BRIDGING THE GENDER-GAP IN CRIMINOLOGY - LIBERATION AND GENDER-SPECIFIC STRAIN EFFECTS ON DELINQUENCY

This study explores the empirical grounds for bridging the gender gap between liberation theories of female crime by integrating selected co ncepts from strain and liberation theses to explain female delinquency and gender differences in delinquency. Additive and interactive analy ses were conducted with a sample of 1,613 adolescents. The findings pr ovide little support for combining liberation and strain, primarily be cause of the inadequacy of liberated attitudes for strongly and consis tently differentiating female delinquency. Strain, however, differed f or males and females but was consistently and positively related to de linquency for both groups.