Traumas precipitating female delinquency: Implications for assessment,practice and policy

This article examines female delinquency as a symptom of the primary traumas of physical and sexual abuse and secondary traumas, when the environment responds with blame or disbelief. While social workers are increasingly aware that such a relationship often exists, we have yet to operationalize the relevant implications for assessment, practice, and policy in the juvenile justice system. It will be sugested that delinquency may be an act of disclosure and thus effective intervention entails alleviating primary and secondary trauma at the individual-community interface.