Evening star., 1925-08-18
Survey Shows Divorces and
Domestic Troubles Are
Root of Evil.
MOST YOUNG CRIMINALS
IN "BR0KEN" FAMILIES
Children Living With Fathers
More Law-Abiding Than Those
With Mothers.

Ninety per cent of child delinquency
in the National Capital last year was
traceable to unsatisfactory home con-
ditions, according to Chief Probation
Officer Joseph W. Sanford of the Juve-
nile Court.
More than half was due TO broken
homes he explains, d term which in
cIudes families in which both parents
are missing, one parent is missing or
in which there are stepparents.
The probation officer cited this figure
IN support of his contention, already
announced in this paper, that play
grounds have little, if any. relation to
child delinquency in Washington, the
rate of which is higher than in five
other comparable cities surveyed by
the United States Children's Bureau.
Domestic Difficulties.
Juvenile delinquency goes deeper
than recreation" Mr.. Sanford said
1t is indissociably bound up with
home conditions. Divorces, separa-
tions and other domestic difficulties
are at the root of the evil. The rec
ords of the Juvenile Court show that
this is true"
The probation officer has made 2
special study of the probable causes
for delinquency among children whose
cases come before him. An ANALYSIS Of
cases for 1924 disclosed that of ,073
children brought into court only 511
were living with both parents. The re-
mainder resided with mothers or IA
theirs who were divorced. had sepa-
rated or had been deserted or with
foster parents. Home conditions in
oil cases where both parents cared
for the child were in the main unsst-
isfactory. Mr.. Sanford found.
There were more than four times
living with their mothers only as
among those being reared by their IA
theirs without maternal aid.
Approximately 20 per cent of the
children being watched after by only
one parent had stepparents.
One hundred and thirty out of the
total were living with relatives or
friends.
Most Crimes Theft.
OF the S21 children living with their
mothers It's had lost their fathers
through death, SO had lost fathers
through separation, L through di-
vorce, II through desertion, 80 through
enforced absence" through unde-
termined reasons and % had no legal
fathers.
Stepfathers had taken the place of
81 real fathers
OF the n children living with their
own fathers 66 had lost their mothers
through death. through desertion, 3
through divorce proceedings and
through separation. Three had IA
theirs who were not legally married
Stepmothers substituted for real
mothers in Is cases.
The 1,074 children cited committed
total of 1904 offenses, 500 of which
were stealing.
Figures for the preceding year were
remarkably similar as to proportion
Of fathers, mothers, stepparents, etc.
OF 9S4 children brought into court in
1923, 400 resided with both parents
or 294 living with their own mothers
168 had dead fathers, 81 had lost their
fathers through separation, II through
divorce proceedings, IL through deser-
ton, through undetermined reasons
through enforced absence" and Al
had no legal fathers. OF 20 living with
their fathers SO had lost their mothers
through death, l through desertion, 3
through divorce proceedings,
through separation and 8 had fathers
not legally married. In that year 131
children were living in foster homes.
Children's Bureau Report.
The report of the Children's Bu-
reau on the 1920 survey stated: ut
must not be understood that lack of
play space was the sole cause, or even
one of the principal causes, OF the eX-
cessive amount of delinquency. Many
other factors entered in, such as the
economic condition of the family, the
intelligence and character of the par
ents and the control they exercised
over their children"
The Juvenile Court probation officer
says this is one of the few statements
in the report he agrees with, except
that he would stress the home factor
far above any other single element en-
tering into the problem Of child de-
linquency.
SHOW me how to straighten out or
eliminate these domestic tangles and
will show you how to decrease juvenile
delinquency in the District Of Colum-
bia," he remarked.