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Working with girls and young women

Key resources to support effective, trauma-informed and gender-responsive work with girls and young women in youth justice.

Girls are often overlooked in youth justice policy and practice, despite facing distinct challenges including gender-based violence, exploitation, unmet welfare needs, and exclusion from mainstream services. Their experiences are frequently shaped by disadvantage, stigma, and a lack of tailored support.

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This page gathers essential resources to help practitioners develop informed, equitable, and gender-responsive approaches when working with girls and young women in the youth justice system. It includes guidance, research, practice examples, and tools from organisations committed to improving outcomes for girls.

Key resources for youth justice workers

Evidence Base: Girls

A comprehensive synthesis of the current evidence on girls in youth justice, with key takeaways for practice.

HMI Probation (2024)

Working with Girls: Top Tips

Brief, practitioner-generated strategies for effective engagement with girls in the youth justice context.

Coventry Youth Justice Service (2022)

Girls in the Criminal Justice System

Joint inspection report highlighting the systemic gaps and failures in meeting the needs of girls across youth justice services.

CJJI / HMI Probation (2014)

“We Need to Tackle Their Well Being First”: Understanding and Supporting Care‑Experienced Girls in the Youth Justice System

Based on interviews with care-experienced girls and YJS staff, this study emphasises prioritising wellbeing through trauma-informed, gendered interventions.

Youth Justice - Journal (2024)

Delivering The Best for Girls in Custody

An independent review examining the quality and suitability of placements and care for girls in secure settings for children and young people.

Susannah Hancock / MoJ (2025)

Resettlement of Girls and Young Women: A Practitioner's Guide

Provides gender-specific frameworks for fostering sustainable resettlement for girls and young women post-custody.

Beyond Youth Custody (2014)

Disrupting the Routes between Care and Custody for Girls and Women

Highlights the urgent need for tailored wellbeing support for young men in custody - particularly young Black men - calling on government, policymakers, and practitioners to prioritise and improve services to meet their specific needs.

Nuffield Foundation / Lancaster University (2022)

"We've not given up" Young women surviving the criminal justice system

Examines the experiences of girls and young women aged 17–25 in the criminal justice system, focusing on minoritised and care-experienced groups who are overrepresented.

Agenda / Alliance for Youth Justice (2022)

Falling through the gaps: Young women transitioning to the adult justice system

A briefing highlighting the challenges girls face transitioning to adulthood in the criminal justice system, with recommendations for improving gender- and age-specific support.

Agenda / Alliance for Youth Justice (2021)

Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation

Essential guidance for front-line professionals on identifying, preventing, and responding to female genital mutilation (FGM) in children.

HM Goverment (2020)

Girls involved in youth violence: Key findings and recommendations

Research exploring the often-overlooked experiences of girls involved in youth violence, highlighting the need for gender- and race-aware responses from local services.

Local Government Association (2024)

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