Evening star., 1943-05-04

In nDelinquency;
sksMoreAides
Funds for ~ Sought;
Complaints Increase
1880 in 10 Years
Wartime increases In juvenile de-
Inquency today brought a request
from Judge Fay L. Bentley of the
Juvenile Court for an increase in
its staff.
In her annual report, submitted to
Congress through the President, the
court points out that during the
past fiscal year there was an in
crease of 9 per cent in delinquency,
and SO per cent in dependency
complaints.
Records OF the juvenile depart
ment for the last 10 years indicate
a sharp increase in the number of
complaints received, the report said,
the figures rising from 1,466 COM
plants In 1882 to 3,487 In 1912, an
increase OF 1873 per cent.
Among the requests for more help
were eight additional social workers
for the juvenile department, nine
additional workers and one super
visor for the adult department and
six stenographers to provide clerical
and stenographic services, a total Of
"a.
Difficulties in Adjustment.
Pointing out that wartime condi-
tions with their "social-economic-
political changes" have an effect on
Washington, the report says Chill
dren who had difficulty in peace
time society would naturally have
more trouble In adjusting to an un-
certain world.
Many who before did not get into
difficulty were faced with decisions
and responsibilities too heavy to
carry; youth was being asked to
mature more rapidly, through in
creased opportunities for employ
ment, and the abrupt change from
school activities to the responsible
ties OF working and making money.
Younger children were frequently
left at home with little or no super
vision. because both parents were
working or because the father was
in service and the mother was work.
ing. Obviously there would be
reaction to these changes"
Thefts, Truancy Up Slightly.
There was slight increase in the
number of complaints for stealing
and truancy, but there was drop
in the number of complaints for
"other" reasons which cover. for the
most part, offenses connected with
street trades. Naturally" the court
said, "one would expect a decrease
in this particular type of complaint
as the young people were able to
secure employment in regulated
work"
Pointing out that wartime de-
mands had made psychiatric services
from volunteers impossible to OBJ
tain," the court said "it becomes
increasingly evident that an ex-
pansion of psychiatric services for
the court work Is most urgently
needed" This was necessary, the
report said, "in view of the COM
plicated problems presented by the
children and adults coming to the
court"
The fiscal year 1912 saw 3,4s7
complaints entered in the juvenile
department of the court, of which
3,219 were delinquency and 26S
dependency. The total number of
complaints represented an S.8 per
cent increase, including the 9 per
cent in delinquency and the SO per
cent in the dependency complaints,
as compared with 1941.
80 Per Cent of Complaints on Boys.
There were 1893 complaints
served by court hearing, or 178 per
cent more than were served in this
manner in 1941; 1894 complaints
were handled unofficially, which
represented an increase of % per
cent over the number of complaints
handled unofficially in the previous
year. The largest proportion of
complaints received was on boys,
who accounted for 906 per cent.
There was slight drop in COM
plants received on colored children
-1,873, or 58.1 per cent of the total
3,219 delinquency complaints being
entered on colored children. The
year before, 1,738 or $50 per cent
of the total delinquency complaints
were on colored children. The
Metropolitan Police turned in the
highest proportion Of complaints.
During 1912, total Of 1893 cases
were heard in court, of which 1925
were delinquency and 268 were de-
pendency. The court placed SAT of
the caess on probation, 242 were
committed to the Board Of Public
Welfare, 129 were committed to the
National Training School for Boys,
and II to the National Training
School for Girls, while 1872 cases were
dismissed in court, and 167 fined.
A total of 1924 children were
carried on probation during 1912.
In the adult department there
was a slight decrease in number of
cases, which fell from 2,185 in 1941
to 2,117 in 1912.
Maj. james R. Bromeyer