V is is my I or che ces. as hat SO cra zed, aste DOS Ome an a of this in tain era like boy gar Little Fore, with ding that small class of unfortunate children who show an utter lack of moral responsibility. They are more properly classed as degenerates, and should receive treatment accordingly. It is unscientific, as well as unkind, to treat them in the police courts and jails as other children, regarded as normal, are treated. Separate treatment in special institutions should be provided. Social Factors. The social causes of juvenile delinquency are so complex that it would take more space than can here be given for their complete discussion. Under the head of "Social Traits" concrete examples were given which well illustrate some of the social factors entering into the problem. A careful reading of the "Fifty Illustrative Cases" given in the appendix to this study will also throw added light upon the matter. In this place I will give only a brief summary of the principal social causes drawn largely from personal study of delinquent children, and of the environment from which they come. It will be convenient to classify them under four heads, as follows: I. Bad home environment. 2. Economic conditions. 3. Moral conditions, and 4. Political conditions. The most immediate cause of delinquency is no doubt to be found in a bad home environment. Shiftlessness of parents with their indifference to the pressing needs of the children is the cause of many a boy being in a reform or industrial school. A disregard of family ties and immorality on the part of parents is only another phase of the same question. Other causes not in the parents themselves, but rooted in the conditions under which they are living may be found in the crowded, unhealthy state of many districts in our large cities. Hand in hand with this are defective sanitation, insufficient food and fresh air. No one of these conditions alone can a juvenile delinquency, but each is a factor in problem. The most important factors under the economic conditions are to be found in industri and in the improper employment of women ar Under moral conditions we may mention ness and immorality of parents, vicious asso the public streets, the unwholesome influence and houses of ill fame, and over stimulation di variety shows. Bad legislation, the non-enforcement of defective judicial and punitive machinery add to the causes already mentioned. It is seen therefore that many things are into consideration in dealing with our juveni ial investigation of the causes leading to offen lutely essential to the best treatment of the offe treatment itself should be of a kind suited t vidual needs of the offender. Let us see wh is, and what improvement, if any, could be the present system. III. THE TREATMENT OF OUR JUVENILE OFFER In Michigan four methods have been tried or less success in the treatment of neglected, and delinquent children. For convenience the may be classified as educational, charitable, pu reformatory. These have never been entirely from one another, an inevitable overlapping ha place. At one time stress was laid upon th method and at another "reformation" and effort" were thought to be the determining fa late, however, much attention has been given to proper education. It is safe to say from the varied experience of the past that no one method can ever solve such a complex problem as juvenile delinquency. It may be that a judicious combination of all the methods more carefully wrought out will offer a satisfactory solution. Before this is possible a thorough comparative and constructive study of the various methods of treatment must be made. In the past, charitable and educational treatment was given largely to neglected, defective and dependent children; while the so-called delinquents were subjected to punishment and reformation. Recent advances in sociology and penology have revealed that the causes leading to neglect and dependency are closely allied to delinquency. We are, therefore, forced to reconsider our methods of treatment and adjust them to the individual needs of unfortunate children. EDUCATIONAL. As has previously been pointed out, a great deal of delinquency begins while children are under the influence of our educational system. The State of Michigan provides: "That every parent, guardian or other person in the State of Michigan having control and charge of any child or children between the ages of eight and fifteen years and in cities between the ages of seven and fifteen years, shall be required to send such child or children to the public school for a period of at least four months in each school year, except that in cities having a duly constituted police force, the attendance at school shall not be limited to four months, beginning on the first Monday of the first term in his or her district after September first of each year. It It is thus seen that provision has been ma education, up to a certain age, of practically and girl in the state. It is, therefore, natural why so many children enter the ranks of deling begin a criminal career, while they are still influence of the educational system. Truan germ from which much delinquency grows. contributory roots; but it is safe to say that when once planted in the child finds a very fertil draws its nourishment largely from the socia ment. It is pertinent that we should enquir extent truancy prevails, and what steps in tional system are being taken to prevent it. According to the School Census taken in t Detroit, September, 1901, there were 35,277 ch tween 8 and under 14 years of age. Of this n the census states, 34,452 attended school, lea 825 who did not have some school instructi figures between 8 and 14 years are taken becau that period the children usually begin, and be firmed in, the truancy habit. Between th also the largest number of habitual truants ar 17General School Laws of Michigan, 1901; Act 95, 189 Amended 1901, Act 83. ve Fen the of in end. age er a age the boy uire and the the many germ , and ironwhat duca ty of en be er, so only The uring con ages Ought . 4847; into Court. The above figures, while not entirely satisfactory as they stand, will nevertheless serve as a convenient basis for comparison with others. The total number of persons between 5 and (under) 20 years of age as given in the same census is 83,215, of which number 31,661 are not attending school. There are in the city 70 public schools with an attendance of 34,888, and 56 private or select schools with 16,666 pupils. 18 To what extent, then, does truancy prevail among this comparatively large number of children of the school age? The principal of the Public Ungraded School (truant school) received during the school year ending June 19, 1902, 8,204 truant reports, which were turned over to the Truant Squad of the police department for investigation. This number of itself is rather misleading as to the total number of individual cases of truancy. It includes duplicate cases, cases of chilren having changed from one school to another without notifying the former principal, and cases of boys having left school to go to work. A certain per cent of the children reported as truant were unavoidably detained at home. Allowance must be made for all these factors. From my experience with the boys in schools, police courts and on the streets, I should say that possibly half the above number would more nearly express the amount of truancy, occasional and habitual. For comparison let us take some suggestive figures from the report of the Lieutenant of the Truant Squad for 1901-2: Number of children found on the street, not attend ing any school .... 627 Number of warrants served on parents and truants.. 1269 18 From the Census of September, 1901. |