[4][5][6][7] She has also published commentaries about sex crimes, primarily expressing her opposition to the use of the hebephilia and other diagnoses in sexually violent predator regulations.

[3] In 1982, Franklin received a BA in journalism from San Francisco State University, and at one point she worked as a legal affairs news reporter.

[8] Franklin formerly worked as a criminal investigator for death penalty cases, which sparked her interest in forensic psychology.

[6][12][13] Franklin's research focused the psychological basis for anti-gay hate crimes,[12][13][14][15] hebephilia,[16][17] and the interpersonal dynamics of gang rape.

[18] She argued that group-perpetrated violence can serve a variety of purposes for men who feel disempowered, by promoting group adhesion and camaraderie, as well as giving the members a chance to "demonstrate and celebrate their masculinity.