HELP US MAKE 1917 A BANNER YEAR HILDREN PLACED IN HOMES. The Juvenile Court Record is making an appeal to the families in the United States to open their hearts and their homes to children, and to give them that love for which their lonely little hearts have been longing and from which they have been deprived through no fault of their own. Do not think that these children will be uncared for if you fail to meet this opportunity, for others will' answer the call. The Juvenile Court Record is offering, not begging, and it is offering the most precious gift in all the world-that which money cannot buy and which longings cannot bring a little child. Yours will be the loss if you fail to grasp this blessed opportunity of receiving one of these little ones in the name of the Master. FOR INFORMATION ADDRESS THE JUVENILE COURT RECORD CHILD-PLACING DEPT. HEARST BUILDING, CHICAGO (ENCLOSE STAMPED ENVELOPE) Published in the Interest of Handicapped, Dependent and Delinquent Children By Children's Charities, Inc. Announcement This paper is published to disseminate news and ideas helpful to Handicapped, Dependent and Delinquent Children N O less an authority than our own Census Bureau tells us that in this country alone-our own civilized U. S. A. -approximately 300,000 babies under one year of age die annually. Here's the part that hurts: One-half of these babies die needlessly. Just think, 150,000 babies under one year of age die annually, in this country alone, from preventable causes. Ignorance is what keeps the little white hearses working overtime. There is but one logical way to stop this "slaughter of the innocents." Educate the parents and guardians. Education is prevention and the best manner of educating the people is by publicity. This magazine will publish nothing but articles of vital importance in regard to Child Welfare and Race Progress, and no man or woman in the United States, who is interested in children, can afford to miss the coming numbers. THE JUVENILE COURT RECORD is published and sold to you on its merits in the interest of general child welfare work by Children's Charities, Incorporated, which is a business enterprise, supported by subscriptions and sales of single copies of its magazines. Agents who sell this paper are allowed to state to persons whose patronage they solicit that the paper is published in the interests of homeless and neglected children, but they are not allowed to state or represent that said paper is published in the interest of, or for the benefit of any society, institution or particular work for children in the state in which the paper is sold. It will be a favor to the managers of the paper if purchasers will report any violation of this rule, as we do not intend to allow any misrepresentations on the part of any employe of this magazine. Children's Charities, Inc. HOME OFFICE 1006 Hearst Building, Chicago, Illinois CANADA POSTAGE 50 CENTS EXTRA, ALL OTHER COUNTRIES $1.00 EXTRA Entered as Second-Class Matter April 12, 1907, at the Post Office at Chicago, Under the Act of March 3rd, 1879. All subscriptions begin with current issue, unless ordered for a future date. The expiration date of current subscriptions is shown on the wrapper. D The Child's Sex Education By L. E. Eubanks R. M. J. EXNER, of New York, at the Chicago convention of the Religious Education Association, urged sex education in schools. He said that a study of a thousand college men showed that 87.66 per cent received their first striking and permanent impressions about sex before their thirteenth year, the average being 91⁄2 years. The knowledge came from unwholesome sources in 91.5 per cent of these cases. Also 79 per cent said that the first impressions from unwholesome sources had a bad effect, upon their lives. On the average they received instruction from responsible sources six years too late. No thinking person can deny that sexual normality is of vital importance to every child. We have but to observe the human wrecks on every hand, and analyze causes, to get a hint of the truth. I stipulate for analysis of cause for the reason that deception in this matter is the rule. How many adults have you seen who admitted that they were failures because of sexual ignorance or mistakes? Very few, I venture; compare the number to that of the self-confessed victims of poor health, misdirected effort, lack of opportunity, etc., and you will appreciate that while a man may readily admit physical weakness. ignorance in general, even certain forms of immorality, he will hide his sex life most assiduously. The fault does not lie in the nature of sex, but in ignorance, in the world-wide effort to wrap the greatest thing in life, the source of life, in mystery and hypocrisy. Dr. Exner's report does not differ materially from others that have been laid before the people in the effort to awaken parents and teachers to the situation. As far back as I can remember, and I am-well, not young enough to register -there have been some who saw the light, a small lot who received the usua! condemnation of protagonists. That this band of real educators has grown to its present strength, that the propaganda of sex education is many times more powerful than even a decade ago, speaks volumes for its supporters, and confirms the optimistic doctrine that "truth crushed to earth shall rise again." Think of it, more than 87 per cent of our boys being misdirected in sexual matters before they reach their 'teens' How absurd, then, the contention that organized instruction is pernicious! Inquire the boy surely will; and even were he not to do so, there are always ready many poisonous tongues among his playmates. As one writer has expressed it, "One child will whisper something to another; the others crowd around all attention. Here is something; here is some fun. It may be only the most commonplace remark about babies, but told in that mysterious forbidden way by the older child it takes on tremendous importance and must be something wonderfully funny.. One giggles, another follows and soon they are all having a great laugh-about nothing at all. The mother or the teacher might have told the child exactly the same thing and he would have received it with the utmost respect and attention. It would never occur to associate anything forbidden or shameful or funny with what mother told him." The most watchful parent cannot prevent his son's occasional contact with undesirable companions-at least none can be certain of success; and how much |