Previous theories on crime causes have had limited usefulness in explaining female delinquency, because they have either neglected females or tried to plug them into theories developed for males. However, theories of female delinquency need to acknowledge and incorporate the sexism, victimization, and racism experienced by female offenders. In addition, few theories have examined gender differences in socialization, pathways to crime, the context of offending, and opportunities for delinquency. Additional issues on which research has focused and should focus in the future include sexuality; gender roles; female adolescent development; the reasons females join gangs; sex, race, and social class; mental health issues; and gender differences in drug abuse causes. The analysis concludes that a feminist perspective offers a prescription for delinquency that differs from the one historically given. In addition, expanding research that seeks to examine and understand real females' lives and experiences is the only way to change the priorities of the juvenile justice system to improve the processing and treatment of females. 112 references