According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from 1991 to 2000,
arrests of girls increased more (or decreased less) than arrests of boys for most types
of offenses. By 2004, girls accounted for 30 percent of all juvenile arrests. However,
questions remain about whether these trends reflect an actual increase in girls’
delinquency or changes in societal responses to girls’ behavior. To find answers to
these questions, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
convened the Girls Study Group to establish a theoretical and empirical foundation
to guide the development, testing, and dissemination of strategies to reduce or
prevent girls’ involvement in delinquency and violence.