OFFENCES BY CHILDREN

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27710, 14 July 1955, Page 10

OFFENCES BY CHILDREN

PARENTS BLAMED BY J.P. “TROUBLE BEGINS AT HOME ” (New Zealand Press Association) GISBORNE, July 13. The phrase “juvenile delinquency” should be changed to “parent delinquency,” said Mr P. Dinnan, a member of the Dominion executive of the Justice of the Peace Association, to Gisborne members of the association last night. Parents were too busy or could not be bothered to take their children to the pictures or football, he. said. This state of affairs could be attributed to personal greed. After babyhood, in many cases, parents thought their responsibility to a large extent was also left behind, and during school age that the onus was left to the teacher. After studying reports from psychiatrists from all over the world, Mr Dinnan said, he had conclude J that the trouble began at home. Parents bribed their children with money to get rid of them, and they were allowed to go without adequate supervision. forming gangs and getting into trouble. One of the bad influences on juveniles had been attributed to the way women dressed. He said an Australian psychiatrist had blamed women for sex attacks that had. in many cases, been provoked by the fashions of their clothes. Mr Dinnan also criticised some of the magazines for men that could be bought in any shop in New Zealand, and said that the stories and photographs were corrupting children’s minds. Commenting on delinquency among Maoris, Mr Dinnan said that although Maoris comprised only 7 per cent, of the country’s population, 38 per cent, of the crimes in the country were committed by Maoris—a sad state of affairs. Juvenile cases in the Auckland Courts last year totalled 1214, a substantial increase on the previous figures. When more than 400 New Zealand juveniles, aged from 7 to 17, involved in various criminal offences, were asked about church, 98 said that they attended Churches and of the rest, most did not know what church was, said Mr Dinnan. New Zealand had, on the basis of population, more persons appearing

in Court, and more convictions than the whole of England and Wales. Mr Dinnan said that the. church should play a bigger and more active part in home life.