By: April Mendez
According to nsvrc.org, 20% of girls are sexually abused before their 18th birthday.
A variety of girls experienced traumatic events in their lives and to make it worse, they have no one to turn to and this may have a huge impact on their mental health.
Without any support, there’s not an amount of security or protection to prevent them from showing up in court. When someone faces an event that changes their life in a negative way, they tend to have behavioral issues such as drug use, drinking, etc.
”Teens usually do drugs/drink so that could be a reason. It could also have something to do with their childhood.” My friend Maria who has been arrested before said this.
Girls who experienced this trauma often turn to drugs and or alcohol, usually, they will develop substance abuse according to drugabuse.gov.This usually happens when that person experienced a traumatic event.
My friend who’s been in juvenile hall, Maria, says, “I want to live my life but staying out of trouble has always been a challenge.”
Drug use regularly can turn into addiction at some point, also according to drugabuse.gov. Prolonged drug use can change chemicals in the brain causing someone to become dependant on a substance. A minor who gets caught with possession of drugs or alcohol is usually charged with 1st-degree misdemeanor.
According to counseling.steinhardt.nyu.edu, the court system was “created for boys.” Minors who get in trouble with the law have a traumatic history, but girls seem to have it worse. Girls in Juvy have a higher rate of sexual abuse and more severe trauma than boys do.
“I think it’s unfair because I’m a girl,” says Maria.
Being a teenage girl is hard enough, but getting arrested can take a toll on a young girl’s mental health.
Maria personally has never been sexually abused in Juvenile hall but knows some girls who have experienced this. Some effects of being sexually abused include depression, flashbacks, PTSD, self-harm, and dissociation, according to rainn.org.
Sexual abuse in juvenile halls happens to girls more than people think. In 2017, correctional officers in Texas and Florida were responsible for sexually assaulting minors in custody, according to theconversation.org.
According to huffpost.com, Girls’ emotions develop differently than anybody else, which causes them to be in need. Young girls are much more likely to develop depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders due to more activity in a female brain. Girls and young women are oftentimes arrested for things that aren’t their fault like sex trafficking and aren’t offered any counseling or help from the trauma they experienced.
According to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, young girls are more linked to depression and other mental health issues starting at puberty.
I asked Maria what she thinks people think of her and she responded, “That I’m selfish and disrespectful,” when she really just wants to get through her past trauma any way she can.
”They should give me a chance and not always look down on me.”
At the end of the day, teenagers, especially teenage girls want someone to listen when they share their feelings and issues. Talking out their problems with somebody they trust can make things better, even if it’s just temporary. I think that talking to someone can really help benefit a person, it’s worth a try.
According to nsvrc.org, 20% of girls are sexually abused before their 18th birthday.
A variety of girls experienced traumatic events in their lives and to make it worse, they have no one to turn to and this may have a huge impact on their mental health.
Without any support, there’s not an amount of security or protection to prevent them from showing up in court. When someone faces an event that changes their life in a negative way, they tend to have behavioral issues such as drug use, drinking, etc.
”Teens usually do drugs/drink so that could be a reason. It could also have something to do with their childhood.” My friend Maria who has been arrested before said this.
Girls who experienced this trauma often turn to drugs and or alcohol, usually, they will develop substance abuse according to drugabuse.gov.This usually happens when that person experienced a traumatic event.
My friend who’s been in juvenile hall, Maria, says, “I want to live my life but staying out of trouble has always been a challenge.”
Drug use regularly can turn into addiction at some point, also according to drugabuse.gov. Prolonged drug use can change chemicals in the brain causing someone to become dependant on a substance. A minor who gets caught with possession of drugs or alcohol is usually charged with 1st-degree misdemeanor.
According to counseling.steinhardt.nyu.edu, the court system was “created for boys.” Minors who get in trouble with the law have a traumatic history, but girls seem to have it worse. Girls in Juvy have a higher rate of sexual abuse and more severe trauma than boys do.
“I think it’s unfair because I’m a girl,” says Maria.
Being a teenage girl is hard enough, but getting arrested can take a toll on a young girl’s mental health.
Maria personally has never been sexually abused in Juvenile hall but knows some girls who have experienced this. Some effects of being sexually abused include depression, flashbacks, PTSD, self-harm, and dissociation, according to rainn.org.
Sexual abuse in juvenile halls happens to girls more than people think. In 2017, correctional officers in Texas and Florida were responsible for sexually assaulting minors in custody, according to theconversation.org.
According to huffpost.com, Girls’ emotions develop differently than anybody else, which causes them to be in need. Young girls are much more likely to develop depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders due to more activity in a female brain. Girls and young women are oftentimes arrested for things that aren’t their fault like sex trafficking and aren’t offered any counseling or help from the trauma they experienced.
According to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, young girls are more linked to depression and other mental health issues starting at puberty.
I asked Maria what she thinks people think of her and she responded, “That I’m selfish and disrespectful,” when she really just wants to get through her past trauma any way she can.
”They should give me a chance and not always look down on me.”
At the end of the day, teenagers, especially teenage girls want someone to listen when they share their feelings and issues. Talking out their problems with somebody they trust can make things better, even if it’s just temporary. I think that talking to someone can really help benefit a person, it’s worth a try.