YOUTH PROBLEMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25083, 26 November 1942, Page 6

YOUTH PROBLEMS

WAR-TIME DIFFICULTIES

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTS

“ Those who are apt to criticise the youth of the-present day are blind to the Durden carried by many of our young people,” the vocational guidance officer, Mr T. Conly, said yesterday, when discussing youth problems with a Daily Times reporter. Credit should be given, he added, to the large numbers who every week performed their daily jobs, often Worked overtime, and still managed to attend classes at the Technical College as well as performing Home Guard and EJP.S. duties. Published records showed that the number of juvenile delinquents who appeared before the courts had not increased during the last few years, he stated. At the same time it was pleasing to note the interest that many persons were taking In the welfare of the younger citizens. Outlook Towards Future Every year Mr Conly makes personal contact with 500 or 600 boys seeking work, and discusses with them plans for their future careers. In some cases, he said, the boy approaching 18 years of age showed a regrettable but quite understandable lack of concern relating to any plans for a future career. His coming liability for military or other national service made any personal directions concerning a civil career seem futile. Others again were willing to take every opportunity of laying the foundations of a career which might be resumed when national service obligations were fulfilled. In the last 12 or 18 months there has been noticeable an increasing seriousness of outlook on the part of the majority of boys. There were many instances where the older members of a family were serving in the forces or were engaged in other national work, and a fair share of home responsibilities had thus devolved on tire younger members. It would be agreed, he said, that some boys were running wild and had too much money to spend, but wild behaviour was no hew feature. In some cases it might be caused by high wages, but it had to be remembered that high wages were not usual. There were still many callings in which the commencing pay was as low as 15s or £1 a week. In the depression years, when many boys received no pay at all, there were still some who went wrong. A criticism might be offered, Mr Conly •aid, of the indifference and irresponsibility of those of an older generation who permitted their children to leave the home to seek entertainment wherever they might choose. This latter element, however, comprised a small minority of the young people. He pointed out that in normal years about 1200 boys and girls attended evening technical classes on three or four nights a week, and the Y.M.C.A. provided recreational facilities for hundreds of boys each week. Scope for controlled activity was also offered by the Air Training Corps, Navy League Sea Cadets, Boy Scouts, and the Boys’ Brigade, all of which drew upon a good proportion of the youth community. Problem of Adjustment

" One must face the fact that there •re problems of delinquency and misbehaviour.” he added, " but these generally relate to those boys who drift from job to job. and to parents who are so indifferent to the welfare of their children that they allow their boys to enter occupations having no future.” It had to be remembered that boys could choose work according to their ability and inclinations to a greater extent to-day than had ever been the case before. ” The boy of ability who finds himself in a * blind 'alley ’ or monotonous job is apt to become discontented, and seeks an outlet for his energy, sometimes to his own hurt,” Mr Conly concluded. “In other words, the problem of a satisfactory adjustment of a boy’s attitude to the community in which he lives is linked with the responsibility of the parents and ‘vocational guidance.”