Girl Trouble: Female Delinquency in English Canada

Christine Schmidt specializes in law and sociology at Laurentian
University.

Girl Trouble is essentially a critical analysis of contemporary
discourse on female delinquency in Canada. Specifically, Sangster
illuminates the social and historical construction of “deviance” and
“delinquency” in juveniles, critiquing the shifts in discourse and
the current “moral panic” surrounding females in Canada.

The book is guided by three critical questions: “What underlying
material structures, social conditions, and ideological norms shaped the
definition of delinquency under the Juvenile Delinquents Act, and how
was that definition gendered? What were the prescribed legal and social
cures for girls’ wrongdoing, and how successful were they? How did
girls and their families understand and react to their designation of
delinquent, and to their experiences in court, probation, and training
school?”

The author answers these questions with case studies, transcripts, and
the analysis of policy and procedure from 1908 to present. Divided into
eight chapters, her book offers a disturbing look at the history of the
moral regulation and oppression of adolescent girls, as well as the
mediating factors of class and race. Ultimately, Sangster argues for
changes not only in the juvenile justice system, but also in the
material conditions of a society bent on punishing its marginalized and
most vulnerable citizens. Girl Trouble is essential reading for those
concerned with gender and justice issues.