It reviews the history and traditional theory of women's criminality and the current perspectives of criminologists on female crime involvement. The rising criminality of women is explored through official statistics, media influences, and the changing social roles of women in the modern world. It is concluded that as women's roles change and become more open to opportunities and tension associated with the male role, women's criminal activities will be transformed in both kind and degree. Tabular data, footnotes, and 56 references are given.