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JUVENILE DELINQUENCY / A C O M M U N IT Y P R O G R A M U. S. Department of Labor Children’s Bureau .7 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Publication 301 1943 Contents Page Foreword--------------------------------------------------------------------------Introduction---------------------------------------------------— ---------- - Part I: Goals for community action------------------------------------Strengthening of resources needed by all children-----------Home life_________________________________________ Schooling. __---------------------------------------------------------Church influences— ------------------- --------------------Recreational and group activities---------------------------Protection of groups of children especially vulnerable to delinquency---- ---------------------- — -----------------------------Children of employed mothers. ------------------------------Boys and girls in employment. _____________________ Children living in crowded quarters or congested areas___________________________________________ Mentally and-physically handicapped children--------Children in families with economic need------------------Control of harmful influences in the community-------------Legal authority for controlling or eliminating harm ful influences____________________________ ____ - - Effective enforcement of legal measures for control of harmful influences_______________________________ Protection of youth in public places-----------------------Voluntary cooperation of commercial establishments. _ Services for the delinquent child and the child with be. havior problems-------------------------------------------------------Social services--------- ---------------------------------------------The police and the juvenile court-----------------------— Adequate detention care----------------------- --------------Provision for institutional and foster-family care----Child-guidance services---------------------------------- ------Part II: Procedures for action----------- '---------------------- ----------Organization--------------- .-------------------------- — ------- -------Putting the program into action. ----------------------------------UNITED STATES DEPARTM ENT OF LABOR Frances Perkins, Secretary C hildren ’ s B ureau — Katharine F. Lenroot, Chief ii https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis iii 1 4 5 5 6 7 8 10 10 11 12 12 13 15 16 16 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 Foreword This publication, Controlling Juvenile Delinquency: A Community Program, was issued in mimeographed form under the title, “A Com munity Program for Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency in Wartime.” It completes the series o f three publications recom mended by the Children’s Bureau Commission on Children in Whrtime at a meeting held at the White House on February 4,1943. Pursuant to the recommendations made at this meeting, the purpose o f which was to explore the problems o f children in wartime with special reference to juvenile delinquency and the community’s responsibility for pro viding services for meeting these problems, the following publications have already been issued by the Children’s Bureau: Community Action for Children in Wartime. To Mothers and Fathers of the Nation’s Wartime Children— A letter from the Chief o f the Children’s Bureau. An earlier publication, also prepared at the suggestion o f the Com mission, is A Program of State Action for Our Children in Wartime. In the Federal Government the Office of Community W ar Services o f the Federal Security Agency is coordinating the work o f the Fed eral agencies concerned with the prevention and control of juvenile delinquency. Similar coordinating service is provided in many States through committees on children in wartime affiliated with State defense councils. The present publication has been prepared by the staff o f the Chil dren’s Bureau. Helpful suggestions have been received from the fol lowing agencies: Office o f Community War Services, Federal Security Agency, including the Recreation Division and the Social Protection Division. Office of Civilian Defense. Offie of Education, Federal Security Agency. Bureau of Prisons, United States Department of Justice. United States Probation System, Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Bureau o f Public Assistance, Social Security Board, Federal Security Agency. The approach to the prevention and treatment of juvenile delin quency emphasized in this publication is through provision for serviii https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ices that are necessary to children and their families at all times and provision for new or extended services to meet special needs created by the wartime situation. In this emphasis it supplements the other programs adopted by the Children’s Bureau Commission on Children in Wartime, relating to State and community action. This publication is primarily for persons or groups leading in the development o f programs for children and youth. It is addressed particularly to committees of State and local defense councils and councils o f social agencies; to other community groups assuming active responsibility in promoting basic services for children and youth; to private national agencies and associations with programs bearing upon some aspect o f delinquency prevention and treatment; and to Federal agencies with responsibilities relating to juvenile delinquency. Organizations and committees interested in developing compre hensive programs in their communities will find here a general guide. Supplementary information can be obtained from Federal agencies and Nation-wide private agencies and from State or local organizations concerned with these services. K ath ar in e F. L enroot, Chief o f the Children's Bureau. iv https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis C o n tr o llin g J u v e n ile D e lin q u e n c y A Community P rogram Introduction Juvenile delinquency is an old problem, a problem that today has been intensified, aggravated, and given new emphasis under the pres sure of war. It has come to have high priority rating among the social problems requiring special consideration and prompt action. In wartime, as in peacetime, juvenile delinquency results from our failure to satisfy the basic needs of children and youth—the need for security and for opportunity for growth and achievement. The home and community, through which these fundamental needs are met, find their task made more difficult by the dislocations they are undergoing in wartime. Young people as a whole are meeting the emergency with clarity and courage. We can rely on them to think straight and act straight. The group involved in the juvenile-delinquency problem is relatively small. Nevertheless, the problems o f the boys and girls who develop behavior disorders or fall into delinquency are important, not only for the welfare o f the individuals involved and o f the community as a whole but also for the light the experience o f these boys and girls throws on the difficulties other young people are facing. Among the wartime conditions contributing to juvenile delinquency are the follow ing: Fathers are separated from their families because they are serving in the armed forces or working in distant war industries. Mothers in large numbers are engaged in full-time employment and are there fore away from home most o f the day. Lack of consistent guidance and supervision from their parents gives children opportunity for activities that may lead to unacceptable behavior. An increasing number of children are now employed, in many instances under unwholesome conditions that impede their growth, limit their educational progress, or expose them to moral hazards. The widespread migration o f families to crowded centers o f war industry has uprooted children from familiar surroundings and subjected them to life in communities where resources are overtaxed by the increased population. 