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Contact: Meda Chesney-Lind, 956-6313	Air Date: June 10, 1998

Hawai'i Girls Project Releases Report on Programming for Girls to Reduce Delinquency pt. 2   Providing programs for girls is crucial, according to a new UH study. That's because girls account for one in three youth arrests in Hawai'i and arrests of girls are increasing. In the study, UH researcher Meda Chesney-Lind, cites 24 "potentially promising programs" for delinquent boys but only two for girls. Girls' program funding is a low priority because they are seen as less threatening to others and to public properties. As a result, girls only receive 5­10% of funding for youth programs, despite the fact that they constitute 25% of the juvenile justice system. In Hawai'i, a survey of 28 providers showed that less than 46% had activities specifically oriented to girls. The report concludes that there aren't enough programs in Hawai'i to meet youths' needs-particularly girls' needs-and then outlines what constitutes good female-specific programming with local and national examples. This is University Report, I'm Tracy Orillo-Donovan.

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