Social work practice with female juvenile delinquents

Recently, in Canada there has been an increase in the number of female juvenile offenders involved in the criminal justice system. This increase has significant implications for clinical and forensic social work practice. The literature available to guide clinical practice with forensic clients is limited and in particular a research gap exists on female adolescent offenders. The purpose of this project is to examine clinical social work practice with female juvenile delinquents at a forensic clinic in Prince George, British Columbia. This is an analysis of my clinical social work practice through the application of Ferrara's (1991) characteristics of effective group counsellors. The evaluation of my clinical social work practice relied on the observations and assessment of the co-therapist. Feminist and cognitive behavioral treatment approaches have been utilized with adolescent female offenders in this case study. Both treatment approaches have developed from different philosophical paradigms but in clinical social work practice they can be synthesized and applied jointly in a therapeutic setting.