Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-26


where the ground was fertile for
youth service. Back in 1916, the
delinquency rate in the area was
appalling. For every 10 boys, one
was delinquent. BY 1854. the de-
linquency rate in the area served
by the club had dropped more than
so per cent. The decrease is all
the more remarkable in light of
the fact that for the city as q
whole. delinquency increased 81 per
cent in the same period.
q. What other suggestions do
you have for dealing with the prob
lem?
A. Delinquency, like crime, IL
primarily q local responsibility. No
agency at the State or Federal level
can inoculate q community against
juvenile vandalism and crime. The
local citizens themselves must act.
There has been strong tendency
to treat delinquency with a hushed
silence which benefits neither the
delinquents themselves nor the
law-abiding citizens upon whom
they prey. We cannot solve this
problem by closing our eyes to it.
or by erecting a wall or protection
around young hoodlums who need
to learn respect for the lives, welfare
and property Of others.
No Place for the 'Dewy-eyed'
I am convinced that Handwriting
law enforcement officers in their
dealings with juvenile offenders
presents no solution to the delin-
quency problem. Persons who would
place barriers around police. deny
ing them the right to detain and
question delinquents and restricting
the fingerprinting of young GRIM
inals. are guilty of unrealistic think
ing. The same is true of the "dewy-
eyed" Sentimentalists who would
dismiss each young offender with a
slap on the wrist and q please
don't do 1t again."
The fallacy Of coddlinR delin-
quents should be apparent. Over
protection does not teach personal
responsibility. nor does 1t create in
the young offender a respect for
the law or the rights Of others.
Mothers and fathers who pam
per" their children overlook the
youngsters basic need for discipline.
do not believe in beating sense"
into child. Nor am an advo-
cate of the spare the rod" theory
Of raising children. Parents who
do not teach their children the
limits Of acceptable behavior are
preparing them only for a series
Of hard knocks and emotional set
backs in school, on the playground
and in adulthood.
An occasional trip to the wood
shed. when called for. can prevent
q lifetime Of Illustration and men,
tai anguish.
q. Are we becoming more aware
and concerned about the problem Of
juvenile delinquency?
News media are to be compli-
mented upon the role they have
played in helping Americans to
better understand the delinquency
problem and the needless waste
Of young lives which it represents.
Newsmen who publish the facts
about juvenile vandalism and
crime. revealing the misery and
heartbreak suffered by the delin-
quent's loved ones as well as his
victims and their families. exposing
conditions within the community
which nourish delinquency. and
when in the public interest-re-
moving the cloak Of anonymity
from young hoodlums by printing
their names. have performed the
invaluable service of taking the
delinquency problem from the
soundproof booth and placing 1t
squarely before the people.
Better statistics are available now
than at any time in the past to
show the shocking proportions Of
this problem. Under the uniform
crime reporting program police de-
partments Of cities throughout
the Nation submit to the FBI sta
tistics concerning arrested persons.
When the cold figures show that
two-thirds of the persons arrested
for automobile theft are under Is
years Of age and that half Of the
burglary and larceny arrests in
volve juveniles. decent citizens have
every reason to become alarmed.
Let me say this again. have the
greatest confidence in the American
people and am fully convinced Of
their ability to meet this problem
head-on with preventive action.
But before this can be accom-
plished millions more adults must
be made to realize that through
their indifference and inactivity,
they themselves are responsible for
the failures Of our children.
| Copyright 1857
| North American Newspaper Allianeel