SMALL FAMILIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 July 1932, Page 12

SMALL FAMILIES

“MISFITS” AND DELINQUENCY “Seventy to 80 per cent, of adult criminals, athough many of them have never appeared in children’s courts, have been child delinquents in some form or another. That is why the clinic to test the mental and physical state of child delinquents, and to recommend treatment of those found to be sub-normal or suffering from nervous or bodiy disorders, should be particularly valuable in the prevention of crime in this State,” said a Melbourne medical authority recently. “The main cause, of delinquency,” said the doctor, “is generally faulty environment. It is not necessarily a cruel environment, but it just happens, even in well-ordered homes, to be the wrong one for the particular child. It is difficult, in these instances, to correct the fault, because often it is merely mistaken kindness or silliness that is responsible, for setting a child on the wrong path., “Spoiling is responsible for a great deal of delinquency, but a talk with parents often suffices to alter their attitude, and cures the child.” Referring to a recent controversy in Melbourne on one-child families, the doctor remarked that there was a lot to say for a large family, but he did not consider ten the happy average. “I think perhaps five or six is the best number,” he said. “The only child does not have the same chance of normal development, and unless very well handled and given plenty of companionship of his own age, is at a very great disadvantage. He is liable to develop mental habits which render him often a social misfit in later life. Only children, in adult life, form a big percentage- of neurotics.” A family of two children only, especially when there is a big difference in age, caused a great strain on the elder child said the doctor, unless it was given an interest in the little one and a share in its management. Otherwise it felt out in the cold, and often developed some nervous trouble. A boy of rather dull mentality, brought before the courts on two charges of housebreaking, was found to be delinquent because of loneliness and disagreement in the home. His mother wanted to keep him away from other children because his home was in a rather poor district, and the father wanted him to play with other boys. The boy revolted, got into bad company, and seemed to be heading for a criminal career. Conversation with the parents, however, persuaded them to take a reasonable attitude, fresh interests and playmates were provided for the boy, and they moved to another district. The boy was now apparently quite stable and well behaved. “Environment in a nagging household, disagreement between parents, or lack of control may all affect a child’s outlook sufficiently to make him a delinquent, or even a criminal, in later life. The fault in environment can generally be found by careful investigation, and that is where the probation officers are doing such good work.”