The Underlying Needs Influencing Young Women’s Contact with the Youth Justice System: A Rapid Review

The primary aim of this review is to evidence what recent research establishes regarding the gendered needs and factors influencing girls’ and young women’s contact with the youth justice system. A rapid review of the literature in August 2024 identified 19 relevant studies investigating young women’s contact with the justice system. Four themes were constructed from the articles reviewed: (1) Persistent Abuse and Nested Harm, (2) Trauma Reactions and Coping, (3) Gendered Norms and Assumptions, and (4) Systemic Failures and Effective Solutions. This review concludes that some research gaps persist in relation to girls’ particular gendered needs.