HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-03-0096J-03-111
1/23/03
RESOLUTION NO. 03— 096
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION
SUPPORTING THE GIRL'S ADVOCACY PROJECT
("GAP"), WORKING IN COOPERATION WITH THE
MIAMI COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, AND
OTHER LOCAL COMMISSIONS ON THE STATUS OF
WOMEN, TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ISSUES
CONFRONTING AT -RISK YOUNG WOMEN AND BRING
ABOUT POSITIVE LIFE CHANGES, TO ORGANIZE THE
PRESENTATION OF A FORUM ENTITLED "LOST IN
THE SHADOWS - WHO ARE THE GIRLS IN THE
JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM?".
WHEREAS, the influx of girls into the juvenile justice
system has increased and the path of girls involvement in
delinquency is very different than boys; and
WHEREAS, to date, the system has been ill-equipped to
address these issues; and
WHEREAS, eighty percent of girls in the juvenile justice
system are victims of physical abuse and seventy percent are
victims of sexual abuse or sexual assault; and
WHEREAS, victimization causes derailment in girls with
different consequences than in boys, including lower academic
and intellectual performance, more suicide attempts, increased
:CITY COMMISSION
MEETMG OF
JAN c 3 7Rn!
Resolution No.
-03- 096
likelihood of substance abuse, lower levels of self-esteem,
mastery and self-control; and
WHEREAS, the Girl's Advocacy Project ("GAP") and the Miami -
Dade Commission for Women, and the Commissions on the Status of
Women from the Cities of Miami, North Miami Beach, and South
Miami have organized a forum to bring community resources
together to address the critical issues that confront at -risk
girls and the need for more intensive preventive programs and
aftercare programs;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the
Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by reference and
incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The Girl's Advocacy Project ("GAP"), working
in cooperation with the Miami Commission on the Status of Women
and other Commissions on the Status of Women to raise awareness
of the issues confronting at -risk young women and bring about
positive life changes, to organize the presentation of a forum
entitled "Lost in the Shadows - Who are the girls in the
Page 2 of 3
03- 096
Juvenile Justice System?," is supported by the Miami City
Commission.
Section 3. This Resolution shall become effective
immediately upon its adoption and signature of the Mayor.11
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 23rd day of January
ATTEST:
P SCILLA A. THOMPSON
CITY CLERK
APPROVED,009'TO�RM AND CORRECTNESS/
O VILA
RELLO
Wori
CIT ORNEY
S
2003.
1� If the Mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at
the end of ten calendar days from the date it was passed and adopted. If
the Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall become effective immediately
upon override of the veto by the City Commission.
Page 3 of 3
03— 096
ROSALIE MARK
Director
December 27, 2002
Carlos A. Gimenez
City Manager
444 S.W. 2 Avenue
Miami, Florida 33130
ZT-tia of ffliam� 2
RE: Miami Commission on the Status of Women
Girl's Advocacy Project (GAP)
Dear Mr. Gimenez:
On behalf of the City of Miami, Miami Commission on the Status of Women, this is to
request an appearance before the City of Miami Commission on January 23, 2003, to
present additional information on girls in the juvenile justice system and the Girls
Advocacy Project (GAP), also to request a resolution supporting the community forum
on February 20, 2003.
If you should have any questions, please contact me at 305-995-2490 (work) or at 305-
310-3701 (cellular). Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
i
`-Aita L. McGruder�, Chair
v Miami Commission on the Status of Women
c: Elvi Gallastegui-Alonso, Agenda Office
Maria Ferrer-Miralles, Equal Opportunity/DP Division
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS 03— 096
444 S.W. 2"' Avenue / Miami, FL 33130 / website http: //ci.miami.fl.us
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 330708 / Miami, FL 33233-0708
leitv of ffliaml
Y OF yt
t
ROSALIE MARK F
Director a .���� Mfe$
0., F�•04,J
MIAMI COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
January 22, 2003
Honorable Mayor Manuel A. Diaz
and Members of the City Commission
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, Florida 33133
Dear Gentlemen:
The issues regarding at -risk girls have often been in the shadows of our
community. The Commission on the Status of Women has been working in
cooperation with the Girl's Advocacy Project (GAP), the Miami -Dade Commission
on Women, and the women's commissions of North Miami Beach, Miami Beach
and South Miami, to design a forum to raise awareness of the issues that
confront these young women and to bring about change.
