Poly-victimization of Girls Referred to the Justice System

Researchers and practitioners have recognized that girls in the justice system experience disproportionately high rates of violence exposure—such as child maltreatment, rape, and dating violence—prior to their delinquent or criminal offending. This study will use interviews with girls, caregiver surveys, and archival records to gather information on girls’ histories of violence exposure, use of community services, and relationship of victimization and service use to girls’ delinquency or crime.

We hope that the study will help equip community- and systems-based interventions to address complex constellations of abuse such as “poly-victimization” (simultaneously experiencing multiple types of violence exposure). The study, funded by the National Institute of Justice , is an extension of our previous research on victimization histories of incarcerated women.

Making findings useful for practitioners is a major goal of the study, and funding is included for activities to help translation of research to practice. This will include strategic planning meetings with stakeholders to identify formats for practitioner use of findings, as well as policy recommendations, practitioner guidebooks, and a one-day statewide dissemination conference for practitioners and policymakers.

If you are interested in talking with researchers about the project, please contact Dana DeHart (Principal Investigator) at 803-777-7867 or dana.dehart@sc.edu.