Books by Meda Chesney-Lind

Scholarship in criminology over the years has often left little room for research and theory on how female offenders are perceived and handled in the criminal justice system. This title explores gender and cultural factors in women's lives that often precede criminal behavior.

Aims to challenge the characterization of the "bad girl" arguing that it is only an 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 book exposes the formal and informal systems of socio-cultural control imposed on girls.