1 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 2 CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY Dance halls, beer parlors, and other “attractions” that flourish in industrial centers and near military establishments, unless kept under community control, frequently exert a harmful influence on youth. The general spirit o f excitement and adventure aroused by war and the tension, anxiety, and apprehension felt by parents or other adults are reflected in rest lessness, defiance, emotional disturbance, and other negative forms o f behavior on the part of children and young people. As a result o f these wartime conditions, many communities have already experienced an upward trend in delinquency. Other com munities apparently find no marked change in the delinquency situa tion since the war began. Although Nation-wide statistics on juvenile delinquency are not available, statistics reported to the Children’s Bureau by 82 courts serving areas of 100,000 or more population throw light on recent changes in the volume of juvenile delinquency. The total number of cases of delinquency brought before these courts has increased from about 64,000 in 1940 to 74,000 in 1942, an increase o f almost 16 percent. The rise in the number o f delinquency cases was greater for girls than for boys: 38 percent compared with 11 percent. That conditions prevalent in the growing war production "centers were attended by an increase in juvenile-delinquency cases was evident in the fact that in the 40 courts located in areas of increas ing population the increase in juvenile delinquency was 18 percent, whereas in the 42 courts in areas of stable or declining population the increase was 9 percent. Increases in juvenile-delinquency cases were far greater, proportionately, than increases in child population. The great majority o f children and youth are adjusting successfully to wartime demands and stresses, but even those who are responding in the fullest degree to the demands of the adult world may be suf fering from emotional strains and deprivations which may seriously affect their future development. The problems of delinquent children highlight the need for doing the best job we can for all children and youth. It is important, therefore, at this time, for every community to give attention to the extent to which it is meeting the special needs of children, especially of young people 14 to 18 years o f age. Each community should determine the extent of its own delinquency prob lem and the factors contributing to it, examine the ways in which the problem has been accentuated or changed by the war, and then decide what action is required. The primary responsibility for protection o f children and youth rests, of course, upon their parents. W ar conditions place special strains on home life and the ability o f parents to give their children protection and guidance. Hence, the community, now more than ever before, has responsibility to assist parents in fulfilling their obliga- https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 3 tions toward their own children and providing the services outside the home that are necessary for the rounded development and protec tion o f children and youth. Community measures for prevention and control o f juvenile delinquency in wartime, as at all times, must begin with strengthening, expanding, and developing community services that are needed for the protection, growth, and development of every child. These services cannot and should not be developed merely as part o f a program of delinquency prevention. Instead they should be directed toward promoting the objectives of the community for the positive well-being of all its children. Nevertheless, as its first step any group concerned with control of delinquency must assess the pro visions for the home life, health, schooling, and welfare o f children and take steps to stimulate and support all groups seeking to strengthen these measures and fill in any gaps that may exist. Many States and communities have developed committees on children in wartime associated with State defense councils. These committees form a natural base for the development of special delin quency programs. Other community-wide groups, such as councils of social agencies, also afford such a framework. A clear line must be drawn between those parts o f a community program for the pre vention and control of juvenile delinquency which should be the spe cial responsibility of a group concerned with this subject, and those aspects o f the program which should be carried on by a group with more general interests relating to the health and welfare of children. A ll aspects of planning for the prevention and control of juvenile delinquency should be coordinated in the local community, the State, and the Federal Government. Many communities and some States have already taken steps in this direction. The Federal agencies with responsibilities related to juvenile delinquency are planning jointly in this field. A community planning a program to combat juvenile delinquency will need to draw on all available, resources within its borders and outside. Through the participation o f Federal, State, and local agencies and citizen groups the community services that affect children and youth can be strengthened, expanded, and developed. This must be done if we are to safeguard our children, who are the strength and future of the Nation. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Part Is G O ALS FO R CO M M U N ITY AC TIO N Since juvenile delinquency is inextricably bound up with all the factors in our social and economic life, community programs o f pre vention and control must necessarily be comprehensive and varied. Fundamental points o f attack are set forth in the proposals that fo l low. Communities planning a comprehensive program for prevention and control o f juvenile delinquency in wartime should make sure that none o f these points o f attack is ignored. But because conditions and resources vary from community to community, concentration of effort on one point or on another should be determined by the needs existing in the particular community and by their relative urgency. A complete program of community action would include the follow ing: 1. Strengthening o f resources needed by all children. 2. Protection o f groups of children especially vulnerable to delinquency. 3. Control o f harmful influences in the community. 4. Services for the delinquent child and the child with behavior problems. A ll these activities depend for their effectiveness on sound organiza tion and procedures. A ll Americans want this country to be a place where children can live in safety and grow in understanding o f the part they must play in the Nation?s future. I f anywhere in the country any child lochs opportunity for home life fo r health protection fo r education fo r moral or spiritual development the strength o f the Nation and its abil ity to cherish and advance the principles o f democracy are thereby weakened. , , , , — F r a n k l in D . R oosevelt. 4 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Strengthening of Resources Needed by A ll Children All children have needs above and beyond those that can be met by their families. These must be met by the resources of the community. The availability of these necessary resources for all children has a special significance in this war period when family life is sub jected to strains and dislocations. Strengthening of community resources is of substantial importance in prevention of juvenile delinquency. If these resources are based on a broad concept of public responsibility, many children not only may be saved from falling into unacceptable behavior but also may be prepared for rich, purposeful, and creative living. What are the resources that a community should provide for all children ? What is needed to make these resources effective ? Answers to these questions call for discussion of church, and recreational and group-work activities, of the community in helping parents to fulfill their be expected to the school, the and of the role responsibilities. Borne L ife. Parents^ are the most vital influence in the lives o f their children. ' Since the task of mothers and fathers is more difficult under wartime conditions the community has special responsibility in helping them fulfill, to the best o f their ability, their obligations to their children. The community is responsible, too, for making parents aware that their children, because o f wartime conditions, have an increased need for their direction and guidance. Wise and understanding fathers and mothers, by assuming their full responsibility as parents, will help to bring their children safely through these crucial times. 