After reading this chapter, you will be able to:

12.1 Summarize the key points associated with the history of feminism in the United States.
12.2 Identify the key features of the various feminist perspectives on gender.
12.3 Describe how traditional theories of crime perceived female offenders and problems associated with traditional research methods.
12.4 Identify the main tenets of the liberation thesis.
12.5 Discuss how power-control theory attempts to explain gender differences in delinquency rates.
12.6 Describe key features of feminist perspectives on understanding criminal behavior.
12.7 Describe some of the key policies based on feminist theories of crime.