ABSTRACT
An examination of the history of juvenile delinquency, from theory development and testing to the establishment of treatment programs and services, reveals a nearly exclusive focus on boys. An examination of the minimal attention given to girls shows limited, and often sexist, ideas regarding their pathways to delinquency. When females’ deviant behavior was not being ignored for its less threatening nature, it was being conceptualized as an extreme and often sexual type of psychological problem. As for correctional interventions, females were either expected to fit into programming designed for males or were treated in ways consistent with prevailing ideas about the unique factors that propel them into delinquent behavior. For example, it was thought that by returning girls to their “proper” gender role, their deviant behavior would be eliminated.