5 555003° — 43—— 2 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 6 CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY A community program that will assist parents in fulfilling their responsibilities to their children includes : Full use of publicity to stimulate parents to awareness o f the special needs of their children in wartime, and educational campaigns to help them achieve better understanding of these needs and greater knowledge o f ways to meet them. These purposes can be achieved through continuation and expansion of existing programs of parent education; through child-study and familylife courses developed by parent-teacher associations and other organiza tions ; through motion-picture shorts and radio programs setting forth in dramatic form constructive ways of meeting children’s needs ; and through posters illustrating effective methods of dealing with children. Federal and State agencies and private National agencies specializing in work with children can furnish material for these programs. All suitable community facilities should be used. Motion pictures might be shown in department stores, for example, in churches, at clubs, at labor meetings, and in industrial plants at the noon hour. Posters might be widely distributed in stores, public libraries, streetcars, churches, and meeting halls. Counseling and information service for parents who wish advice with regard to special problems of their children. This service should be given by' persons qualified by training and experi ence to deal with behavior problems of children as well as special family problems. It might be provided through social agencies, schools, churches, or child-guidance clinics. Strengthening of relationships and promotion o f understanding between teachers and parents through joint meetings and activities in parentteacher groups. Promotion o f unified action by small groups of parents in setting standards and establishing policies governing the social activities'of their children; for example, joint agreement by parents as to how late their children should be permitted to stay out at night. Development o f programs to promote recreational and leisure-time activi ties in the home— such as workshops, hobbies, games, and music— and participation of family groups in community activities planned in the school, church, or community center. Schooling. Since most juvenile delinquents are of school age, the school occu pies a strategic position in the prevention and control o f juvenile delinquency. In their day-by-day contacts with children, school teachers and prin cipals often are able to discover attitudes and behavior that may be https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 7 the forerunners o f delinquency, in addition to serving the funda mental needs o f all children by providing them an opportunity for intellectual growth and a sense o f achievement. Unhappiness or poor adjustment in school may contribute to delinquency in childhood or may sow the seeds of difficulties that will appear in adolescence or maturity. The school makes a contribution to the prevention o f de linquency when it places emphasis on the child himself rather than on the things taught him, and when it looks on the child’s school expe rience as a part of life itself as well as a preparation for life. I f schools are to serve as bulwarks against delinquency there must be in every community: Enough school buildings adequately equipped and enough teachers ade quately compensated to maintain full school opportunity throughout the school year for all the children, with full-day school sessions. School programs that stimulate the child’s interest, promote his intellectual growth, give him a sense o f achievement, and prepare him for useful adulthood. Special courses should be provided for those children whose individual differences—physical, mental, or emotional—make it impossible for them to benefit by the regular course of study. Adequate enforcement o f school-attendance laws to promote the attend ance o f all children o f school age and to give recognition to the social and emotional factors that are at the root o f much nonattendance. Social services available to the school to assist in the discovery and under standing o f children with social and emotional problems and in the utilization o f the resources of the community for meeting these problems. These services may be given through school social workers or through childwelfare workers on the staffs of public or private agencies. Of special importance is the establishment of means for the development of mutual understanding by teachers and social workers o f one another’s problems and resources, and for referrals from one to the other. Full utilization o f school buildings before and after school and during evening hours, on week ends, and during vacation periods for supervised activities for children and young people. Church Influences. The church, as an established and powerful force in community life, can play a dynamic part in the prevention o f delinquency. In fulfilling its primary responsibility for spiritual guidance, the church helps the child to develop regard for other persons and respect https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 8 CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY for their rights. It can help the child to gain a perspective upon life that makes him able to distinguish between fundamental values in human conduct and transient ideas as to what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Through these positive values children are enabled to face difficulties and are given confidence in the ultimate meaning of life. Thus they are fortified against delinquency. In its secondary role as a community center the church affords a place and an opportunity for young people to form wholesome associ ations and participate in constructive activities. The church can fulfill its responsibilities for combating juvenile de linquency through: Providing spiritual guidance by private counseling, general and special religious services, special-class and religious instruction, study groups, and special programs. Serving as a community center by use o f church buildings and by providing leadership for social, musical, and community activities in which boys and girls, as well as entire families and neighbors, may join, such as clubs, discussion groups, choirs, games, athletics, contests, and suppers. Recreational and Group Activities . Recreational and leisure-time activities constitute an important aspect o f any wartime program to combat juvenile delinquency. Wholesome activities offer children a channel for constructive and satisfying experience and give opportunity for direction o f interests that might otherwise seek satisfaction in delinquent behavior. In seeking ways to offset increases in juvenile delinquency, wise planning for the leisure time o f children and older boys and girls should take into account not only their need for rest, relaxation, and enjoyment o f living but also the value o f making them feel they have a stake in the war effort. The psychological value o f making children and young people part o f an effort that is absorbing our whole national life should be kept in mind. Furthermore, it is important to give attention to provision for par ticipation o f young people themselves in the development of recrea tional programs to which they have already demonstrated their ability to contribute. Consideration should also be given to types o f activity that meet youth’s need for high adventure and dramatic action, which is intensified by wartime excitement. I f this need is not fulfilled in acceptable ways, it may find expression in delinquent acts. A well-balanced leisure-time program o f recreational and group activities involves: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 9 Using all suitable facilities andt programs available, whether publicly, privately, or commercially sponsored. This implies full utilization of school buildings, parks and playgrounds, camping areas, community centers, museums and libraries; of activities conducted by youth-serving organizations, settlements, and churches; and, under proper control, of commercial recreation, such as motion-picture theaters, dance halls, bowling alleys, swimming pools, and skating rinks. Making the programs attractive to “teen age” boys and girls and offering them a chance to participate in activities together. The most popular programs include those that provide soft-drink and milk bars; lounges equipped with juke boxes for dancing; and recrea tion rooms with equipment for ping-pong, pool-table games, and similar activities. It is desirable that the boys and girls have a major portion of the responsibility for planning and carrying out the programs, with unobtrusive supervision. Providing variety in programs, through active and quiet recreation; large and small groups; carefully planned or spontaneous play; separate or combined groups for boys and g ir ls; activities promoting physical fitness; hikes and camping; and artistic and cultural pursuits. Providing coverage of program to take into account the needs of all areas, groups, and individuals. Special attention should be given to children in congested areas, minority groups, children with physical, mental, or emotional handicaps, and de linquent children or children with behavior problems who may need in dividual attention and guidance in selecting activities and associates. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Protection of Groups of Children Especially Vulnerable to Delinquency Certain groups of children are particularly sus ceptible to juvenile delinquency. ¿4s a result of war conditions, more children are subjected to situations conducive to delinquency than in pre-war days. Fur thermore, many children whose stability would be sufficient to withstand ordinary pressures are unable to adjust satisfactorily to the strains inherent in war conditions. Preventing or overcoming these handi caps and providing special protection for the children suffering from them, are important factors in pre venting and controlling the problem in any community. Who are the children in this war period whose resistance to juvenile delinquency is lowered by their mental or physical condition or by the situation in which they live? And what is needed in a community to overcome these handicaps so far as possible, and protect the children suffering from them? The answers to these questions require consideration of the groups o f children who need special protection and the services available to them. Examples of the latter are day care and extended school serv ices for children of employed mothers; safeguards for boys and girls in employment; improved housing for children in families now living in crowded quarters or congested areas; services for physically and mentally handicapped children; and aid for children in families with economic need. Children o f Em ployed M others. The need for day care and extended school services for children o f employed mothers has received public attention as a wartime prob lem created by increased employment o f women. Recognition has been given to the great need o f such care for children o f both school and preschool age. Without supervision, direction, and guidance both young children and adolescents may develop undesirable associations and find opportunity for activities that lead to delinquency. 10 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 11 Programs o f day care and extended school services should include : Counseling and information service designed to assist parents, when mothers are employed or are thinking about going to work, in planning for the care' o f both the young child and the adolescent. Foster-fam ily day care and group care in nursery schools and day-care centers for children o f employed women. Before-and-after-school programs for school-age children and, during school vacations, all-day programs. B oys and Girls in Em ploym ent. Eager to earn their own money and restless for new wartime activ ities boys and girls are going to work in large numbers. To a great extent their employment is now unplanned. Much o f it is at night and in public places. Many are working under conditions that ex pose them to health and accident hazards and unwholesome influences that make the path to delinquency an easy one. Many are placed in positions where adult supervision is too slight, or the responsibilities are too great, subjecting them to temptations. Young girls are leav ing the shelter of family life in a rural community and going in con siderable numbers to crowded areas to seek employment without ade quate guidance. Often they find themselves stranded without money or a place to stay and become involved in difficulties. Thousands of young people drop out o f school to enter employment and many are developing exaggerated feelings of self-importance and attitudes of defiance toward their parents. Programs helping to control juvenile delinquency through pro vision of employment safeguards for boys and girls should include : Continuing publicity on employment standards in relation to age, hours, and working conditions for young people, and on jobs best suited for youth, and insistence on compliance of employers with child-labor laws. Adequate staff for prompt issuance of employment and age certificates, to make sure that no child goes to work in violation of child-labor laws. Counseling and placement services to help boys and girls decide whether to continue in school or leave for work, and to assist them in finding suitable part-time or full-tim e jobs. Inspection o f workplaces by proper authorities to enforce legal employ ment standards. Other measures necessary to see that young people have adequate adult supervision on their jobs and work in wholesome surroundings. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 12 CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY Children Living in Crowded Quarters or Congested Areas . A large proportion o f delinquent children come from crowded homes and congested areas. Under wartime conditions thousands o f chil dren are living in trailer camps, in shacks, or in other places under unwholesome conditions. These children are subjected to strains and undesirable influences arising from lack of privacy. They lack space in which to play safely. And, because of overcrowding and staggered work hours of members o f the family group, they lack regular sleep and meals. When children are placed under such strains some o f them may be expected to develop delinquent behavior. A community giving its attention to the control o f juvenile delin quency must necessarily be concerned about the relationship between bad housing conditions and delinquency. Programs for improved housing include provision for : Additional housing units to assure safeguards against the physical and social hazards o f overcrowding. Facilities, in connection with housing units, for safety, sanitation, recrea tion, and transportation. Legal regulations and effective law enforcement covering sanitary and fire hazards, sewage disposal, and overcrowding. Centralized housing registries to serve those seeking living quarters. Negotiation o f differences between landlords and tenants on a basis of fairness to both. Special effort must be made to see that children living under bad housing conditions have full opportunity for all-day schooling, rec reation, church activities, and individual guidance and help when necessary. M entally and Physically Handicapped Children . Mental retardation and physical handicaps may make children par ticularly susceptible to delinquency. The mentally retarded child who is unable to compete with other children o f his own age group may yield readily to harmful influences. The child whose physical condi tion or handicap prevents him from running and playing like other children or makes him conspicuous among them may find his satis factions through undesirable behavior or delinquent acts. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 13 Children in these groups are especially affected by the tensions grow ing out o f the quickened tempo o f living and the dislocations of family life in wartime. It is important that consideration be given to the difficulty they face in attempting to fit into school programs, to play with other children on equal terms, and to prepare for self-supporting and satisfying employment. Services for mentally and physically handicapped children as a part o f the program to prevent juvenile delinquency should include: Full utilization, and extension, if necessary, o f State and local resources for early discovery o f mentally and physically handicapped children and for adequate diagnosis and treatment that will enable them to function as normally as possible. An important part o f such resources should be social services to deal with the emotional problems that mentally and physically handicapped children frequently have and to assist parents in understanding and meeting the special problems o f these children. Provision in the schools for general and vocational education commensurate with the physical and mental powers o f the handicapped child and designed to discover and develop fully his abilities and aptitudes. Provision for social services in institutions for the mentally handicapped. Such services should provide for returning to the community those children who after institutional training can, under supervision, adjust satisfac torily to life outside. The removal of these children would then make it possible to admit to institutions many children who are now denied needed institutional training because o f lack o f room. Children in Families W ith Economic Need. Many delinquents come from families whose financial status is in secure. As a result o f this insecurity a child not only may be de prived o f the necessary physical requirements o f food, clothing, and shelter, which affect his adjustment vitally, but also may suffer other serious deprivations. W orry of parents over finances may result in domestic discord and thus deprive the child of happy family life. Necessity for the mother to work may deprive the child o f her care and supervision. Lack o f money may keep him from participating on an equal l?asis with other children in school, church, and recreational activities. The problem o f economic need in families persists in war time even though there are increased opportunities for employment. Families may be deprived o f support because o f absence o f the father in the armed forces or because of his death or illness. Families that ordinarily are able to pay their own way may not be able to meet the demands made upon them by contingencies such as accidents, pro longed illness, or death. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 14 To overcome such conditions a variety of measures are necessary, including adequate allowances for families of men in the armed serv ices, social-insurance benefits sufficient to maintain adequate standards of living, and public assistance. In order to be of maximum benefit in preventing juvenile delin quency a public-assistance program should stress^ The broadening of eligibility requirements and their interpretation so far as State laws will permit so that all families in need will be reached. Standards of assistance and assistance payments that are related to the requirements and resources of families and to the cost of living in order that (1) mothers or responsible relatives may have free choice, without financial pressure, in deciding whether they will accept employment out side the home or give full-tim e care and supervision to children if they wish to do s o ; (2) children may be afforded opportunities for health, recreation, and education similar to those of other children not in need; and (3) families may participate in community life on a reasonably equal footing with their neighbors. Other individualized services to families receiving assistance, in relation to family problems, family relationships, and special problems of children. Appropriations for aid to dependent children, general assistance, and other types o f public assistance sufficient to provide for adequate aid, effective administration, and service for meeting the need of families as outlined above. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Control of Harmful Influences in the Community Children and young people, in their inexperience and lack- of discrimination, are easy prey for harmful influences in the community. Such influences, there fore, should receive attention in an effort to control wartime juvenile delinquency. If control over harm ful or potentially harmful influences is definitely assumed as a public responsibility, the opportunity for children to engage in delinquent activities will be reduced or in large measure removed. What are the influences in a community that are especially harmful to youth ? What are the means through which a community can protect its young people from influences that may be detrimental to their health and welfare? Places providing public refreshment or entertainment, such as dance halls, poolrooms, beer parlors, and roadhouses, have a particular at traction for youth. Under the pressure of war these places have increased in large numbers, especially near military camps and in industrial centers. The quality of entertainment offered may vary from being thoroughly wholesome to being definitely harmful. Other activities are so obviously detrimental to youth that they should be prohibited or eliminated. Houses o f prostitution draw in not only the girl who makes vice a profession but also the unsophisticated girl in her teens. Obscene literature is an undermining influence at all times but is especially so in these days o f wartime tensions when young people’s heightened need for excitement may intensify their interest in it. In order to protect its young people, a community must give con sideration to measures for controlling or eliminating harmful influ ences. These include legal authority for controlling or eliminat ing harmful influences; effective enforcement of legal measures; the protection of youth in public places; and voluntary cooperation o f commercial establishments. 15 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 16 Legal Authority for Controlling or Eliminating Harm ful Influences. Certain activities may be harmful or constructive, depending upon the way in which they are conducted. The control of activities that have potentialities for good, and the prohibition or control o f those that are definitely detrimental, require carefully drawn laws and or dinances. Persons responsible for programs for delinquency pre vention and control should be familiar with existing legal provisions. Some may need strengthening. New ones may need to be passed. Legal regulations for controlling influences in the community that have special significance in a program for preventing juvenile de linquency are those that make provision for : Controlling conditions in places offering public refreshment or entertain ments Dealing with owners and operators o f establishments and with other individuals contributing to the delinquency of minors. Eliminating harmful practices, such as sale o f obscene literature, and sale of liquor and o f marijuana and similar drugs to minors. Closing houses o f prostitution arid controlling conditions th a t lead to prostitution in hotels, on the streets, and elsewhere. Effective Enforcem ent o f Legal Measures for Control o f Harm ful Influences.. I f the legal measures for the control of harmful influences are to be effective, they must be enforced firmly and consistently by competent, socially minded officials. Sound law enforcement as a factor in preventing delinquency involves : Licensing, after careful investigation o f applicants and their backers, of places providing public refreshment and entertainment, and other places, such as liquor stores and junk shops. Regular inspection o f all licensed establishments to determine adherence to licensing requirements. Revocation of license and prosecution o f flagrant violators o f license requirements. Prosecution o f operators o f illegal establishments and of individuals contributing to the delinquency of minors. Protection o f Youth in Public Places. The assignment o f law-enforcement officials to cover public places will reveal many children and young people who by their presence in https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 17 such places are in danger o f being victimized or exploited, or whose be havior indicates their need for individual attention. It is important that this supervision be given by competent and socially minded officials, including policewomen, who are alert in their recognition o f destructive influences, who understand the needs o f young people, and who know how to use the social resources of the community for children and their families that are in need o f special service. This type o f protection for children and youth and discovery of those in need o f assistance to prevent delinquency involves : Observing places providing public refreshment and entertainment. Observing public places such as streets, parks, and bus, train, and ferry terminals. Voluntary Cooperation o f Commercial Establishm ents. The voluntary cooperation o f the operators o f establishments that provide public refreshment or entertainment or sell reading matter, liquor, or drugs, is an important factor in protecting young people from harmful influences. These operators, when given an under standing of the potential harm to young people from certain influences and conditions, will often make a valuable contribution to the preven tion o f juvenile delinquency by the way in which they conduct their business. Operators o f establishments offering wholesome entertainment can be especially helpful by making special provisions for youth, such as children’s programs in motion-picture theaters, and by controlling vol untarily conditions that may be detrimental to youth. For example, managers o f bowling alleys and motion-picture theaters may agree not to admit children o f school age during school hours. The cooperation o f operators o f commercial establishments in pre vention o f juvenile delinquency may be promoted through: Adoption o f policies by associations or groups o f operators, such as asso ciations o f liquor dealers or bowling-alley proprietors, governing the conduct o f business with respect to minors. Adoption o f practices by individual operators that will protect minors. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Services for the Delinquent Child and the Child With Behavior Problems An individual child who commits a delinquent act or who is found under circumstances that appear to in dicate delinquency, who presents behavior problems, or who engages in mischievous and destructive conduct, requires consideration in any program of delinquency control. The services afforded by the social agencies of the community, both public and private, are im portant factors in determining whether a child will become confirmed in delinquency or be able to substi tute some constructive activity for his unacceptable be havior. For the development, strengthening, and ex tension of these services the local public-welfare agency has major responsibility. What happens to a child who engages in delinquent acts? Whose responsibility is it to deal with him ? In what way is such a child handled ? These questions must be answered by each community considering juvenile delinquency. As a guide in determining whether the wartime needs of the delinquent child or the child with behavior problems are being met, the services a community should provide are described in the pages that follow. Just as the causes of delinquent behavior are multiple and inter related, so its treatment requires a variety of resources that comple ment and support one another. The delinquent child or the child with behavior problems needs the same basic services as the child who is neglected, dependent, or handicapped by a mental or physical de fect. The problems o f the delinquent child, therefore, cannot be dealt with apart from those o f other children with special needs that can not be met by their families or by community services furnished for all children. Social services must be available to all agencies whose work involves dealing with problems of children’s behavior or affords natural oppor tunities for treating behavior likely to be a forerunner of delinquency. 18 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 19 For example, social services to children need to be closely related to the work o f the police and the juvenile court, if individual children and young people are to experience the constructive aspects of law enforcement; to the work of the schools, if behavior problems that teachers discover in their early stages are to be checked; to the work of agencies dealing with family groups, if the child is to be helped to meet his personal difficulties and if the family situation, which di rectly or indirectly may have been a causal factor in the child’s be havior, is to be modified; to the work of recreational and group-work agencies, if the child who needs individual attention is to be discovered and the child who has difficulty in getting along with his fellows is to be helped to become one o f them; and to health services, if the im portance o f physical well-being to the correction of undesirable behavior is to have due emphasis. Although both public and private agencies are responsible for fur nishing social services, the major responsibility for laying the ground work o f a sound system of community social services should rest upon the local public-welfare department. Its function is not only to conserve and strengthen the family life of children by adequate pro grams o f assistance implemented by social services to aid in working out special problems, but also to develop, strengthen, and extend all essential social services to individual children. This it may do by affording social services to children within its own organization; by making such services available to other agencies such as the school, police department, or juvenile court; or by stimulating the develop ment o f such services in appropriate public or private agencies. Social services, by whatever agency furnished, must be closely coordinated, not only to avoid duplication and to bridge gaps but to insure a high degree of effectiveness. This is especially important in times when the pressures on all agencies are heavy. In many cities the council o f social agencies offers a medium for such coopera tive planning and coordination of activities. Some of the devices used to attain these goals are interagency com mittees, liaison services to further mutual understanding and facili tate referral of cases from one agency to another, and joint com mittees through which representatives of different fields, such as the police and social agencies, the school and social agencies, case-work and group-work agencies, may arrive at mutual understanding o f one another’s problems and resources, develop procedures for referrals o f cases from one to the other, and evolve ways in which their united efforts may best contribute to the welfare of children. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 20 Social Services. The majority o f children who require attention because o f delin quent or unacceptable behavior can be dealt with in their own homes if social services are available to help them and their families with their problems. The cases o f many do not require action by the police or the juvenile court. Frequently, even when it is necessary for the police or court to intervene, these children and their families also require service other than that which even the best o f police depart ments or o f juvenile courts is equipped to give. For children who are not in immediate need o f court action or who require special service in addition to court action the community should make provision f o r : Social services adapted to the needs o f any child who presents behavior problems -in the home, school, or elsewhere, and made available to parents, teachers, police, court officials, and others who deal with the child. The local public-welfare agency should take major responsibility for pro viding these services directly or making sure they are available elsewhere. These services may be given by child-welfare staff working in the local welfare agency; by child-welfare workers assigned by the welfare depart ment to work with the schools, police, or juvenile court, and provide serv ice for cases referred by them; by social workers on the staffs o f agencies dealing with children in the fields in whljh their agencies work—for example, school social workers for problems relating to the child’s school life and probation officers for cases requiring court attention; or by social workers in private child-caring agencies. Full utilization of these social services by law-enforcement officials and by courts in order that children and young persons coming to their attention may be dealt with understandingly and sympathetically, and that their needs for special services may be met with a view to preparing them for healthy, wholesome, and productive lives rather than merely to meet an immediate emergency. For example, it is important that young girls taken into custody by the police as sex delinquents be dealt with not as children in need o f punish ment, nor merely as patients in need of medical treatment, but as individ uals whose total needs— social, economic, educational, vocational, recreational, and spiritual as well as health— must be given attention. Services to meet these needs are required especially for the girl who has received treatment for venereal disease and must readjust to community life. Utilization by social agencies o f all available services that are pertinent to the treatment o f delinquency and behavior problems. This involves knowledge recreational services, to receiving social services welfare agency, such as https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and use o f local services, such as health and make sure that all the needs of the children are met; assistance available from the State consultation on difficult cases, and psychiatric A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 21 and psychological services; services from the Federal agencies that directly or indirectly have responsibility for programs operating in the community—such as the Bureau of Public