The first in a series of forums, entitled "Lost in the Shadows: Girls in the Juvenile
Justice System" will be held on February 20, 2003. Enclosed is a copy of a
document on GAP and the draft of a resolution for which we ask your support.
Thank you for your cooperation. Please contact us at 305-416-1990 if additional
information is needed.
Sincerely,
Anita L. McGruder, Chair
Miami Commission on the Status of Women
Submitted into the public
record in conne-tioi�rikh
item -2-_ or /
Priscilla A. Thompson
City Clerk
DEPARTMENT OF FNIPLOYEE RELATIONS
444 S �% ' ' Avenue / Nitanii. FL i 1 il vwb,ite hp _ci.iai.tkls
\1x1,n� Vidn— I'O 13-\ \1inn: F'. ' 03—
%— 096
Challenges and hope for our "lost girls" -
Girls involved in the juvenile justice system
Presented to
City of Miami Commission on the Status of Women
June 6, 2002
By: Eileen Nexer Brown
CHALLENGES:
WHO ARE OUR "LOST GIRLS?"
• Girls who move from the Dependency Court to the Delinauencv Court
Dependency cases include:
• child abuse, neglect or abandonment
• termination of parental rights Submitted Into the, p0b iC,
• adoption record i
• emergency medical treatment ite;n a'_. �_ 0,J 03
Delinquency cases are:
City
Clerk
• criminal offenses
It is a short trip from dependency to delinquency when we do not intervene
effectively. Under the best circumstances, girls who are neglected and/or abused face
heartrending challenges to move into adulthood whole, without gapping emotional
wounds. And we fall sadly short of working under the best circumstances in our State.
• Girls who are victims of childhood abuse
• Eighty percent of girls in the juvenile justice system are victims of physical
abuse.
• Seventy percent are victims of sexual abuse or sexual assault.'
• Victimization causes "derailment" in girls with different consequences than
in boys. Multiple problems occur -- lower academic and intellectual performance, more
stressful life events, more suicide attempts, increased likelihood of abusing alcohol, higher
levels of hostility and sensation -seeking, lower levels of self-esteem, mastery and sense of
2
control.
'Patricia Chamberlain & John B. Reid, Differences in Risk Factors and Adjustment for
Male and Female Delinquents in Treatment Foster Care, Journal of Child and Family
Studies, Vol. 3, No. 1, 1994
2Cathy Spatz Widom, Childhood Victimization and the Derailment of Girls and
Women to the Criminal Justice System 8 (1999) (unpublished paper, presented at the
Annual Conference on Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation: Enhancing Policy and
Practice, Washington, D.C., July 20, 1999)
03- 096
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ty
• High prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional abuse/victimization in the
lives of adolescent girls could be the most significant underlying etiology of high-risk
behaviors leading to delinquency.
3
• Girls who are caught in the revolving doors of foster homes
• Added to the trauma and experiences leading to being removed from their
homes, girls are also uprooted from schools, friends and support systems. Moving from
foster home to foster home may severely impact performance in school. Dr. Widom found
that abused and neglected women have lower average scores on IQ tests and tests on
reading ability. They may experience dysfunction from brain injury (physical abuse), or
from malnutrition (neglect). Severe abuse and/or neglect may lead to developmental
retardation, which affects school performance and behavior. Lower performance creates
lower self-esteem, which may result in anti -social behavior and poor interpersonal skills.
Further studies have shown that expectations for early academic skills are often higher
for girls than boys (Keenan and Shaw, 1997). Therefore, the girls may receive more
negative responses from teachers and caregivers, which further lowers her self-worth.
• Because there is little or no training as to the differences between dealing with
abused girls and boys, foster parents appear to experience more anxiety and problems
in their daily interactions with girls than with boys. Adolescent girls with severe
conduct problems present significantly more emotional problems, evidence more family
problems 4 and histories of abuse, and appear to profit little from treatments currently
provided.
