Factors Predicting Justice-Involvement for Adolescent Girls and Young Women

A literature review was conducted to investigate the factors that predict justice involvement in adolescent girls and young women. The archival research involved a thorough review of relevant articles in the APA PsycInfo and APA PsycArticles databases using search terms such as “incarcerated females and trauma”, “incarcerated females and substance use”, and “attachment theory and incarcerated females.” The findings revealed three substantial and recurring themes regarding the trajectory of females’ movement toward incarceration: trauma, substance use, and dysregulated attachments. Justice-system-involved girls and young women, compared to peers without such involvement, were found to have higher rates of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. This abuse often led to the development of insecure attachments with their parents and significant others (e.g., peers, romantic partners, authority figures) in their lives. As a coping mechanism to deal with abuse and dysregulated attachment, justice-system-involved females resorted to substance use which further exacerbated their dysregulated attachment patterns and contributed to involvement in risky behaviors (e.g., truancy, fighting, stealing) that increased their likelihood of justice-system contact. Based on these findings, policymakers are encouraged to adapt primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention strategies that take place in a variety of settings (e.g., homes, schools, faith communities), and for justice-system personnel to focus on prioritizing treatment over punishment and rehabilitation over incarceration.