cious Villie Fellow to the s conand. d two -h she with chilork in were nad to Out to uaintas not e ride d then The being In the house, - com fficers e was ning; e was again let off. Willie, to complete his record, broke several car windows. While the officers were puzzling themselves what to do with him, a gentleman interested in this sort of boys took Willie to a Farm for Boys near Jackson. Since then he has been doing quite well. Perhaps all he needed was an opportunity to exercise his superabundant energies where little harm could be done.* These cases show how intimate is the relation between destitute, neglected and delinquent children. A distinct line can hardly be drawn between them. Imperceptibly they merge one into the other. A number of cases might be cited; but these are suggestive enough. They well illustrate the fact that juvenile offenders are largely the product of adverse social conditions. When police, court and jail officials, supported by a strong public sentiment, fully realize this better treatment of our juvenile offenders will be assured. II. SOME CAUSES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. It must be confessed we are approaching a question upon which there have been a great diversity of opinion and much profitless discussion. The underlying causes of juvenile delinquency, as well as of crime in general, are very elusive. It is not the intention to take. up in this place all the theories advanced. No one cause can be assigned for all juvenile delinquency. It is the product of many factors in the life of the individual and of the complex society of which he is a part. Morrison very well puts it when he writes, "The great sources of crime are the personal, the social and the economic condi *See also the fifty illustrative cases given in the Appendix. tions of the individuals who commit it". classification into individual, social and cos is given by Havelock Ellis and W. D. Mor cosmical factors of crime are climate and t of temperature; the social factors are the p nomic and moral conditions in the midst of lives as a member of society; the individual class of attributes inherent in the individ sex, age, bodily and mental characteristics". eral way, the evident causes of the offenses studied in Detroit will be grouped under th Whether approached from the biologic is the old problem of heredity and environm biologists are debating as to the inheritance characteristics, and sociologists still sifting ing the complex mass of data which they ha we can scarcely hope for a complete and explanation of the causes of crime. What sions may finally be reached, it is quite certa heredity and environment will be found to to do with juvenile delinquency. On a recent tour of the police precincts the question was asked the Captains wh opinion, was the principal cause of juvenile Practically without exception the answer was childhood resulting from bad home surrou vicious street associations". Many others h with juvenile offenders have substantially giv answer. "Of course, some boys and girls in good homes go astray; but the cause in the often be found in bad companions or misdi gies". How important it then becomes to im conditions, to safeguard our boys and g Crime and Its Causes, by W. D. Morrison, p. 3. enien! causes "The iations al, eco a man -s are a such as a genne cases eads. - socioWhile cquired arrangathered. sfactory concluhat both e much Detroit n their quency. eglected gs and g to do he same ught up ases can ed enerve home with a healthier social environment and to direct wisely their energies. There can be no doubt a certain predisposition to criminal offenses exists in some individuals. Is it too much, however, to say that even this may be largely overcome with proper nourishment, suitable education and a purer social atmosphere? It is indeed hopeful that we are turning aside from the old ideas of “original sin" and "once a thief, always a thief", and are seeking diligently for the preventable causes of social disorder. INDIVIDUAL FACTORS. Sex and Age. In looking over the police returns for the city of Detroit a certain relation is seen to exist between the age and sex of juvenile offenders, and the number and character of offenses committed. Of the total 689 juvenile arrests in 1901-2, 571 were boys and 118 girls. The total number of arrests of boys for the past five years has been 2,598, and of girls 518.* On the average, between five and six boys are arrested each year to one girl. This of course is only a rough index to the total amount of juvenile delinquency in the city. Not all the "bad boys" are arrested, while the "goody-goodies" are quite likely to fall into the hands of the police. But the figures do show that a certain definite relation exists. The principal reasons for this difference in number between male and female offenders are quite evident. The weaker physical organization of the girl necessarily prevents her from committing many anti-social acts which her brother could do with comparative ease. A glance at the Appendix will show that girls are very little given to offenses against person or property, their offenses being largely truancy and immoral conduct. *See Appendix, Tables I.-II. But it would be an error to think that bo times as criminally inclined as girls. Other facts must be considered. Police authorities. by public sentiment, deal more leniently w offenders. The young girl is left to do muc will during those years in which many boys a She may commit some trivial offense two, thr four times without the police taking much n In this way she drifts until some serious offens the law must take cognizance, is committe cases personally recorded but few have been gi with truancy alone or petty larceny.10 The g ber had committed more serious offenses, such running away from home, or immoral acts. the girl is simply held for "truancy", the gra being omitted to avoid the stigma of crime. After due allowance is made for the weak female offender and the attitude of the polic remains an appreciable number of male arres of female. There seems to be no other con that girls, on the whole, are morally better The age of "our juvenile offenders", a above, is also closely related to the number of offenses. Boys usually begin their sin with truancy at 8, 9, or 10 years of age. majority of cases, the boy is not to blame for He is a lad with a distaste for school, or di parental authority and a possible physical, moral deterioration".11 It might be added largely due to parental neglect and imprope The "distaste for school" is sometimes en the school itself. Truancy, if not checked, soon becomes hab 10See Appendix, Table II. "Charities Review, vol. x. (pp. 177-82). Truanc Remedies, by Elliot R. Downing, p. 181. five tant rted male Own sted. even of it. f the num rceny, ttimes charge of the nature he great cruancy. gard for tal and at this is utrition. dered in al. From Causes and habitual truancy to vagrancy is an easy step. The next is to petty larceny. By this time the boy has probably been two or three times before the Police Court. Perhaps he has had his first experience behind prison bars. He is going through the hardening process. Gradually he evolves into an habitual offender. The largest number of boys arested are between 14 and 15 years of age, and between those ages the largest number are committed to the Industrial School for Boys at Lansing.1 12 With girls, on the other hand, it is somewhat different. Very few arrests are made between 8 and 12 years of age. After 13 years the number of girls brought into the Police Court rises rapidly, until between 16 and 17 we find the largest number arrested, and between those ages the largest number are committed to the Industrial Home for Girls at Adrian.13 From other reliable statistics it might be shown that during those years of immaturity the largest number of adult habitual offenders began their criminal career, the boys beginning at a younger age than the girls.1 It is the testimony of many that while girls mature later in crime than do the boys, yet they become eventually more hardened, cruel and incorrigible. General Bodily Conditions. To one familiar with our juvenile offenders there can be little doubt that in many cases immaturity or physical weakness is, directly or indirectly, responsible for their anti-social acts. The weakness itself may be due to insufficient and improper nourishment, lack of pure air in dwellings, too heavy labor and late hours; or the child may be suffering from some congenital dis 12See Appendix, Tables III. and IV. 13See Appendix. Tables III. and V. 14The Sukes, by R. L. Dugdale, pp. 102-109. |