Evening star., 1943-12-14
Girl Delinquency
Report Misleading,
Capt. Mi||iken Says
Boys Give More Trouble
At Rotio Of w to |,
She Declares

In spirited attack on statistics
used to show the increase in juvenile
delinquency among girls in the Dis
trict, Capt. Rhoda Milliken. chief of
the Women's Bureau of the Police
Department, told mass meeting at
the Woodrow Wilson High School
last night the figures fail to reflect
that girls still represent only small
proportion of juvenile crime here.
Even now there are still seven
and a half times as many BOYS as
girls getting into trouble Capt.
Milliken declared The number of
girls is increasing, it is true. 1t used
to be eight times as many boys as
girls.
but compared to the boys, the
fgirls have given so little trouble that
ithe community wouldn't think of
Doing for them all the things it does
for boys" -,
Refers to Arrests Report.
Capt, MillikeIl feferred to re-
port presented at the meeting show
ing that while the number of arrests
for boys and men in the District has
decreased Is per cent in 1943 over
1912, the number of arrests for girls
land women has increased "a per
cent,
The meeting, which brought to-
gether members of more than a
dozen organizations in the Chevy
Chase area representing civic,
church, school and business groups,
also heard report by Boise L. Bris-
tor, statistician of the District pub
lie schools. which indicated little
variation in the causes of juvenile
delinquency in the Northwest and
Southeast sections of Washington.
Mr.. Bristor explained the report
represented the opinion Of teachers
in the first and seventh divisions of
the elementary schools. There was
no collaboration between the groups.
he emphasized.
Both groups, he said, listed lack
Of parental supervision of children
after school hours as the first cause
OF Juvenile delinquency in their
school and community. Teachers in
the Northwest section, he continued,
placed too much freedom in the
home as second, and insufficient
effort Of the home" third.
Southeast teachers, he said, listed
insufficient effort Of the home" as
second, and broken homes" third.
The teachers also were asked to
check the ways in which juvenile
delinquency manifests itself in their
school and community.
In the Northwest section, Mr.
Bristor said, "disrespect' was first :;
''rudeness.' second, and "vandal-
ISM third.
In the Southeast section. he re-
ported, "rudeness" was first; dis
orderly conduct in school, second,
and "disrespect.' third.
Denies Problem in Area.
Miss Bertie Backus. principal of
Alice Deal Junior High School, who
presided, declared that the area
represented at the session does not
have a serious juvenile delinquency
problem. But we have all that it
takes to make one" she warned
She urged that parents make it
point to become acquainted with
their neighbors, especially the par
ents of children who are friends of
their own children.
Other speakers included M. A.
Jones, administrative assistant to
the director of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation; the Rev. R. A.
Phelan, of St. AIMS Catholic
Church; the Rev. Edward G. Latch,
of the Metropolitan Methodist
Church, and Edward Stafford of
the Chevy Chase Citizens Associa-
ton.
School officials present included
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, presi-
dent of the District Board of Edu-
cation.
A four point program distributed
in bulletin form to those attending
the meeting had been prepared by
committee representing the prin-
cipals of ,parochial and public
schools and parent teachers IN the
area.
Recommendations on the home
front included teaching children
respect for authority and property,
training in the use of money, sex
education and supervision.
The community was urged to ex-
pand opportunities for childrens
recreation. Suggestions for the
church we're for the integration of
community activities around spirit
ual ideals, through such means as
church and community councils. To
the school was assigned a respon-
sibility for ferreting out problems
of maladjustment in children and
for providing suggestions or reme-
dial treatment