Young women in the youth justice system: Insights into the inner workings of New Zealand’s approach

Abstract

Young women who engage in offending behaviour are often forgotten within the youth justice system despite identification that their pathways to offending are unique and characterised by significant challenges and trauma (Smith et al., 2020). Research and interventions often focus on the needs of young men due to their majority status among youth offenders (Braithwaite, 2023), leaving young women fighting in a system that was not designed for them. This research seeks to explore inside perspectives to examine how young women experience and interact with the youth justice system in New Zealand. Recent research has identified that young women who are offending in New Zealand have backgrounds characterised by abuse, neglect and mental health difficulties, outlining a need for further research and support to be targeted towards this group (Best et al., 2021). The aim of this study is to identify and explore the barriers and facilitators that young women face within the system, guided by Erikson’s (1950) psychosocial theory of development to determine if the current system is developmentally informed. Semi-structured interviews of 12 professionals and one young woman with lived experience of the Youth Court were conducted to explore the barriers and facilitators that young women face. The data was analysed using a reflective thematic analysis approach that identified a number of barriers, facilitators and precipitating factors for young women. The results showed that systemic factors along with significant complexities and trauma serve as barriers for young women in the system. Healthy developmental trajectories and responsive, integrated support systems were identified as facilitators for positive change in young women Additionally, precipitating factors were identified to impact young women's pathways to offending including offending as a means for survival and disruption in identity development. This research identifies and draws attention to the gender-specific needs of young women and demonstrates that adequate care is not being provided within the current youth justice system. The findings also provide a developmental framework to understand the challenges young women face in adolescence that coincide with their offending and youth justice involvement.