The present study utilizes three cohorts over a span of twenty-five years to (a) examine changes in female relative to male delinquency, (b) pinpoint the historical moment at which these changes, if any, begin to materialize, and (c) account for any observed changes. The results show substantial changes in female delinquency rates over time, but these changes do not necessarily appear at a point in time that would support a feminist perspective. Finally, the presence of different age, period, and cohort influences suggests a need for theoretical refinement. It is suggested that theories validated upon male samples only afford very limited theoretical promise for explaining female delinquency. A more fruitful approach might be to view female delinquency as a distinct phenomenon.
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