Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents

t that sexual delinquency was not new-it had been going on through the ages and always

such an attitude is not a desirable one to adopt when seeking a remedy for a social evil. Secondly, the continued existence of a vice, howeve

r vehicles is but one illustration of the way in which an old vice may become such a great evil in altered circumstances that stern measures have to be taken. Stealing was reprehended in the Ten Commandments, and so was covetousness. Theft was always punishable

ildren, it is not merely its extent, but certain features in

r Groups n

also in Auckland, most of the cases were of boys and girls whose ages ranged from twelve to fiftee

cocity

ls, by immodest conduct, have become the leaders in sexual misbehaviour and have in many cases corrupted the boys. At one school there were 17 children involved-10 of them were girls of an average age of 13.2 years and 7 boys of an average age of 15 years. Another disturbing feature is that in the case of boys more than half were committing their first offence,

evidence of a headmaster is i

have are girls, and it is quite clear some of them are an absolute menace. They have

zation of

by arranging sexual parties on three successive weekends for groups of several girls and boys. There was also the case of a girl of 14 years who invited a girl of the same age to her h

Reci

ed in misbehaviour within eighteen months of their previous offences. In another district three-quarters of

tal Attitude of

assert a right to do what is regarded by religion, law, and convention as wrongful. It was reported that some of the girls were either unconcerned or unashamed, and even proud, of what they had don

that she must have prepared the wrong lecture-it should have been for an older group. A transcript of the questions was produced to the Committee. They were inquiries which one would assume might be made by young women who had married or were about to marry. Whether t

uckland, records were kept, and there was some competition between girls concerning the number of immoral acts in which they w

omose

penings might be taken to indicate a similar increase in this country. The Committee has made no investigation of thes

by those who have planned and organized sexual parties, and sometimes caught others within their net, is something which demands serious consideration. The subject cannot be dismissed in the light, airy way of those people who, withou