Challenges the characterization of the 'bad girl' arguing that it is only an attempt to punish girls who are not the stereotypical depiction of good. This book exposes the formal and informal systems of socio-cultural control imposed on girls.

In this important new work, two respected criminologists challenge the characterization of the new "bad girl" arguing that it is only a new attempt to punish girls who are not the stereotypical depiction of good. Through interviews with young women, educators and people in the criminal justice system, "Beyond Bad Girls" exposes the formal and informal systems of socio-cultural control imposed on girls.