Reconciling the Differences Between the “Gender-Responsive” and the “What Works” Literatures to Improve Services for Girls

Recent increases in the delinquency and incarceration of girls have prompted juvenile justice professionals to search for effective, gender -specific prevention and treatment strategies. Given the dearth of research on girls ' programming, these professionals are often left to sort out discrepancies between two major bodies of literature that address the needs of delinquent girls —the “ what works ” literature and the “ gender - responsive ” literature. This article culls the best of what is available within both these bodies of literature and suggests programmatic elements deemed essential for working effectively with girls .