u2014 need to respond to the conditions of girls\u2019 lives, Covington said.<\/p>\n