Internalizing Disabilities Among Incarcerated Girls From Mexico and the United States

This article examines the relationship between internalizing dimensions of emotional and behavioral disorders such as depression and anxiety with unresolved trauma and abuse among incarcerated girls in Mexico and the United States. The goal is to arrive at a better understanding of (a) how mental health conditions may contribute to deviant behavior, (b) how girls with disabilities may be disproportionately punished because of their gender and disability status, and (c) the limited capabilities of personnel in correctional facilities to diagnose disabilities in incarcerated girls or identify girls who have not been diagnosed. The results, supported by the chivalry hypothesis, demonstrate the need for a gender-informed response to dealing with girls’ deviant behaviors, as well as trauma-informed practices to address mental health disabilities and victimization among delinquent girls in both the United States and Mexico.