Assistance of the Social Security Board, the Social Protection and Recreation Divisions of the Office of Community War Services, the United States Employment Service, and the Children’s Bureau o f the Department of L abor; and information and consultation services from private national agencies. The Police and the Juvenile Court. In every community the police or other law-enforcement officials and the juvenile court represent the authoritative agencies that deal with children who get into difficulty. The police are in a strategic position to discover potential delinquents, frequently long before they come to the attention o f social agencies. Although it is not desirable that the police attempt to carry on social treatment, they can do much to prevent delinquency if they perform police duties, when children are involved, with understanding of the factors that influence youth ful behavior and with knowledge of the community’s social resources and o f how to use them to help the children with whom they come in contact. Recent years have witnessed a change in point of view as to the chil dren who should be dealt with by the juvenile court.. A t one time the juvenile court was regarded as the proper agency to deal with behavior problems o f children, regardless of whether or not judicial action was called for. As local welfare departments and private agencies increasingly provide social services for children, the function o f the juvenile court with respect to the delinquent child and the child with behavior problems is being clarified and redefined. Gradually the belief is being accepted that the juvenile court should deal only with cases o f delinquency in which it is necessary to take the custody o f the child temporarily from his parents, to settle a controversy, or to exercise court authority in dealing with the child’s behavior. Effective handling of juvenile cases by the police and juvenile court requires: Law enforcement with provision for special handling o f children’s cases through a special unit in the police department (in larger communities), a staff o f policewomen, or a selected officer. This staff should have understanding of the needs of young people, knowl edge of the social resources of the community and how to use them, and alertness in recognizing destructive community influences. They should be responsible not only for special procedures in dealing with children but for the promotion of better understanding of children on the part of all police officers who in discharging their regular duties come in contact with children. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 22 CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY Court procedure for children’s cases— based on the idea that children should be helped and protected rather than punished for specific acts— through either a juvenile court or specialized court procedure. A juvenile court should have available the services o f social workers qualified to deal with children. These may be provided either through a staff of probation officers or, in less populous communities, through workers in the public-welfare department, which often has one or more childwelfare workers who can give the necessary service. Adequate Detention Care. A small proportion o f the children coming to the attention o f the police and the juvenile court require safekeeping pending disposition o f their cases. Many Communities find themselves without needed detention facilities for children,' and this condition is aggravated by wartime pressures. In some communities children are even placed in jail, a practice that may mean serious harm to the child. Moreover, in some communities that do have special detention facilities for chil dren, the management or the practices o f detention are so poor that boys and girls may be confirmed in delinquency or subjected to influ ences that promote interest in unacceptable behavior. It is important to realize that the circumstances under which children are detained may be a vital influence for good or ill. A program of detention for children should provide: Quarters entirely apart from those used for the detention o f adults. Provision for detention may be made through a special institution or home if the community is large enough; a foster home to which a regular monthly subsidy is paid plus payment for care of individual children; or boarding homes without such special subsidy. Children should not be detained in the building housing the jail nor in the sheriff’s quarters. Standards o f care that assure understanding and protection o f children while in detention. These standards especially relate to provision for adequate space to permit satisfactory eating and sleeping arrangements, and opportunity for indoor and outdoor activities; sufficient personnel qualified to deal with children; medical services through which physical examinations and necessary medi cal treatment can be given; and a program that offers recreation and con structive occupation for children. Limitation o f detention to children for whom it is absolutely necessary. Children requiring detention include runaways and children whose homes are outside the community; those whose parents cannot be relied on to produce them in cou rt; and those who have committed acts so serious that their release pending disposition o f their cases would endanger public safety. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 23 Immediately after a child is taken into custody and before detention he should be released to his parents when feasible or possible. If this cannot be done, he should be referred to the juvenile court or, if the local depart ment of public welfare assists the juvenile court with social services, he should be referred to that department for consideration as to whether plans may be made promptly that will make detention unnecessary. Authority for discharge of children from detention vested only in the juvenile court or the agency designated to provide social services for the juvenile court. When a child is taken to a place of detention the authority of the police should cease, except for giving information as to the cause of the child’s arrest, reason for taking the child into custody, and for filing a formal petition or complaint. To keep detention periods brief requires that the juvenile court have adequate services to give priority to children in detention and that com munity agencies assist in making plans for individual children. Provision for Institutional and Foster-Fam ily Care• Although a child’s own home generally is the best place for him, care outside the family home is sometimes needed for treatment of delinquent children and children with behavior problems. Institu tional care and foster-family care are especially helpful for children with individual difficulties whose home situation will not respond to efforts to make the home a safe and proper place for them. The availability o f institutional and foster-home care in a community will strengthen social-work agencies in planning sound treatment for individual children, and attention should, therefore, be directed pri marily toward resources for care within the community. Neverthe less, since some o f the most seriously delinquent children will need care and treatment in State training schools, the community should feel responsibility for knowing the quality o f service given to children in these schools. A program of institutional and foster-home facilities focusing on the delinquent child and the child with behavior problems includes: Assumption by the local public-welfare agency o f responsibility for pro viding foster-home services in communities where no facilities exist or where existing facilities cannot meet the entire need. Such services should be entrusted only to workers who understand the needs of children and who are experienced in the selection and super vision of foster homes. Payment o f adequate boarding rates, essential to obtaining the kind of foster parents who can deal wisely with such children. Efforts should be made to establish boarding rates o f both public and private ageficies that will assure not only payment of full cost o f proper https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 24 maintenance but also some compensation for services involved in dealing with a difficult child. Pooling the efforts o f child-placing agencies to stimulate applications from desirable foster parents. Wartime pressures have reduced the number of available foster homes in many communities. Extra rooms are rented to war workers; women who would make