Delinquent girls have recently grabbed the attention of researchers due to their larger proportional representation of youth under supervision in juvenile courts. Among other influences, delinquency is commonly examined as the result of family dysfunction, negative peer relations, and low academic commitment. However, this approach provides limited insight into the internal struggles of girls who are deeply enmeshed in the juvenile justice system. Literature examining the self perceptions of delinquent girls, as they tackle physical and emotional development during adolescence, is limited. Specifically, little is known about the way in which self perception changes among girls as they desist from criminality and transition into adulthood. The current study explores retrospective perceptions of prior self, current self, and the attainability of positive future self of a sample of 27 girls deeply enmeshed in the juvenile justice system. Self perceptions are examined under the theoretical framework of McAdam's (1985) Narrative Identity Theory. Identifiers of self perception, gained from the qualitative interviews, are examined in relation to delinquency, adversity, and prosocial behaviors. Findings suggest that girls are increasingly positive about their self perceptions over time and different types of adversity have varying impacts on girls' perceived attainability of a positive future self.
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