Evening journal., 1916-12-16
review
OF DETECTIVES
IS MADE public
Continued from First Page.

ptihdhthA HioDC VI "npANf anu O.
are in homes OF parents or relatives
OF in foster homes under conditions
involving lack OF care and protection
and are. In many cases, a serious bur
den to other members OF the family.
"The study was concerned primar-
lily with defective children, and the
relative number OF adults Is undOubt-
edly smaller than the proportion OF
adults among all detectives in the
community. The 212 positive cases
for which detailed Information was
secured included 1O5 white and 81 col
ored persons under n years of age,
and 81 white and 16 colored persons
n years OF age and over. One hun
dred and twenty-six are males and Sc
are females.
"A study OF the individual cases re-
veals - p striking way the close re-
: lationsnp between mental defect and
poverty. abnormal home conditions,
neglect, and delinquency. The pres
once OF a defective individual in the
family group aggravates difficult home
conditions, while abnormal family life
increases his anti-sociai tendencies
and leaves him without proper pro-
: lection.
Physical Handcaps.
More than half OF the 1872 mental
detectives not found in institutions
are TO some degree physically handi-
capped. their defects varying from
speech defect to absolute helplessness.
The disability Is usually such as ser
iOusly 10 aggravate the menta defect
and increase the burden Of care Nine
cases Of absolute helplessness wero
found and only two OF these were I'm
families having adequate incomes.
For example, boy OF II who has been
helpless from birth is very much un-
dersized. his legs are bent and afro
phiod. he cannot talk, he has to be
dressed and fed. The father OF ths
family deserted SIX years ago The
care ot this boy prevents his mother
from working and the family Is aided
by relatives.
Training.
MANY children so defective mental
~ that they cannot profit by ord nary
school instruction are attending
school In New Castle county. Forty
one white and ten colored children. or
81 pcr cent. Of the children studied
who are between Z and 20 years OF age
and arc not IN institutions. attended
school during the last school year.
Twenty-four Of these children are still
IN the first grade although only four
Of them are under the ago OF ten
years. A number OF children in grades
higher than the frst yere reported as
having been promoted as a matter OF
: after two or three years In one grade
:, because their presence was detrimen-
tai 70 the younger children. Other
. children had formerly attended schoo
9 but have been excluded because they
y we're too troublesome or the twenty
seven mental detectives not IN insti.
: tutions who have never attended
= school. twelve arc children between Z
= and " vcare old
2 2 THE fact that some OF these chill
- dren who have been absolute failures
at school are able 10 do simple man
I ual work indicates that these-and
= doubtless other defective children
: would respond TO the proper sort oI
: industrial training The time they
! have spent In the regular schools has
: been worse than wasted. They have
: missed what they might have learned
with special teaching and they are OF
ten a distinct menace to the welfare
p Of the other children.
"Only twenty-seven OF the SO menta
detectives "a years OF age and owe
who are not In Institutions have beef
employed In some sort OF gainful occu
patton. In almost every case employ
A. ment has been irregular and the worl
poorly performed, though a few are re
ported as working satisfactorily whei
under supervision. The possibility o
teaching the feeble-minded specia
trades Is illustrated by q man OF
who was taught by his father 20 can
chl,rs He works at home. and a
though he does satisfactory chah
Gaming neither he nor his mother hav
sufficient mentality 20 make chang
correctly or 20 protect thcmselve
aeains, exploitation. With specll
training and opportunity TO work ui
der supervision many defective
might become In large measure sci
supporting.
Delinquency.
"The social burden OF feeble-minl
edness Is heaviest IN the case OF thos
defective individuals who develop al
ti-social tendencies. Seventy-two Z
onethird of the 2l2 positive dotel
. fivcs studied. have revealed such tel
denotes. In addition to the &c case
of detectives In institutions for delii
quent children. the investigators fOun
that among those not in institution
rs have delinquency records nnd tina
further 81 males and females an
IN degenerate or immoral, unmanageabl
or concerned in various kinds {
minor misdemeanors. In some case
It was reported 10 the investigator
that their conduct was such that the
would have been arrested II their d
feet had not been generally reco
nized.
"The relation between low mentalil
81 and illegitimacy Is brought out by N
fact that seven OF the 6S mental
defective females II years OF age an
". over are mothers OF illegitimate chi
dren. and that 10 other detectives al
Ia, themselves illegitimete. These seve
mothers have had IA illegitimate ch
dren. Two Of the mothers are only
years OF age. Illegltimate childr6
are usually without normal fami
protection and feeble-minded childrl
who are also illegitimate are In pa
~ ticular need OF public care.
"a each OF these 70 delinquent defe
~ tives Is a positive menace to the col
az munity. Not one OF them Is receivii
isi the State protection and contr
which his condition demands. Ho
many OF the other 81 problemat