Research
Our programs, training, and policy recommendations are grounded in research.
We are committed to research that is grounded in the lived experiences of girls and young women.
The Policy Center conducts primary research studies, secondary data analyses, and monitors local, statewide, and national data trends through a girl-centered and racial equity lens.
We use our research to help communities better understand the issues affecting girls and policymakers understand changes needed to improve girls’ wellbeing and future opportunities.
Scroll down to access our research studies, briefing reports, data trends, and the impact of our programming models keeping girls from going deeper into the justice system.
STATUS OF GIRLS IN FLORIDA
A three-part publication, county by county analysis of girls’ educational attainment, emotional and mental health well-being, and a call to action for funders.
- Research to Action: Make Girls a Priority in Florida (2021)
Executive Summary - Status of Girls Well-Being in Florida (2019)
Executive Summary - Status of Girls in Florida Educational Attainment and Disparities by County (2019)
Executive Summary
JUVENILE JUSTICE
A look at the pathways in which girls enter the juvenile justice system, their life experiences, and the trauma they have faced. This includes the voices of girls regarding services they found helpful in the community and their recommendations for services that should be in the community.
JUVENILE JUSTICE BRIEFING REPORTS
SEX TRAFFICKING
Sex trafficking in Florida, and the importance of safe harbor laws in protecting victims and survivors of sex trafficking. A look at how the response to victims can often mirror a trafficker’s behaviors.
COURT COSTS
A three-part series on the impact of court fees and court costs. This research explores how court fees create a debtor’s prison and further impacts individuals in every aspect of their lives, through a cost-benefit analysis.
- Court Costs: The Hidden Prison (2020)
- From the Voices of Girls and Stakeholders: The Impact of Court Costs (2019)
- Assessing the Impact of Court Costs and Fees on Juveniles and Families (2017)
POVERTY
Intergenerational poverty impacts education, employment, and housing. There are policies and practices that bar justice-involved young women from accessing necessary tools to move out of poverty.
2010-2014 Model Evaluation of Girl Matters: It’s Elementary
- Full report
- Summary Results
- See the Change Summary
Girl Matters: In the Middle
Girl Matters: In the Community
Open Doors Outreach Network
