This work investigates the systemic exclusion and misrepresentation of women within traditional criminological theory and the criminal justice system. Carol Smart, a prominent sociologist and legal scholar, utilizes a feminist framework to deconstruct how male-centered perspectives have historically shaped the understanding of female criminality. The book argues that existing theories are fundamentally flawed because they treat women as an anomaly or a derivative of male behavior rather than as subjects with distinct social experiences.

Experts recognize this text as a foundational contribution to feminist criminology that challenged the discipline to reconsider its core assumptions. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which remains highly influential in contemporary sociology and gender studies curricula.