Historically, research on adolescent delinquency has focused on statistically determined causal risk factors and has been conducted utilizing male participants (Barron, 2000; Chesney-Lind & Sheldon, 2004). As summarized by Chesney-Lind and Sheldon (2004) “delinquency theory has ignored girls and as a result there is considerable question whether existing theories that were developed to explain boys’ delinquency can explain girls’ as well” (p. 98). Using a basic interpretive qualitative research design (Merriam, 2002b), the study’s purpose was to explore and gain a better understanding of the personal experiences of women who were involved in delinquent activities during adolescence. Five women between the ages of 19 and 59 years participated in three interviews. The data collection interview focused on the women’s experiences as an adolescent female involved in delinquent activities. The participants’ descriptions lead to the identification of four descriptive categories: experiences with abuse, experiences with substance use, experiences with challenging and complicated relationships, and experiences that made a positive difference. These four categories of experiential description are discussed in terms of application(s) to counselling practice and future research
