Adolescent Morals

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27402, 15 July 1954, Page 10

Adolescent Morals

The people of New Zealand will be disturbed by the Government’s announcement that it is desirable to hold an inquiry into allegations of; immorality among adolescents. Sexual precocity is not a new problem. In some form or other it has always existed, and it probably always will. What is disquieting now is the impression of the Government that some new pattern in social behaviour is making the problem more serious. What grounds the Government has to support this impression are not known, because the cases that have recently come before the Courts are not very different from cases in the past. It must be assumed that the Government has some further information to justify the statement of the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) that “a “ grave social problem has been “unearthed”. Normally the moral behaviour of young people is well left to churches, schools, other social agencies, and parents, although the State has a general duty to provide and enforce reasonable protection for adolescents. An inquiry is not likely to show a need for any great extension of the statutory control of young people; but it might have some value if it revealed dangers that have not been sufficiently appreciated by the community as a whole. An inquiry could also have great value if it showed that thuf form of juvenile delinquency had not become greater than might

reasonably be expected .in a growing population. That, it must be hoped, will be the finding. If an inquiry is really needed it should be held openly, so that all may know where any dangers may lie and what substance there is in the allegations that have been made.