The article reviews the historical theories of female criminality, which are mainly biology-based and largely discounted, and moves on to examine the more modern literature on criminology, which is based on an explanation of why males offend. The paper is based on interviews with female offenders in Scotland, and argues that the male explanations are inadequate to explain female offending. The 26 in-depth interviews suggest that problems with relationships (e.g., the experience of being in care, self-abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic violence) are associated with a female propensity to crime. Female offenders who became socially mature adults, who formed a new family unit, were significantly more likely to stop offending than those who did not, whereas this development process made little difference for male offenders. The article suggests that efforts to prevent offending should focus on strengthening families and preparing young people, particularly males, for responsible adulthood. Tables, references