Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-14
Immigrant Classes Furnish
Problem in Probation Work
Most Difficult Task to Make Newcomer Realize That Pro-
baton officer Is His Friend Says j. j. oascoyne-Aso
Trouble in Explaining Tha t Compulsory Law Goes"

only one to assist him in all his diff
culties
Another situation which confronts
the probation officer is the necessity
of making the immigrant understand
our compulsory education law, our
child labor law and other laws of
like nature. I believe in dealing with
the immigrant probationer the proba-
ton officers scope of work should
not be confined to the individual who
is on probation, but his interest
should extend itself to the entire fam
lily. In his dealings with the family
they should realize that he has the
power of the law back of him to en-
force the law in a kindly spirit, and
in this way he may accomplish good
deal.
THE immigrant on probation, be-
cause of his peculiar situation, re-
quires more careful study than any
other class of probationer. The immi-
grant is, practically speaking, a child
with the probation officer as his foster
parent, and it is up to him to guide,
direct and instruct him in the right
path The spiritual welfare of the i'm
migrant must not be neglected. and
have found in many cases that there
Is a likelihood of the immigrant for
getting his church affiliations when he
reaches our shores.
Possibly the most difficult situa-
ton, which the probation officer
working in the larger cities has to
contend with is the young immigrant
girl without a home. The social iso-
lation of this girl. the limitation Of
wholesome amusement and recrea-
ton, the pitiful dependence for So
ciety upon the casual pickup &C
quaintance, the low standard of hous-
ing and living, all have a demoraliz-
| ing effect. She is in more danger of
moral contamination than the rest of
the community and more liable to ex-
| ploitation.
1.-THE difficulty of dealing with chill
dren of immigrant parents, especially
| those speaking a foreign language, is
found in the fact that they actually
know more than their parents, have
undue authority in the family coun-
Gil, lack proper control and, as a rule,
conduct their lives as they see fit.
They actually lose respect for
| their parents and hesitate to associ-
ate or be companionable with them,
rather resenting the fact that their
parents are non-English speaking.
] All this the probation officer must
1 meet anu II pTODdDiS Ln6ut DtSl NC
met through an organization like the
| Big Brother movement, preferably
| placing boy with big brother" of
his own nationality. where possible
This method, of course, would ap-
| ply only to the normal boy or. girl.
We find committed to the care Of the
probation officer many children who
are abnormal and, consequently,
should have peculiar treatment. The
difficulty has been that in the past
we have not fully realized to what
extent mental deficiency was respon-
sible for the delinquent child.
! During the last fiscal year of the
Essex county probation office 1,00S in
| dividuals were treated for Juvenile
delinquency in the Juvenile court. o.
/ the 1908 cases mentioned. S87 were
different individuals. OF this number
! $3.50 were the children Of foreign par
ents, as follows: Italians, 1923; Irish
70; Germans, 30; Polish, 40; Russians
30; Austrian, "a; English. 8; Scotch
2: Bohemian, Swedish and Greek,
each"