El efecto del género en la toma de decisiones en el sistema de Justicia Juvenil (The Effect of Gender on Decision-Making in the Juvenile Justice System)

Abstract

There is enough evidence in the Anglo-Saxon scientific literature about the effect of gender on the decision-making in the Juvenile Justice System. However, in Spain, there are no known empirical studies in this regard. An approximation to our reality might serve as a starting point for a deeper analysis on the issue. The aim of the present study was to perform a descriptive, retrospective study of the cases disposed to the juvenile court judge during eight months in the Juvenile Court of Guadalajara, Spain. The final data set contained 166 cases, 127 boys and 39 girls disposed to the Juvenile Court of Guadalajara for committing some crime in the territorial scope of this province, small in territory and population. The significance of differences were calculated using Chi2 test. No differences between sexes occurred in any case. Neither if only violent crimes are consider. All professionals who have intervened in the decision-making were women. This circumstance could influence the results obtained.  

Keywords

• género
• tribunal
• sistema de justicia juvenil
• toma de decisiones
• gender
• court
• juvenile justice system
• decision-making