No . 31 Women and Crime : Premenstrual Issues

This Trends and Issues is the first in a series that will focus specifically on women's issues in crime and criminal justice. The topic of premenstrual tension is a fitting, if controversial one with which to begin the series. It lacks credibility as a syndrome in certain sections of the community, and feminists fear that its use in the courts will revive biological deterministic theories of male superiority. It continues to be a cause of controversy and dissension in both the medical and legal professions. This Trends and Issues examines the research that links PMS and deviant criminal behaviour. It also discusses possible ways that PMS could be used in the courts, and reviews its application to date as a defence strategy both in Australia and overseas. The reality of this disorder and its consequences for a small minority of women should not be ignored. Women and Crime: Premenstrual Issues is an important contribution to the Australian literature on criminology. Duncan Chappell Director