Two criminologists challenge the characterization of the new 'bad girl' arguing that it is only a new attempt to punish girls who are not the stereotypical depiction of good. Through interviews with young women, educators and people in the criminal justice system, this publication exposes the formal and informal systems of socio-cultural control imposed on girls.
Authors Meda Chesney-Lind and Randall G. Shelden include the relevance of classic theories of delinquency to female juveniles: an impressive amount of historical data and numerous contemporary studies to show that, often, mainstream theories and approaches don't work with female juveniles: and ten in-depth interviews with delinquent girls who share their experiences in the criminal justice system. In addition to greater theoretical development, this edition has been updated with a separate chapter on girls in gangs: important new statistics: and more information on the use of drugs and alcohol, drug-addicted babies, the impact of the newest legislation, and the relative success of alternative programs to incarceration.