Girls With Sole



	73% of girls in juvenile justice have experienced sexual or physical victimization. Abuse and exposure to uncontrollable stressors are precursors to girls delinquency. A history of abuse is a stronger predictor of delinquency in girls than boys. In juvenile detention, 85% of girls report one or more traumatic events; 15% met PTSD criteria; 27% have attempted suicide; 23% have a history of self-harm; 20% were in foster care. Girls with higher rates of victimization have poorer abilities to cope with stressors, thus exacerbating the effects of trauma. Abuse history in girls is linked to higher incidence of internalizing and externalizing disorders, including depression, anxiety and aggression; depression and anxiety predict delinquency proneness. Sexually abused girls are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, which can lead to substance abuse and running away (and juvenile justice involvement). (Prepared for “Girls & Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Framework” by Marty Beyer, PhD and presented at Case Western Reserve University Schubert Center for Child Studies) A healthy body is a prerequisite to a healthy mind. Here’s how young female athletes compare to girls who don’t play sports: They have higher grade point averages. They score better on their SATs. * They have a lower risk of dropping out of school. *They have a better chance of getting into, staying in, and performing well in college. Girls who play high school sports significantly outperform non-athletic girls in academic subjects such as science and math that tend to be dominated by boys. This suggests that participating in sports gives girls the confidence to participate on a more equal footing in the classroom with boys. Physical activity improves girls’ self-esteem, self-concept, self-confidence and perceptions of competence. Girls who are active also tend to be more optimistic, which has a direct bearing on motivation, and therefore achievement. In a recent study, 80 percent of female Fortune 500 executives identified themselves as former “tomboys.” Experts believe that it is not just enhanced fitness that improves girls’ emotional and psychological health, but also the very act of participating in sports that is empowering. With improved self-esteem come benefits that all of us parents can appreciate: a lower risk of unwanted sexual behavior and pregnancy, and reduced drug and alcohol abuse. Girls who are athletes are also less likely to smoke or to have eating disorders. (This fact sheet was prepared by Dr. Lyle Micheli and the faculty of the Division of Sports Medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston.)
	About 1 in 4 teens reports verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse each year. About 1 in 5 High School girls has been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner. 38% of girls are sexually abused before the age of 18. 90-95% of sexual abuse cases go unreported to the police. Being abused is consistently identified as the first step along a girl's pathway into the juvenile justice system. 70%-80% of sexual abuse survivors report excessive use of drugs and alcohol. In most sexual abuse cases, the child knows the abuser. Nearly 80% of girls who have been physically abused in their dating relationships continue to date their abuser. About 1 in 5 teens reports being a victim of emotional abuse. Girls who participate in sports are more likely to delay first intercourse, have fewer sex partners and a lower frequency of intercourse, are more likely to use condoms, less likely to carry a weapon to school, less likely to drop out of school, more likely to attend college and less likely to try marijuana. * Physical activity and sport are apt to strengthen the psychological health of girls. The authors document a combination of psychosocial benefits such as self-confidence, self-esteem, higher energy levels and positive body image. (taken from The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Report regarding Physical Activity and Sports in the Lives of Girls, Spring 1997) * Participation in physical activity is linked to a lower incidence of depression. (National Council for Research on Women) * Sporting skills can lead to the development of important social skills.
	(Singer 1992) found from research that there are many psychological rewards of physical activity. Some of these are improved self image, increased self confidence, positive changes in mood, relief of tension, relief of premenstrual tension, increased alertness, increased energy and increased ability to cope. Stuhlmiller (1994) calls action based programs "one of the most powerful, yet generally overlooked approaches to post traumatic stress disorder." (p.386) In the PTSD literature, voices are calling for experimentation with and use of exercise and sport programs for therapeutic purposes. One program, Ending Violence Effectively (EVE) was specifically designed for females who had been victims of rape, incest, physical and verbal assault, sexual harassment, and other forms of trauma. Holloway et al. (1988) studied the effectiveness of strength training on self-efficacy for adolescent girls. When these girls participated in free weight training, they reported significant gains in self-efficacy and confidence levels. Participants experienced improvements in self-esteem for their bodies in particular and for their lives in general. Page and Tucker (1994) found that physically active adolescents tend to feel less lonely, shy and hopeless.