good foster mothers are taking war jobs. The appeal for suitable foster homes should emphasize the patriotic aspects o f this service, since it contributes to wholesome child life, on which the future o f the Nation is built. Consideration o f the place and contribution o f child-caring institutions in the total child-welfare program o f the community, in the light of wartime needs. •Many institutions might consider adaptation of their programs to meet the wartime needs of children for institutional care, as, for example, pro vision for emergency or temporary care of children. Standards of care o f foster homes and institutions which are in conformity with the standards established by the State public-welfare agency. Child-Guidance Services. Child-guidance services by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a psychiatric social worker play an important role in the treatment o f individual children presenting behavior problems and are a valu able resource for social case-work agencies and the juvenile court. Such services strengthen the other community agencies in dealing with individual children. In addition, child-guidance services pro mote better understanding and greater awareness of the mental-health needs o f children on the part o f all those who deal with children’s problems. Such services also are o f particular importance to par ents in helping them to understand better their children’s special needs in this time o f difficult adjustments and to measure up more fully to their responsibilities as fathers and mothers. Child-guidance services may be obtained through: Establishment in large communities o f child-guidance services under public auspices to serve parents, the social agencies, the schools, and the juvenile court in handling o f children showing personality difficulties. Provision for funds to obtain service on a fee basis from psychiatrists engaged in private practice or from private child-guidance clinics, with social services available for all children referred. Utilization o f traveling clinics or special consultant services that may be provided by State agencies. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 25 Part II: PROCEDURES FO R AC TIO N A program for the prevention and control o f juvenile delinquency includes a wide range o f activities that must be developed as integral parts o f community services essential to the well-being of all children. Among these are family- and child-welfare services in public-welfare departments or private agencies; services to promote the physical and mental health o f children; school programs adapted to individual needs and providing individual guidance; and leisure-time programs for youth. Moreover, a program for control o f juvenile delinquency must be a part of or related to other community-wide programs that are already under way or are planned for the purpose o f meeting the needs of children and youth. Examples o f such programs are those developed through State and local defense councils, councils o f social agencies, and other local organizations and groups; the “ Program o f State A c tion for Our Children in Wartime” and “ Community Action for Chil dren in Wartime” adopted by the Children’s Bureau Commission on Children in Wartime; and the work o f the follow-up committees of the White House Conference on Children in a Democracy. Communities in developing a program for control o f juvenile de linquency should draw upon all resources that may help, them in achieving their objectives, including the services of State and Federal agencies and private National agencies. Such agencies afford valuable assistance through publications and consultation on the various as pects-of the community program. A vigorous attack on juvenile delinquency requires the teamwork o f all in the community who are concerned with children’s problems or conditions that affect children. Effective teamwork requires leader ship and a framework within which all community groups, agencies, apd citizens can come together to review the local situation, discover needs, determine gaps in resources needing to be filled, and plan for effective action in meeting the needs and filling the gaps. Organization. Organization for developing a program to prevent and control juve nile delinquency requires: Placement of responsibility for leadership on some representative group in the community. A committee of the local defense council, council of social agencies, or other organization that has broad responsibility for problems related to https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CONTROLLING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 26 children and youth is the most appropriate group to assume responsibility for the program to prevent and control juvenile delinquency, acting perhaps through a subcommittee. Such a committee should include representation o f public and private groups concerned wth children and youth and individual citizens. It is especially important that full utilization be made of existing com mittees or groups in special fields such as housing, education, health, recreation, social protection, and others that may be required in developing the program. Clarification qf function o f the group assigned responsibility for the pro gram for the prevention and control of juvenile delinquency. The function of such a group should be to study the problem of juvenile delinquency, to stimulate the activities o f other committees or groups with responsibility in special fields important in prevention and control o f juvenile delinquency, to plan for essential services not already fully available, and to assist in the fullest possible coordination o f these services. Putting the Program Into Action. Planning for an active program of combating juvenile delinquency involves: Getting the facts with respect to juvenile delinquency in the community, the services available to deal with it, and th e gaps that need to be filled, in the light o f the goals for community action outlined in part I. For the purpose o f expediting this review the services of those who have technical training, experience, or special interest in particular fields should be fully utilized; advantage should be taken of consultative services available from local, State, and Federal agencies; and use should be made of the findings already available in reports or special studies on juvenile delinquency and related subjects. Analyzing the facts and charting the course to be taken, in the light of the findings, to strengthen existing resources and develop new resources needed. This will involve: (1) Decision as to the steps to be taken. (2) Consideration of ways to adapt existing programs to community needs, to use staff more effectively, and to develop better working relations among agencies so as to avoid duplications and fill gaps. (S) Planning for the additional resources that must be supplied to cope with the delinquency situation in the community. (4) Review of the possibilities o f obtaining assistance in adapting, strengthening, and developing programs. Such assistance may be obtained from State and Federal agencies and private National agencies. (5) Review o f the adequacy of funds already available and of the ways in which additional funds may be obtained for strengthening existing services and developing new ones. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A COMMUNITY PROGRAM 27 Acting on the facts by proceeding promptly and effectively to stimulate widespread community interest and mobilize support for specific services and facilities for the prevention and control o f juvenile delinquency. This involves: (1) Well-timed publicity through a variety of media, including radio, press, and public speeches, and enlistment of the backing of appro priating bodies, officials having power to effect necessary changes, interested groups, and influential citizens. (2) Continuing committee service for coordination, interpretation, and general guidance in the development of action programs. Other publications and a list of references relating to prevention and control of juve nile delinquency are available on request from the Children^ Bureau, U. S. Depart ment of Labor, Washington, D. C. o https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis U n ited States G overn m en t P rinting Office, W a sh in g to n , 1943 For sale b y the Superintendent o f D ocum ents, U. S. G overnm ent Printing Office W&shingtoii) D* G* ■ Price 10 cents https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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