My internship was with Dr. Olga Ivashkevich, Hanna Smyles, and Kaitlin Kirkley through the Women’s Well-Being Initiative, where we partnered with Lexington Juvenile Arbitration. We worked at West Columbia City Hall and led sessions for girls ages 12 to 18 who were first-time offenders. The goal of the program was to create a more holistic approach to justice. The current system is very punishment-based and focuses heavily on what people did wrong, rather than what they can do moving forward. Instead, this program focused on positivity, self-efficacy, and helping the girls think about their future rather than their past.

A typical session included different activities centered around self-expression and reflection. In the first session, we focused on mental health by creating affirmation boxes and doing body mapping, where the girls traced a body and wrote how they felt or wanted to feel inside. The second session focused on community, where we listened to music, discussed lyrics, and made friendship bracelets to highlight the importance of support systems. The final session focused on the idea of the “ideal woman,” where the girls created magazine collages. This activity helped shift their thinking from society’s focus on appearance and status to more meaningful traits like responsibility, advocacy, and creating positive change. This activity stood out the most to me because I was able to see their perspectives shift in real time.

One of the most impactful parts of this experience was seeing girls come into sessions when something was clearly bothering them. I did not always know what was going on, and I did not want to be invasive or push them to share if they were not comfortable. So sometimes I just had to sit back and observe. That was difficult because we were trying to create a positive space, but you could tell something else was weighing on them. It made me realize that I did not always have the resources or the ability to help them in the way they might have needed. At the same time, I hoped that the art activities gave them at least some kind of outlet.

There was one girl in particular who stood out to me. She was very involved in art and tried different mediums in every session. I was able to talk to her throughout the program, and her artwork stuck with me because she was always expressing herself in her own way. It showed me how powerful art can be, especially for people who may not feel comfortable expressing themselves through words.

This experience changed the way I view the justice system. It made me realize how isolating it can be and how that isolation can affect someone’s future. In traditional systems, there is a constant focus on punishment and reminding people of their mistakes. In contrast, this program focused on growth and encouragement. We consistently uplifted the girls and helped them think about who they want to become. Research shows that justice-involved girls experience higher rates of trauma than boys, which makes supportive environments like this even more important. It showed me how much positive interaction and simple affirmations can impact someone.

 

One challenge I faced was working with girls who did not want to be there. Since sessions were early on Saturdays, it was understandable. It was difficult trying to shift their mindset and help them see that they could still gain something from the experience. I had to learn that even small moments of engagement mattered.

Toward the end of the program, our sessions were unexpectedly cut short, and the girls had to complete take-home assignments instead. This took away the in-person interaction that made the program meaningful. It made me realize how easily a positive resource can be taken away. Something small ended up affecting a program that could have made a real difference. As Dr. Ivashkevich said, “Art is messy but meaningful, and allowing messiness means allowing space for free exploration, which is really important for teenagers, particularly those who experience trauma.”

Overall, this experience showed me the importance of rethinking how we approach justice, especially for young girls. Programs like this create space for growth, reflection, and support rather than punishment and isolation. It reinforced that change comes from giving people the tools and encouragement to move forward, not from constantly reminding them of their mistakes.

 

 

Sources:

• Chesney-Lind, M. (1989). Girls’ crime and woman’s place: Toward a feminist model of female delinquency. Crime & Delinquency, 35(1), 5–29.
• Development Services Group, Inc. (2016). Arts-based programs and arts therapies for at-risk, justice-involved, and traumatized youths. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
• Epstein, R., Blake, J. J., & González, T. (2020). Gender and trauma: An overview for justice-involved girls. Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality.