Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-10-25
Delinquent Parenthood.

ttonal convention of the Young Mems
Christian Associations of the United
States and Canada, which opened
here yesterday, President Coolidge
strikes note of warning that should
be heard and needed in every home.
Commencing the vitality important
work Of the organizat ton in the train
ing of it's members in citizenship, the
preparation of young men to be the
future heads of the homes of the peo-
pie, he says:
There are too many indications that
the functions of parenthoOd are break
ing down. Too many people are neg
leCting the real well being of their
children. shifting the responsibility for
their actions, and turning over super
vision Of their discipline and conduct
to the Juvenile courts. 1t is stated on
high authority that a very large pro
portion Of the uutcasts and criminals
come from the ranks OF those who lost
the advantages Of normal parental
control in their youth. They are the
refugees from broken homes who
were denied the necessary benefits of
parental love and direction. The home
is the corner stone of the Nation, and
must begin with the training of the
youth for those responsibilities. or we
shall see the disposition to attempt in
some way to turn over to the Govern
ment the responsibilities for the rear.
ing of children constantly increased.
What the youth of the country need
is not more public control through
Government action. but more home
control through parental action.
This language should find its way
into every home in the country, to be
read and pondered by every parent
Neglect of the youth Of the land is
not matter of social status, of pow.
erty, of geography. 1t is increasingly
common to all classes of society, to all
conditions of life, to all sections, rural
and urban. 1t is national tendency.
The premature sophistication of
youth is the result of parental neg
leCt or Indifference. 1t is an effect,
not in itself a cause, of the so widely
prevalent disposition of the younger
members of American society to show
independence of law and restraint.
Parental neglect is in itself the effect
of pleasure seeking by the elders. OF
unwillingness to regard the children
as responsibilities.
Much of the juvenile delinquency is
due to the breaking up Of homes
through misfortune, especially in the
cities, where the streets are the play.
grounds and bad associations are
readily acquired. Poverty, compelling
the withdrawal of children from school
and putting them to work, throws
boys and girls into the currents of
evil in their impressionable years.
But in the ranks of the people more
comfortably situated in homes of suf-
ficient means. or even of affiuence,
there prevails disposition TO shirk, to
ignore the duties of parenthood, per-
hitting the younger members of the
family to follow their own courses
without guidance or check. to ming
with undesirable associates, to acquire
debasing habits, TO suffer degeneracy
of the moral nature.
The ma jority of the criminals today
are juveniles. boys in their teens or
in the earliest adult years They
have suffered from the lack Of eff
fective home guidance. They are by
no means, as a rule, from the homes
Of poverty, of broken homes. They
are in most cases youths who have
learned that a living" can be made
from tricks and crimes. who scorn
the plOddins courses of regular EN-.
ployment and who seek adventure.
They have been denied effective moral
training
In fighting this evil the Young
Mems Christian Association is doing
a work of the utmost value to the
country. The President is justified in
hailing it as the lay force which as.
serts the largest influence upon the
young people of America.