The Topeka state journal., 1921-10-29
MORE BAD BOYS
Records Show Alarming In
crease in Delinquency.
Last Years Figures Show Al
Per Cent Gain Over 1919.
URGE MORE CARE IN TRAINING
Probation Officer Checks Re-
spOnsibility to Father.
"Big Brothers" Watch Boys
Who Fall Into Hands flaw.

dellnquency among young boys in
Shawnee county has led 7. D. Williams,
probation officer. to issue a statement
urging fathers to devote more time
and study to their sons in an effort to
check the growth of a condition that
Is worrying juvenile court officials.
OF the 790 cases which came under
the supervision of the juvenile court
during the fiscal year ending July 1,
1921. 5O2 were those of boys. As COM
pared with 355 cases the preceding
year, this represents an increase Of Al
So far since July 1, the per cent this
year will be greatly increased, Williams
declares.
1t is the idea of the probation
officer, who has been in this line of
work for twelve years, that the father
can do more than any one else to see
that his boy has the proper bringing
up, but that often, thru ignorance or
thoughtlessness, this duty is neglected,
and as a result the boy becomes delin-
qucnt.t
To Diagnose Son.
The duty of the father" says
Williams, lis to diagnose his son. He
has the double responsibility of pro-
lection and guidance. He must
analyze his son to discover his heredi-
tary, physical, mental and environ
mental constituents. His composition
and the materials that enter into it,
his actions and reactions, the thought
processes that go into the creation of
his mental behavior; the crystalliza-
tion of habits of doing, feeling and
acting all must be considered OBJ
jectively and controlled during the
devious process of boy formation.
"The normal boy plays Indian and
cowboy, tramps, hunts and fishes; the
abnormal boy runs away from home.
The normal boy collects those things
nearest his heart; the abnormal boy
becomes a thief. The normal boy ac-
quires in time love for animals and
a respect for the rights of other peo-
pie; the abnormal boy becomes a
vicious degenerate The normal boy
becomes an honest and God-fearing
member of society; the abnormal boy
becomes n sexual pervert.
Absolute inhibition, prohibition or
repression of any of the normal boy
traits is almost certain to stimulate
expression thru wrong channels. 1t
creates abnormality. Expressions di-
rected thru fishing with father; an
appreciation Of his collection OF moths,
stamps. pets; the wise gang leadership
of a scoutmaster; a growing knoWl-
edge of right and wrong, together
with sane sex instruction tend toward
the sane reliving of racial expert
cnces-
About Decayed Teeth.
"Decayed teeth promote indigestion.
and cause bad temper. Bad tonsils
or adenoids dull the hearing and pro
mote an appearance of stupidity. The
undernourished boy is highly nervous;
the over rourished boy sluggish and
lazy. Unccrrected eye or ear defects
render the boy incapable of perform
ing the school tasks and give him un-
limited time for mischief. Physical
abnormality creates mental abnormal
ity The discovery and removal of
, these defects is the salvation of the
boy.
''Sane sex knowledge and life are the
bases of an all prevasive morality,
but the fundamental has been neglect
ed in home instruction. This lack of
instruction results in the boy receiv
ing hrs first sex knowledge from un-
wholesome sources and from boy COM
T;anfons Normal boys are naturally
curious regarding matters of sex and
if that curiosity is not satisfied thru
proper instruction it will inevitably
be satisfied thru instructions from
other boys, vicious adults, movies or
like sources Curiosity and interest
are aroused by those things that the
boy does not know rather than what
he does know. If the boy asks no
questions about sex, then in all pro-
liability he has been or is being taught
in a manner which makes him fear to
mention such matters to his parents.
Proper instruction, coupled with
stimulating physical recreation and a
literature, music, art or love for beau
ty will largely do away with such
problems Association with the gang
if it is the wrong kinds very dan
gerOus to a youth. Being father is
the greatest privilege given to any
man and he should take his father
hood seriously. 1t is worth while to
study boy behavior as well as the stock
markets, the sporting page or politics.
in addition to providing his family
~ 10
father should give generously of him
self, often at great personal inconVeni-
ence and cost of money and tine. but
always counting such costs as among
their very best investments lie
should always strive to make the right
thing pleasant and the wrong thing
costly and thereby teach the boy that
charact is not only desirable but
that it also pays. He should saf1sfac-
torily interpret the fatherhood of God
and make plain the message of the
Man of Galilee. He should have a
clear conception of what he is trying
to accomplish with the boy by way of
training, SO that every days activity
is used to good advantage as definite
construction material He should
practice physical fitness himself and
have no patience with a double stan
dard of morals for anyone. He should
realize that boys have rights which
should be respected by their elders,
and for this consideration the boy is
always grateful.
Comrade With Boys.
'In addition to being a comrade
with his boys he should also be in
structor, interpreter and guide. He
shorld- never try to bluff the boy. for
he is a shrewd detector of hypocrisy
and despises it. He should abhor
weakness in any form whatsoever and
refuse to excuse it. Victory is to the
strong whether referring to mental.
physical, spiritual or social activity.
He should be a real sport and play the
game of life for all that Is in him, but
always according to the rules of being
fair and square. He should be friend
" to everybody. He should provide
the proper books for his boy to read
for they are his silent comrades. His
Instruction should be OF the positive