Female offenders have always been thought of in different ways from male offenders, as less delinquent, less dangerous, and less involved in criminal subcultures and as a consequence they have less frequently provided a focus for criminological theory. The treatment of young females in three modern practice settings -- an observation/assessment center, a police juvenile bureau, and a regional "secure" assessment/remand center -- was documented to examine what practitioners think about their clients and how complicated the notion of sexism becomes once it is placed in an administrative context. It is concluded that images of female offenders are mediated by a whole host of factors that cannot be linked directly to sexist ideology. 4 tables, 1 figure, 157 notes, appendix, bibliography, and index