Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-10-21
Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile Delinquency
I have seen no answer to the letter
OF Lytton w. Herman, "a Teen-Ager
Appraises His Elders" published on
your editorial page September 10-a
very important contribution concern
ing the problem so much discussed at
the moment, placing the matter exactly
where 1t belongs, in the family.
AS a mother and a grandmother
(albeit not yet senile), let me say that
I would feel guilty and ashamed II my
own children did not recognize their
parenthood as an honor and q privilege
not a tedious duty.
Yes, we have to attend PTA meet
ings. Yes, we have to do our share at
citizens meetings. And yes, we have to
help to support the family, we women.
That is the way we have allowed So
ciety to develop-and of what use is
all this if there is only a broken home
and a delinquent child as our contri-
button to the social structure?
Is not the family the essential basis
Of organized society? Therefore, should
not the head of the family be respon-
sible for the actions of its members?
To make the parents of a delinquent
only financially liable for his Cor herr
misdemeanorS is much too easily
evaded. Put the parent in jail, I say,
If only to give him time for two things
to think it over, and to see for him
self what will happen to his child.
Or perhaps the Russians are right.
Parents are not fit to bring up their
children. G M G
In spite of the rapid increase in the
rate of juvenile offenders, this group
is still only about one-fiftieth of the
total school population of this city. 1t
therefore seems dangerous to exert the
bulk of the community resources and
personnel in programs for d~elinquents.
1t would seem more appropriate to give
considerably more attention to those
programs for worthwhile youth, there
by making it outmoded to be a de-
linquent. 1t is the nature of youth to
desire attention, yet w~ell-behaved boy
or girl is given little attention because
he is expected to do all right. 1t is not
until he becomes a delinquent that he
gets attention and some sem . lnce Of
the things he needs. The D. c. Recrea-
ton Department continually asks for
additional personnel and money to de-
velop worthwhile programs. yet it is not
until a youth group kicks over the
traces and becomes practically incor-
rigible that any money becomes avail
able for recreation or other similar
activities.
We need libraries in our schools to
encourage reading habits. We need
lower movie fares for youth to en-
courage them into a more worthy use of
their leisure time. We need a greater
emphasis on leadership training and
citizenship in all youth groups. We
need to furnish far more employment
and vocational guidance opportunities
for u youth. We need more activities
like those carried on by the Rotary,
Lions, KiwaniS and Touchdown Clubs,
that serve to bring our youth into greater
contact with persons in the community
who are doing a job well. We need
above all to stop the patchwork job
that WI have been doing with our
youth. Let us then call upon the home,
the school, the club, the church and
the community to face its responsibility
and develop worthwhile programs for
the worthwhile youth of our COM
munity.
Wendall A, Paris,