The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-09-28
CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY
Paper Read by the Rev. James Dona.
hoe, City Missionary of ST. Paul, at
the Second National Conference OF
Catholic Charities Held at Washing.
ton, o. c., September 22-25, 1912. .

OOyS anu girls puts one In possession
OF facts, all of which cannot be given
to the public. 1t would be wrong to
tell the Virtuous girl how all immoral
women went astray. 1t would be an
objectionable offence to inform our
good boys of all the steps taken by
the bad ones in their downward
course. Even in addressing adults
common sense councils that a wise
reserve be maintained, especially by
priest to whom is confided much
that his confidant knows he will never
speak about specifically.
You are aware that boys and girls
go wrong everywhere. In the big
cities many of the youthful wrong
doers are legally labelled. When they
have gone through a children's court,
and it has been established by proper
procedure that they have violated
some legal statute, they are called
"delinquents." We are face to face
with the discouraging fact that the
Juvenile court is necessity in sup
pressing tendencies to wrongdoing and
lessening the number of those who
at an early age begin to head for
prison bars, or Imprisonment of body
and soul in house of ill-fame
Seeking the Causes.
While we, Catholic charity workers,
admit the necessity of children's
court in dealing to best ADVANTAGE
with the erring sons and daughters of
Catholic parents We are desirous of
lessening the number who are being
brought before judge to answer for
their mtsdeeds. To do this we must
attack the causes that are sending the
young courtward. Many of our lay
men and women have become volun-
. teer probation officers and are doing
excellent work in reforming and
directing Alright youthful law-breakers,
Such work has put them in possession
of very important facts regarding our
delinquent children.
While commendable efforts are be-
ing made by our people who are
prompted by the highest motives we
all feel that we have not achieved
the fullest possible success. Though
our work with delinquent probation
ers has resulted in considerable good
to them we feel we should accom-
pllsh more. Many of us have grown
to realize that we can be truly sue
cessful only when, as united body,
we weaken the power of those evil
forces that have been the biggest fac
tors in increasing the number of de-
linquents.
The petition that hales a boy into
a juvenile court must charge hi
with committing some misdemeanor.
In the report of the work of the st.
Paul Juvenile Court there is set down
thirty causes of delinquency. The
charge that brings most boys into
court is petit larceny. With the girls
we find incorrigibility at the head of
the list. Incorrigibility covers a mul-
titude of sins, but it most often means
immortality. Time does not permit
my lengthening this list or comment
ing on the tabulated causes of loss and
lack of Christian character in our
youths. To deal best with the causes
of delinquency one should have sepa-
rate groups, because to no one source
can we attach all the blame. AS it is
impossible to deal with all contribu-
tory causes in the brief time allotted
to me must deal only with the most
important
UnfavorabIe Home Conditions.
All agree that parents are most re-
sponsible for the shortcomings of
children and so shall contine myself
to home conditions, and try to state
facts about homes of delinquent boys
and girls that will be of help to you
and shed some light in dark places.
Let us briefly view the homes that
foster, or permit the development of
evil tendencies and we find that they
are broken up and made unfit places
for the proper training of children by:
Death of father or mother; invalid
condition, or prolonged and impover-
ishing illness of father or mother;
mental deficiency of father or mother;
insanity; desertion; divorce; impris-
onment of the head of the home; con-
slant quarreling; loss of faith on part
of parents and consequent lack of re
ligious training of children; intem-
perance; laziness; insufficient income;
love of pleasure, especially craze for
theatre-going; bad housekeeping; a
roomer whose influence over the home
is bad; immortality.
The list of factors that break up
the home or weaken it's salutary grip
ON the children could be considerably
heightened. Our purpose is rather to
call your attention to the most pro-
life of the primary causes of delin-
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