Soldier And Headmaster On Juvenile Delinquency

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29384, 10 December 1960, Page 14

Soldier And Headmaster On Juvenile Delinquency

The cure for juvenile delinquency was to keep young people “bustled along” through the dangerous period of youth, giving them “worth-while things to do and not too much money for doing them,” Brigadier J. T. Burrows told Christchurch Teachers’ College students at their end-of-year function yesterday. The compulsory military training camps were a perfect illustration of the value of bustling youth along, he said. In the six or seven years during which New Zealand youths had attended these camps, the cases of serious crime or indiscipline could be counted On the fingers of two hands.

Youth today was no different from the youth of 50 years ago. and there was no call for teachers to be different. “The real teacher stands out in any age,” Brigadier Burrows said. “A liking for one’s fellowmen and a will to serve them win the same reaction now as then.” He said his advice to young teachers could be summed up in one sentence—“never wear rubber heels on your shoes.” Headmaster’s View

Views on delinquency were also expressed yesterday by the headmaster of Cashmere High School (Mr T. H. McCombs) at the school prize-giving ceremony. “Delinquency among young people is no new problem, and as in the past those responsible represent a very small portion of young people,” he said. Because the number of people in this age group had increased rapidly of recent years, the number of delinquents could be expected to increase in proportion, and could also be expected to include, as in the past, those with inadequate or anti-social personalities, said Mr McCombs. “The new factor is their mobility, which allows them, by the use of motor-vehicles, to congregate in bigger groups than were possible in the past. Many of these young people do not realise that we can live together only by recognising one another’s rights to a peaceful existence, and they seek to obtain the notice of others by actions that denote an innate selfishness.” he said. “The free world, to use their own catch phrase, that they live in, is possible only when everyone is considerate of others and it would disappear altogether if we all had a similar outlook to theirs.” he said. Penalties

According to statements appearing. in newspapers from time to time, said Mr McCombs, many thought that increased penalties were the cure. "Punishment mav have one or more of three motives—revenge, prevention by fear, and reform,” he said. "We should reject revenge. Prevention by fear is uncertain. though prevention by an adequate and sympathetic police

force can be successful. Punishment for reform is the ambulance at the bottom of the hill.

“Schools and parents together must strive to inculcate in those in our charge ideals of service to others and respect for their rights as a basis for a civilised Christian community, and at the same time we must do our best to give these young people the mental and moral foundations for a happy and useful life.

“I believe that only in this way can we deal with a problem before it occurs—prevention in the biggest sense,” said Mr McCombs.