◎ contents 1. introduction : why a book on girls and juvenile justice? 2. the extent of female delinquency 3. the nature of female delinquncy 4. girls and gangs 5. theories of female delinquency and crime 6. girls' lives and girls' delinquncy 7. girls and the juvenile justice system : a historical overview 8. the contemporary juvenile justice system and girls,part 1 : police and juvenile court processing 9. the contemporary juvenile justice system and girls, part 2 : girls in institutions 10. in their own words : interviews with girls in the juvenile justice system 11. programs for girls in trouble 12. conclusions