Delinquente en problematische meisjes in de molen van de jeugdbescherming, 1912-1965

This article is concerned with the daily practices of the Belgian juvenile justice system towards girl delinquents during the period 1912-1965. We follow girls on their pathways through this system, from their first conflicts with the law and encounters with juvenile justice officials to their actual re-education, in particular in reform schools. We examine the backgrounds and problems of girls entering juvenile justice, how experts translated these into a clear profile of the girl delinquent, and which impact this had on juvenile judges' decisions and girls' experiences. Further, we investigate which re-education measures were taken as the 'appropriate' answer to girls' presumed need for moral and sexual supervision. Finally, we shed light onto the limits of (the welfare model of) Belgian juvenile justice by focusing on 'incorrigible' girls at the end op the penal chain. To conclude, we identify a number of parallels between the past and the present of juvenile justice practices towards young women