Preventative services that aspire to enhance and foster resiliency in girls must respect that girls' environments are relational, cultural/ethnic and social/political. Some of the unique stressors that girls face include maintaining a sense of self, race and class factors, academic insecurity, social and cultural expectations, sexuality, puberty, adolescence and body image. Family fragmentation and academic failure are two key underlying factors common to girls entering the juvenile justice system. Girls are experiencing victimization — sexual and physical abuse and domestic violence — around the ages of 12-14 at alarming rates. Within the educational system, girls must strive to complete educational goals against the backdrop of racism and sexism and oftentimes uncaring professionals. Girls who have experienced multiple expulsions and suspensions, repeating grades or involvement in special education classes are at an even greater risk for delinquency.

These risks facing girls every day are the reasons that Gwen's Girls exists. We fight to reverse and prevent these hardships and the effects they have on the girls and on our society. Collectively, we can work towards empowering girls with effective cognitive, behavioral and interpersonal coping skills that will impact their journey. This will, in turn, inspire a new destiny.