`a very welcome contribution... valuable comparative material... a compelling collection of essays on an important subject. As a contribution towards the development of an adequate theory of crime and control, the book has much to offer. It will undoubtedly be useful for students: the style is clear and accessible - Sociology
`extremely valuable as a source of ideas for workers in the criminal justice system who would like to experiment with a more `feminist practice with their female clients... this is an important book which will stimulate debate mainly because it brings a much needed comparative perspective to the bourgeoning literature on the formal social control of women. Essential reading for feminists, sociologists, social workers, probation officers, criminologists and senior officials working in the courts and prisons. - The Sociological Review
`The volume is a breakthrough - Contemporary Crises
`An excellent opening chapter by Lees sets the context of the whole volume.... contains some interesting data and serves to emphasise that ideologies which define girls and women in gendered ways in terms of their sexuality are no respecters of national borders. The book begins and ends exceptionally well, with the chapters by Lees and Hudson tying everything together.... on the whole the book is internally coherent and its contents are accessible enough to be of wide interest, including to practitioners in the field of juvenile welfare, as well as to those with an academic interest in this area. - Gender and Education
`this volume makes a most needed contribution to the literature on females and delinquency.... This collection does not claim to have answered all the important questions. However, in posing the questions and in the selected content, researchers in the areas of gender and crime can only benefit in their thinking from reading the contents. - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology
`This collection of papers... is a major contribution to knowledge about girls in the juvenile justice system.... The whole collection is well edited and integrated with an excellent introductory chapter by Maureen Cain, with outstanding linkage and summaries of each of the 12 essays. - LCCJ Newsletter
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