Black girls are entering the juvenile justice system at disproportionate rates compared to their peers. Black girls account for 21% of the general population but makeup HALF of the girls in the juvenile justice system. They are overrepresented in rates of suspension, arrest, and incarceration. “While the disparate discipline rates among girls are troubling, what’s equally disturbing is the lack of awareness of how historical trauma and racial bias impact our day-to-day interactions with girls of color. Black girls do not misbehave more than their White peers, but their behaviors are responded to much more harshly.” - Vicky Basra, President & CEO of the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center |
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