A Reformulation of the "Equal Opportunity" Explanation of Female Delinquency

Abstract

The "equal opportunity" thesis predicts that an increase in legitimate opportunities for women will be accompanied by an increase in female criminality. Through a theoretical inventory of opportunity-related delinquency explanations, some crucial links in the causal relationship between opportunity and delinquency are identified. The original equal opportunity hypothesis is then expanded into a more comprehensive predictive model.