• Adolescent girls are less likely than boys to receive mental/social/educational
services for their conduct problems. Yet they are much more likely than boys to be
incarcerated for even minor delinquent activity. They are predominantly and
disproportionately arrested. And despite the relatively minor nature of their offenses
compared to boys, many girls end up in adult jails.'
• Girls who run away to escape abusive homes
• There are suggestions that the statistics do not accurately report the abuse
taking place. Not only are there instances where fear, ignorance, inaccessibility to the
authorities to report abuse are barriers, there are suggestions that there are forms of abuse
which are not clearly identified to be reported -- or to be believed.
Girls report running away from home because men in their homes engage in
voyeurism, invading the girls' privacy by repeatedly entering theirs rooms while the
girls are undressing, touching inappropriately, exposing themselves, and other "gray
area" reasons that are not officially labeled as sexual abuse. These gray areas may be
3Laura Prescott, Gains Center, Improving Policy and Practice for Adolescent Girls with
Co-Ocurring Disorders in the Juvenile Justice System 3 (June 1998)
'Supra Widom, at 28
'Supra Chamberlain, at 24
03- 096
wc;ice
item
Priscilla A.
labeled sexual harassment in adults, but not taken into consideration when girls rupity Clerk
away. Adult women are counseled to leave abusive homes. When girls leave they are
labeled "run aways." Some girls refer to themselves as "push -outs." What is considered
a healthy choice for an adult women (leaving an abusive home) can constitute
"delinquent" behavior in adolescent girls. Unless a girl is considered "emancipated,"
she does not have the freedom to remove herself from an environment that jeopardizes her
health, safety and well-being.
The juvenile justice system and its representatives have been extremely slow to
recognize that there may be legitimate reasons for the girls to be running away from
their homes, and that judicial paternalism contributes to harsh treatment of female status
6
offenders.
• Girls are at great risk when they run away. They may resort to prostitution to
survive. Some people think a teen prostitute is a rebellious, over -sexed, hardened young
woman. This most often is not the case -- or was not the case when she fell into this
destructive path. She often was scared and unprotected when she started down this self-
destructive path.
• Ninety percent of adult prostitutes were sexually or physically abused.
• The average age of entry into prostitution is 13.
• Eight -five percent of juvenile prostitutes were victims of incest.' Not all
incest victims become prostitutes, but almost ALL prostitutes are victims of incest.
• Girls who look for love in all the wrong places
A girl who has been victimized tends to become sexually active and at an earlier
age to validate herself and feel loved. Older men often take advantage of her vulnerability.
She is at greater risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. She is drawn into
criminal activity under their direction and seeks their love and approval. She becomes
both the victim and the offender. However, too often the juvenile justice system only
knows about -- or sees -- the offender on the arrest form. By the time she reaches this
point her appearance, attitude and conduct labels her -- she is a delinquent.
• Girls who dull their pain with substance abuse
Studies show a strong link between depression and delinquency. A girl may begin
with drugs to medicate her pain away. This may lead to selling drugs to support her habit.
Boys generally use drug for different reasons than girls do. They are more likely to
use them for thrills, pleasure and fitting in with their peers. Victimized girls use drugs to
anesthetize their pain.
6Ibid, at 24
7Silbert & Pines, Occupational Hazards of Street Prostitutes, 8 Crim. Just. & Behay. 395
(1981)
3
Submitted A
cord
hh, <.
cord €n c®i SB .
item a- or,
Priscilla A.
City Clerk
According to Adolescent Girls: The Role of Depression in the Development of
Delinquency (a summary of research by Dawn A. Obeidallah and Felton J. Earls), there
are significantly different risk factors between boys and girls. Malds' and females' rate of
depression are relatively similar and are low during childhood. However, in early
adolescence this changes and there is a sharp rise in girls' depression. This sets girls up for
antisocial behavior:
• Being depressed fuels her feelings of indifference regarding her personal
safety and the consequences of her actions. She then is more vulnerable toward delinquent
activities.
