A significant and welcome study... with much to offer the cultural and social historian, the historian of gender, of women and of criminal justice and welfare.' - Shani D'Cruze, Cultural and Social History

'Concentrating on girls, Cox maps out and explains how they came to be defined as 'problems' and how they were subsequently treated in the child welfare system. Based on a thoughtful and critical assessment of a wealth of sources including government reports, administrative records, case files, letters, autobiographies and contemporary academic studies, Cox establishes that a consideration of gender is essential to understanding the workings of juvenile justice.' - Journal of Social History