Evening star., 1948-02-12
Sex Crime and Criminals
Lack of Parental Supervision Often Responsible for
Exposing Children to Sex Ofenses
By A. J. Spero

(Mr. Spero, a Washington attorney, is a
member OF the Bar Associations Mental
Health Committee He has 1oritten a series
OF articles on the problems represented in
ser ofenses and ser criminals, OF Which this
is the third.
The following story of five little girls, as
related by Capt Rhoda Milliken, Women's
Bureau Metropolitan Police Force is typical
case history in terms of the background and
environment in which the victim Of sex ofenses
is generally found.
"These little girls said Capt. Milliken, when
we first knew them in 1910 were T. 8 and 10
years old They all lived within three blocks
of Pension Park in rooming houses of the
light housekeeping type. One or both parents
were undesirable in that they were alcoholic
or immoral or both. The children themselves
had no supervision at all and since they lived
i'm midcity area where traffic was heavy,
naturally gravitated to the park for play pur-
poses The park was and is frequented by
rather deteriorated white men, most OF them
middle age or over, most of them heavy drink
ers These little girls learned from these men
that they could make a quarter or so cents
or even dollar by either witnessing indecent
exposures, or permitting indecent, abnormal
acts upon themselves 1t did not take them
long to learn that if they approached men
who were pretty drunk they could get the
money without doing anything bad because
they would demand their money first and
then run off and the men could not catch
them Three men were arrested during this
year, one laboring man, one man holding
a position of some Importance and one a
waiter in fashionable restaurant.
"The following year these children branched
out, having learned the peculiarities OF adults,
and became very shrewd about 'spotting' this
type OF person wherever he might be. Their
problems became so difficult that the children
were placed under care away from their own
families Unfortunately however, habit pat
tern had been rather definitely established
before they were removed from that environ
r11ent and they have not yet made a salts
factory adjustment and 1t is doubtful If they
will"
Vital information concerning the derivation
of the sex crime is obtainable by examination
of the nature and condition Of the victim OF
such sex crimes.
Who are the victims? What is their back
ground? What makes them subject to such
attacks? What is the effect of the offense on
the victim?
No Study Made Here.
Unfortunately, no study Of the problem from
this aspect has been made in the Washington
area Studies in other localities, however, and
the seasoned judgment of trained observers in
the District in their close agreement Indicate
that the problem is not radically different from
community to community, and that the ex-
periences in New York or Michigan or Illinois
are closely paralleled by similar experiences in
the District.
These experiences indicate that the child
victim generally stems from the same back
ground as does the offender. Neglect OF
parents in supervising the activities Of their
children is partially responsible" according to
a report of the Mayors Committee for the
Study of Sex Offenses in New York. Homes
where one or both parents are immoral or
Indifferent to ethical or religious principles or
addicted to alcoholism or to continual conflict.
and which make the street the only refuge for
theschild are contributing factors to the par
ticipation of children in sex delinquency More
over, where children must live In congested,
crowded quarters, and are witnesses OF sex
acts, where families must take in boarders in
order to supplement their income, there is
some likelihood that these children will become
the victims of sex crimes. Similarly, where
both parents work to maintain the home, there
Is minimum supervision OF the childs free
time. If, then, there are no opportunities for