NEARLY 75 PERCENT OF FEMALES UNDER 18 WHO ARE ARRESTED AND INCARCERATED ARE CHARGED WITH STATUS OFFENSES SUCH AS DISOBEYING THEIR PARENTS, PROMISCUITY, RUNNING AWAY, AND OTHER ACTS FOR WHICH ADULTS CANNOT BE CHARGED AND BOYS INFREQUENTLY ARE. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE CRIMES OF WHICH GIRLS ARE ACCUSED ARE CATEGORIZED AS LESS SERIOUS AND LESS HARMFUL TO SOCIETY, THEY ARE OFTEN HELD IN DETENTION FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME AND PLACED LESS FREQUENTLY IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAN BOYS. THE STATE TRAINING SCHOOLS WHICH HOUSE JUVENILE FEMALE OFFENDERS OFFER FEWER EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS, PROVIDE FEWER INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES, AND ARE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS FOR MALES. ALTHOUGH THIS VOLUME RAISES BROAD ISSUES ADDRESSING THE FAULTS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, ITS SCOPE AND PURPOSE IS MUCH MORE NARROWLY DEFINED. PART ONE BRIEFLY DESCRIBES HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND SUMMARIZES STUDIES WHICH REVEAL THE DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF MALES AND FEMALES, INCLUDING THE RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY OF EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN STATE TRAINING SCHOOLS. PART TWO PROVIDES A PROFILE OF THE YOUNG FEMALE OFFENDER. PART THREE FOCUSES ON COMMUNITIES AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO PREVENT GIRLS FROM BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AS WELL AS TO ASSIST THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO COURT. PART FOUR, THE RESOURCE SECTION, OFFERS INFORMATION ON PUBLICATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS. ILLUSTRATIONS ARE PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE TEXT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)