The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-28
Why Children SteaI
By N. ADDINGroN BRUCE

You write me; madam, that you are greatly | troubled because your nine year-old boy hal developed habit of petty stealing, and per sists in this despite all your pnnishmenti and approaches. Since he is so persistent l should be strongly inclined to suspect that his stealing is something more than mere habit.
 Is he in good condition physically. es pecially as regards his general nutrition and the state of his eyes and teeth and throat?
 Today it is a we'll recognized fact that any physical defect causing chronic nervous weakness or irritability may predispose chil. dren. to delinquency commonly taking the form of stealing. Veritable miracles of re. form are from time to time effected by the simple device of relieving eye-strain, curing dental disease; or removing infected tonsils and adenoid growths.
 So that, to be on the safe side, it will be well for you to have talk with your family doctor regarding your naughty boy. If the doctor thinks 1t desirable to have him exam ined by an oculist or other specialist, have such examination made as promptly as pos sible.
 Or your boys stealing may be an indica. ton of nervous irritability due not to phy. sical defect but to some psychic defect in the conditions of his daily life. 3
 Some little boys-and little girls, too, for that matter-become sad pilfereFs simply be- cause their parents fail to appreciate the i'm portanee of providing adequate vent for in stinctiye trends that are the heritage of all normal children. This aspect of juvenile delinquency was long ago stressed by the late Stanley Hall, that eminent authority on child psychology. To summarize his find ings:
 "A sense of ownership is developed in in- fants of very tender years. To have things set apart as one's own, to do with as one will, is very dear to the infant soul. To own also teaches respect for others possessions. Stealing is the vice of the 0wnerless.
 Often the chief charm of thieving for boys is the battle of wits involved. Thus the small boy frequently steals what he does not particularly want in order to indulge or show off his cleverness in evading owners, locks, and other safeguards, and may risk life and limb in quest of the exquisite charm of filching"
 Specifically, have you made due allow ance for your boys instinct for ownership, his instinct for self-assertion, his instinct for adventure2
 Failure to make such allowance means for him nervous strain and mental conflict, and delinquency may grow out of this. Also it may grow out of strain and conflict super induced by family discord. Quarrelsome pa rents are notoriously burdened with delin- quent children.
 Then, of course, your boys stealing may be the result wholly of his having formed some unfortunate friendship. An older boy may have put into his head ideas-not of stealing merely-impeling him to anti-social conduct This is matter into which it may be important for you to inquire closely.
 In other words, do not despair because your corrective efforts based solely on cx- hortatiOn have been unsuccessful. The prob lem presented by a so-called stealing habit is by no means one of uniform solution.