As background for the discussion, the chapter first considers the basic premises of a gender role socialization theory of traditional patterns of female delinquency. This is followed by an assessment of whether rates of female law violation have increased. Although the dominant view among criminologists is that the nature of female law violation has not changed substantially over the years, conclusions are subject to subtleties of interpretation that may be slanted according to which studies are emphasized. Next, the chapter discusses changing societal reactions to female offenders. The author concludes that the evidence is mixed and does not lead to a definitive conclusion that changes in female rates of crime and delinquency can be attributed solely to changing societal reactions to female crime. Remaining sections of the chapter discuss the masculinity liberation hypothesis and changing gender roles and role strain. The author concludes that there is considerable gender "role strain" inherent in females' attempts to negotiate contemporary expectations for themselves and others, and that the concept of role strain -- the set of ambiguous or contradictory demands built into a single role -- offers a useful characterization of important aspects of contemporary female delinquency. 20 notes and 156 references