"This is a place for girls; respect that": How at-risk girls feel about male presence in locked residences. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hertz, Tehila
• Is Part Of: Children and youth services review. Volume 118(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: Child abuse and neglect -- Risk behaviors -- Out-of-home care -- Protection -- Gender-specific programming -- At-risk and delinquent girls -- Female juvenile offenders; Social work with children -- Periodicals; Social work with youth -- Periodicals; Adolescent -- Periodicals; Child Welfare -- Periodicals; Social Work -- Periodicals; Service social aux enfants -- Périodiques; Service social à la jeunesse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 362.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105380
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0190-7409

Abstract

Highlights: At-risk girls in closed institutions may feel uncomfortable with the presence of male counselors in the compound. The interaction with male caretakers, especially if it included a relationship of supervision and control, evoked severe feelings. Physical contact required to restrain the girls provoked flashbacks of sexual abuse and childhood abuse. Abstract: This study, for the first time, sought to listen to the voices of girls at the edges of the at-risk spectrum in Israel housed at locked institutions, and to their experiences living in such homes with a significant proportion of the staff responsible for their wellbeing at the facilities were men. The male presence in the locked boarding facilities, which involved supervision and control, triggered flashbacks from the difficult past and complex reactions on the part of the girls to this reality. These girls, all of which come from difficult family backgrounds which included sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as gender oppression, expressed criticism in many ways to the presence of male caretakers in the most intimate parts of their lives in these institutions. Interviews were conducted with 11 girls who resided at these institutions any time between a few months to ten years prior to the interview, and took place during June-December 2019. The interviewees were located though the 'snowballing' method and interviewed using the 'your life story' method, in order to minimize the presence and guidance of the interviewer and let the interviewees express themselves the way they desired. Against this background, the difficulty experienced by the girls was especially evident in regards to the following issues: male presence in a locked environment which does not allow complete privacy, including in the bathrooms and in the context of personal items; the presence of young males as a factor causing confusion among the girls, who were not allowed to meet boys their age; male supervision as a trigger for anxiety, mainly related to nighttime supervision; and primarily, male supervision related to discipline, which often included the use of physical force, and which evoked strong feelings. Even when the discipline did not include the use of physical force - the very fact that male control was present in their lives caused the girls, who had experienced severe gender oppression throughout their childhoods, strong feelings and the sense that they were regressing. A review of the findings suggests that careful consideration should be given to the admission of male staff members to daily interaction in closed institutions for girls, and in particular, in a home intended for a population that has suffered sexual abuse and severe gender discrimination. Yet, it is important to emphasize that all male presence in an institution for girls with a background of abuse and exploitation should not be eliminated. Being acquainted with a credible and benevolent male figure may be a means of positive change on the pattern of girls' communication with men. Further research is needed to examine the point of view of the caretakers in these closed institutions. The supplementary research together with the findings of this study will constitute a starting point for a significant policy change on the subject. This will result in a more effective treatment of the girls staying in these institutions so that they can rehabilitate their lives and embark on a normative life in due course.