Girls and Gangs: A Decade on From the Firmin Report and What Has Changed?

Abstract

Presenting data from the first phase of a U.K.-based 5-year mixed-methods study, we restart a decade-long conversation into Girls and Gangs and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The relationship between the two is not mutually exclusive and coupled with the recent optics surrounding youth violence and gendered violence, we discuss how the needs of women are being somewhat hindered as a result of U.K. governmental vacillation. We therefore consider the serious impact of VAWG and the concomitancy with youth violence/gangs. By drawing on contemporary feminist criminological theorizing, we aim to galvanize governmental responses to prioritize the needs of women at a time when policymakers are arguably poised to listen.