Understanding Adolescent Girls in Custody Using the Multidimensional Inventory of Development, Sex, and Aggression (MIDSA).

Abstract

Although research on populations of incarcerated female adolescents has increased, there remains a dearth of qualitative research that speaks to the life narratives of these girls. Existing research suggests this population is deeply troubled, which necessitates a better understanding of their lived experience to more thoroughly inform prevention and rehabilitation efforts. This article is one of the first to assess a wide range of traits and characteristics of girls in custody. The Multidimensional Inventory of Development, Sex, and Aggression (MIDSA) was administered to 30 girls in custody at a juvenile detention facility in California. Individual narrative reports were generated, and their aggregate results were analyzed. Results are first presented at an aggregate level and details from some individual cases are used to provide an especially rich description of particular circumstances, behaviors, and motivations of these girls. Preliminary findings illustrate the chaotic family backgrounds of the sample and the prolonged and varied trauma they have experienced. Results also suggest that the high rates of self-reported antisocial behavior in which these girls engaged involved a considerable amount of physical aggression and interpersonal violence. Trauma-informed approaches in the juvenile justice space are discussed.