• She is more likely to be withdrawn when she is depressed, which erodes her
self-esteem. This may lead to rejection by prosocial peers. She becomes at greater risk
towards gravitating to a cluster of other rejected youth. Research concludes this is a
consistent predicator of delinquency.
• Depression also weakens attachments to prosocial institutions. She
demonstrates a lack of interest and difficulty in concentrating. She may shy away from
prosocial institutions and activities, such as athletics. Again, she is at increased risk of
engaging in antisocial behavior.
Researchers compared antisocial behavior of girls who were mildly to
moderately depressed with those who were not, and concluded:
• Although 40% of nondepressed girls engaged in property crimes, 68% of girls
who were mildly to moderately depressed did so. In addition, 42% of girls who were not
depressed engaged in crimes against other people, compared to 82% of mildly to
moderately depressed girls.
• Fifty-seven percent of mildly to moderately depressed girls engaged in high
levels of aggressive behavior, compared with only 13% of those girls where were not.
The article suggests that treating depression may have a twofold benefit:
"undermining the development and maintenance of antisocial behavior, as well as
reducing depression." One more reason for early intervention while girls are in the
Dependency Court.
• Girls who are arrested for status offenses
Status offenses include: curfew violations, beyond parental control, and runaway.
The juvenile justice system has been caught off -guard with the influx of young girls,
many of them arrested for status offenses. Girls have become the fastest growing segment
of the juvenile justice population, and yet they are more likely to be incarcerated for
less -serious crimes than boys.
4
03-- 096
Subrnitted Into the public
record in connecuo Fv �
ite€n oris e
Priscilla A. ai..lr on P
City `:;ierk
Girls come into the system with many therapeutic needs that have been
unmet in their young lives. The lack of protective factors in the lives of abused and
neglected girls, such as close parental supervision, appropriate discipline and effective
parental role models facilitates girls' derailment into the criminal justice system. Despite
the acute need for therapeutic intervention, girls entering the system are not receiving the
services they need.
STEPS TOWARD HOPE AND A HEALTHY FUTURE:
• Give her a strong support system
Recognize that she needs a strong support system, especially in a world where the
"Ozzie Nelson" fantasy family often exists only in re -runs. Give her the opportunity to
speak freely --in a safe environment -- if she is being physically or sexually abused ... or may
be feeling at -risk because of harassment. Know the options that are available to her where
compassionate adults can begin to heal her hurts. Discuss what people (family, extended
relations, teachers, school counselors, clergy) in her community are supportive or could be
supportive to her.
• Listen... really listen to her
Girls give us feedback that a powerful force in turning their lives around is when
they felt they were heard and respected. Problems tend not to surface in foster homes as
quickly as those of boys. Females require a more intimate relationship setting before they
feel free to act out or express their emotions.' Shame and mistrust often prohibit girls
who have been abused from disclosing personal information and asking for help. What
may appear as acting out is many times a cry for help. However, girls are more resilient
than we give them credit for... when they feel they are cared about and are given voices to
speak and to be really heard. Then the opportunity occurs to turn their lives around.
• Share information to keep her safe
Many girls have much mis-information on pregnancy, sexually transmitted
diseases, sexual abuse, relationship issues, and other vital issues to her physical and
psychological health. Provide a non judgmental forum for discussion with written
information she can digest. Leave the door wide open for her to come back to share and
question the information. Knowledgeable peers are strong allies in initiating discussion and
disseminating factual information.
• Assist her in learning conflict resolution skills
Girls who have lived in dysfunctional homes have not learned how to effectively
deal with conflict. Give her tools to avoid conflict escalation and how to utilize conflict
resolution. Effective communication tools will arm her to navigate the difficult world she
inhabits. Incorporate acceptance of personal responsibility and self-control.
9Supra Chamberlain, at 36
5
03- 096
• Assist her in obtaining professional services for therapeutic needs
Teen girls in the general population deal with a myriad of issues that are unique
from those of boys. Our "lost girls" have additional layers of issues that often have not
been addressed. Consistent treatment to work through trauma and dysfunction gives her a
chance to move towards healthy womanhood.
