NCJ Number
182075
Date Published
1998
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This review and evaluation of theories of female juvenile delinquency focuses on how theories have evolved over the past 100 years and concludes that many contemporary theories continue to maintain and support gender-role stereotypes and are not sensitive to females’ experiences within a patriarchal context.
Abstract
Early theories of female juvenile delinquency posited that female deviance rested on their biological makeup. Different theorists offered contradictory reasons why women’s inherent nature was important to understanding their criminal behavior. Sociological theories broadened the understanding of delinquency by examining youth within the context of their environment, but virtually ignored females. Most contemporary theories include gender as an analytic category within the frameworks of traditional sociological theories. However, feminists remain skeptical about the suitability of such theories to explain female delinquency adequately. Most feminist analyses of female delinquency reject both the sex-specific and the traditional theories as explanations of females’ delinquency. Some feminists argue that the juvenile justice system’s harsh reaction to females’ juvenile status offenses results from judicial paternalism; others argue that the regulation of young females’ behavior ensures that females fulfill their position in the family as wives and mothers. Future research should continue to expose the controlling practices of the criminal justice system, the regulation of sexuality and family structures, and the maintenance of class and race structures. More research is also needed to aid understanding of the impact of the construction of females’ behavior on their subsequent handling by the juvenile justice system. 57 references