Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-09-13
Publicity for Punks

UAAAAC AAAAAGAOAo AAAO4NAaa-
ais and agencies, both public
and private, are avidly study
ing juvenile delinquency and
earnestly seeking means to
combat or control this con-
stantly growing problem it is
becoming more and more evil
dent that all Of us are un-
Willingly contributing to the
spread Of the disease by ex-
ercising one Of our inalien-
able rights-freedom Of the
press.
In spite Of our advanced
knowledge Of propaganda
techniques and publicity
usage which industry and
government use so effectively
at times. we are using these
techniques in q manner di-
rectly aimed to flatter the ego
Of the young hoodlum and to
incite him to further acts Of
violence.
After every incident. news
papers carry bold headlines
and names and photographs
Of the culprits or accused.
Based upon our knowledge Of
gang psychology and individ-
ual hoodlum aspiration. this
publicity is q type Of recogni-
ton that the young gang
member enjoys and appreci-
ates. It helps to set him up
as q big shot and makes other
members Of the gang want
to receive the same recogni-
ton. This type Of vying for
public recognition even
spreads from city to city. AS
q result Of heavy publicity in
behalf of a New York gang
there is often q big effort by
a Washington gang to attempt
feats which will equal or ex-
eel those Of the New York
punks.
An article in the New York
Times Magazine August is.
1859, points out that members
belong to gangs because they
believe that to live danger
ously is to be heroic-they
want to be big shots and to
get O reputation-they are
seeking q sense Of status and
they desperately need recog-
milton. The Star Of September
S. 1859, printed a three-col-
umn picture with names Of
three Brooklyn youths &C
cused Of beating a 74-year-
old man. The boys were
laughing while being booked
and photographed. Isn't this
the recognition and the rep"
that they were seeking? Some
get a suspended sentence. or
probation, or even serve q
little time, but when they re-
turn to the gang their "rep"
is made.
This Is by no means an
attempt to curtail in any
way the freedom Of the press.
It is rather a suggestion that
through newspaper co-opera-
ton In suppressing some Of
the notoriety previously &C
corded these youngsters, some
Of the incentive for crime
may be taken away from
them, thus making 1t easier
for the professional workers
to get at some Of the roots
Of the problem. For example.
a story Of o teen-age crime
could be reported without the
name or the picture Of the
suspected party with no
damage to public knowledge
or to newspaper circulation.
While this certainly would
not eliminate the problem Of
juvenile delinquency. it might
remove one Of the more i'm
portant goals to which the
so-called punkS aspire.
Thomas E. Parks.
4 y y =
Juvenile signifies Adde'S
cence, and adolescent juve-
niles never went promiscu-
ously amok as now, when
duly controlled and guided
by adults. What's eating us
is that we have too largely
become an adult people Of
juvenile heads. The cause Of
this was the 1919-1933 pro
hibition epoch" 1t destroyed
ethics and thereby largely
de oralized us. We are
"reaping the whirlwind" Of
the wind we sowed with the
prohibition epoch-and howl
Rienzi b. Lemus.