• Give her tools to build her self-esteem
A strong sense of self is the common thread of girls who are able to survive -- and
rise above -- the multiple vulnerabilities that exist for them. Self-esteem is not inborn. It
is built. Achievement in school, participation in sports, belief in her abilities, trust in her
instincts, development of coping mechanisms, knowledge of healthy relationships,
encouragement in her small and large successes are building blocks to self-esteem.
• Give her a sense of future
Girls cannot be expected to achieve today if they have no concept of a promising
future. So many at -risk girls do not see themselves in college, in vocations, or out of their
immediate environment. Success motivates and multiplies future successes. Help her with
mentors, tutors, positive peer role models. Present her with challenges that exercise her
mind and result in the joy of experiencing rewards for her efforts. Lift her gently when she
stumbles and assist her in learning from the fall. Our missteps are the rungs of the ladder
of our successes. Help her realize that failure only occurs when we give up. Help her
picture herself in a future that is attainable and support her steps to getting there.
• Keep encouraging her to tap and develop her innate wisdom - The
dictionary defines "wisdom" as: "accumulated knowledge... insight... good sense... a wise
attitude or course of action." Let us help build girls' skeleton of wisdom with the
supporting structure needed, including: providing mentors to emulate, involving her in
sports, teaching her life skills, engaging her in education that stimulates and encourages a
life-long thirst for knowledge, instilling the satisfaction of giving back and being of service
to others, and leading by example by living the qualities that make us uniquely humane -
with compassion and love.
If we do not help the "lost girls" find themselves, we risk the safety and quality of
living for all of us. It is time to open our eyes -- and hearts -- to save our "lost girls."
Please browse our website at www.gap2irls.org and join us in the Girls Advocacy Project
(GAP) motto — Let us be: Creators of hope. Builders of strength. Partners in
dreams.
cwricmaaun+wwconvnsraau
Eileen Nearer Brown
(Co -Chair)
Girls Advocacy Project (GAP)
Community Advisory Board
Phone: (305) 854-6621
Fax: (305)854-1484
E -Mail: EN�aol.com
6
Submitted Into the public
record in conncc
item �_ on % >.t ..0.2
Priscilla A. Thonct,s ,�,�:�n
City Clerk
03- 096
Group Talk Guest Speakers Submitted Into the public
Barbara Bennett record in: c_onmb�
Jolae Brocato, Ph.D. items off- or,
Mary Ann McBee 6 i—sc ill AA. 1
Maria Casanova City Clerk.
Annette Concepcion
Rosana E. Hernandez
Jacqueline Hogan Scola, Esq.
Madame Renita Holmes
Denise Hunter, L.C.S.W.
Dionne A. Lawson -Vidal
Karla Merbige
Lisa Merhige
Marie Osborne, Esq.
Marilyn Robles
Jacqueline Villegas
Suzanne Wong
Special acknowledgment to:
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
The Honorable Joseph P. Farina
Ruben O. Carrerou
Superintendent George LaFlam and staff
Representative Gus Barreiro
Mary Larrea - GAP Director
Josephine Van Hemert - GAP Co -Director
Nancy Desire - GAP Assistant Coordinator
Mireya Martinez - GAP Assistant Coordinator
(if we inadvertently did not include your donation and/or participation, please accept our apology and
contact GAP at 305-6374206. Thank you.)
Our GAP team, supporters and friends have turned the tide of girls being invisible
and lost in the juvenile justice system. The girls are now hopeful and aware they are not
alone in what appeared to be a cruel world for so many of them. They are getting the
message that we are resolute in our motto as we continue to be: Creators of hope.
Builders of strength. Partners in dreams.
Judge Cindy S. Lederman Eileen Nexer Brown Sharon Langer
(Judicial Advisor) (Co -Chair) (Co -Chair)
Girls Advocacy Project (GAP) Community Advisory Board
c/o Judge Cindy S. Udennan, 3300 N.W. 27th Avenue, Room 201, Miami, Florida 33142
Phone: (305) 63&6087 Fax: (305) 634-9921
E:Mail: Eileen Nexer Brown: ENB2000@aol.c m
Sharon banger. S1Anger@DadeLega1Aid.org [(��yj
e'^ capgtri—ri V 3 .– 096