Thank you for a very successful
Inaugural Colorado Conference on Girls,
November 9, 2007!

Keynote Address:      Understanding Girls’ Pathways to Violence and Aggression

CONFERENCE AGENDA

CONFERENCE PRESENTERS

Understanding Girls’ Pathways to Violence and Aggression
Lisa Pasko, Assistant Professor, University of Denver

Lisa Pasko is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Denver. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she received her M.A. from the University of Nevada, Reno, and her Ph.D. at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, both in sociology. For the past ten years, she has been involved in criminal justice research. She is co–author of two books: The Female Offender and Girls, Women, and Crime: Selected Readings. Additionally, Dr. Pasko has served as the juvenile justice research analyst for the Attorney General, developing profiles of the serious juvenile offender and the female juvenile offender in Hawaii. She also completed a two&ndashyear evaluation research project of Girls Court––a court–based, gender–responsive program for female juvenile probationers. Most recently she received a grant from the Division of Criminal Justice to investigate girls' experiences both inside and outside the justice system in Colorado.

The Developmental Needs of Girls
LaRae Scott, Community Educator, Girls Inc of Metro Denver
Lauren Shaddox, Youth Program Coordinator, Girls Inc of Metro Denver

LaRae Scott has been at Girls Inc since 2006 and works with girls 12–18 years old. Lauren Shaddox has been with Girls Inc since 2006 and works with girls 6–12 years old. Both have life experience and e ducational backgrounds relating to working with girls and young women.

Juvenile Justice Panel–
Donna DeLuca, Probation Officer, 19th Judicial District
Marni Kraemer, Probation Officer, 4th Judicial District

Donna DeLuca has worked with the 19th judicial probation department for 8 ½ years and has been running the Juvenile Female Offender Program for 8 years.  Prior to probation, she worked at Larimer County Department of Human Services for 4 years and also has 2 years of residential/day treatment experience.

Marni Kraemer has been a probation officer for 17 years and currently is a juvenile probation officer with the 4th Judicial District which serves El Paso and Teller County. As a probation officer she has supervised adults, juvenile sex offenders, wrote pre–sentence reports, and has been supervising a case load of girls for 5 ½ years.

Change the Way You Look At Things and the Look of Things Will Change
Sara Nickels, M.S.W, LGBTIQA and Social Justice Education Program Coordinator, University of Denver
Amy Guy, M.S.W, M.A., Program Coordinator, Project WISE

Sarah Nickels has been engaged in social justice advocacy for the past ten years in Michigan, Massachusetts, and Colorado. She began her career as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Her involvement in the anti–violence field led her to deepen her passion for and commitment to exploring power, privilege, and oppression. Sarah recently facilitated support programs for LGBTIQ youth in Boulder County with the OASOS Program. In her current position at the University of Denver’s Center for Multicultural Excellence, she develops collaborative programming to support DU’s LGBTIQA communities. Sarah also facilitates intergroup dialogues and social justice education programming to promote a positive campus climate for diversity at DU.

April Guy has worked in the non–profit sector for several years developing and coordinating programs focusing on the empowerment of women and girls. Recently, she traveled to Meru, Kenya where she developed and facilitated culturally competent programming around sexuality, sexual violence, and life skills for girls. She is interested in the ways in which sexism, racism, and poverty are interconnected and have been globalized throughout the world. Women and girls everywhere share common experiences of oppression and discrimination. Currently, she coordinates a mentoring program for women living in poverty at Project WISE, a Denver nonprofit that works to empower women.

Girls in Gangs: Drama, Trauma, & No Way to Win–
Regina Huerter, Executive Director, Crime Prevention and Control Commission

Regina Huerter has worked with youth since1978. Her work with females include residential treatment services, mentoring, creating and operating an all girls youth development prevention and intervention program. She also works on developing and providing gang intervention services.

Girls and Eating Disorders–
Lea Bernstein, Mental Health Counselor II, The Children's Hospital Denver
Gary Seils, Supervisor, The Children's Hospital Denver

Lea Bernstein is a mental health counselor who works with youth in the Eating Disorder Unit. She has worked in the Eating Disorder Unit at the Children's Hospital since July of 2007. 

Gary Seils has worked in the Eating Disorder Unit at The Children's Hospital for 10 years, and has been in the eating disorder field for 14 years.  He has worked in the mental health field for 30 years specializing in addiction, sexual assault, mental illness, and eating disorders and has presented at two international conferences.

Teen Girls and Artistic Expression–
Christie P. Linn, M.S., Women’s Resource Agency

Christie Linn currently works at Women’s Resource Agency with at–risk adolescent girls in a school based program teaching life skills such as domestic violence, substance abuse, goal setting, sex education and anger management. She also teaches Community Service learning courses which involves restorative justice. At the Crisis Center in Colorado Springs Christie assists teens and their families experiencing mental health crisis. She also worked with teen girls dealing with grief and loss issues whose parents that have been infected or affected with HIV/AIDS.

SUMMARY OF BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Understanding Girls’ Pathways to Violence and Aggression– Dr. Lisa Pasko
Girls’ violence is a problem that is gaining increased attention. The indirect forms of relational aggression historically used by girls to harm their victims are increasingly escalating into physical altercations. According to a 2003 report from the Centers for Disease Control, 25% of middle and high school girls practice some form of aggression. In addition to survey research, official statistics also show a growing number of arrests of girls for assault. What is going with girls? This presentation offers an overall scope of girls’ violence and examines the family, environmental, and peer factors for their contributions to the development of girls’ aggression. It looks at the role of drug use, unhealthy relationships, and prior victimization in girls’ pathways toward assaultive behavior. Implications for program development that teaches girls and their families alternative ways of expressing their needs and protecting themselves from harm will also be discussed.

The Developmental Needs of Girls– LaRae Scott and Lauren Shaddox
Participants will go through the varying needs of girls in different developmental stages and will gain an understanding on how to shape program activities to fit different stages of growth.

Juvenile Justice Panel– Donna DeLuca and Marni Kraemer
Participants will be able to ask a panel of professionals that work within the juvenile justice system, questions regarding Colorado youth and the justice system.

Change the Way You Look At Things and the Look of Things Will Change– Sara Nickels and Amy Guy
Participants will engage with a variety of media images of women and girls in advertising, film, and television. Participants will be invited to critically analyze the images and discuss ways in which racism, sexism, heterosexism, and classism are perpetuated through the construction of women and girls in mainstream media. Participants will engage in action planning and learn about resources to challenge media representations of women and girls in their own lives.

Girls in Gangs: Drama, Trauma, & No Way to Win– Regina Huerter
Participants will be invited to analyze and understand the dynamics of girls in gangs as well as discover the special needs to help females leave the gang life.

Girls and Eating Disorders– Lea Bernstein and Gary Seils
Participants will discuss the issue of eating disorders and how they affect girls, as well as learn about therapy that is used to help treat patients.

Teen Girls and Artistic Expression– Christie P. Linn
Due to both cognitive and emotional development specific to females, artistic expression plays a key role during times when the adolescent may feel isolated, rejected, angry, or sad. Participants will discover why and how it is important to focus on teen age girls and different forms of communication.