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

Insecurity: Th

hild who feels unloved, unwanted, or jealous of the care and attention given to other members of the household suffers from

breast feeding as far as it is practicable. The attitude of the mother to the child, even before birth, may well have a marked effect upon the child's sense of security. If pregnancy was not

atchful concern for the child's well-being throughout childhood to late adolescence. It can be summed up as the kind of love found in a warm family life where all the members-father, mother, and children-are in a proper relationshi

personality of a parent, is the type of child which may later seek compensation in irregular sexual behaviour. But the child wh

of many cases of delinquency which may fair

e. An emotional upset may arise from a home that is broken by a divorce or separation

ldren are in that category of people who have been far too indulgent with their children and have been unable to say 'No'. It is a big mistake to suppose that the respect and love of a child will be lost by

found the responsibilities of home life too much for them. They had entered into matrimony wi

ig gap in the knowledge of the art of home-making possessed by many parents. Much of that gap has been filled in by the school, the church, and various youth organizations, but the more these outside agencies do the l

another thing for parents to go away for a day of golf or to spend their week-ends away from home leaving the boy to his own devices. It is one thing for Mrs A to give her daughter permission to stay the week-end with Mrs B's daughter, and for Mrs B, to give permission for her daughter to stay the same week-end with Mrs A's daughter. It is quite another thing when neither Mrs A nor Mrs B shows that interest

of parents who give money to their children to go to the pictures in order to get them out of the

st harmful influences from outside. It demands also parental interest in the activities of the children and sometimes a measure of self-denial for

sibilities in character building are being assumed by schools, libraries, clubs, and many other organizations

hat parents ought to be. Above all, the Committee wishes to stress that parents should not suffer from feelings of inadequacy owing to a spate of modern know

Mothers a

people arises, in part, from the fact that mothers are frequently absent

en to their own devices

osely populated area, 25 per cent of the mothers of pupils of a post-primary school went out to work. Some mothers may need to work; but many of them work in order to provide a high

ies beyond the hour at which they should be home to welcome their children on return from school. Happy and desir

ive their children money to go to the pictures, while they themsel

me. As breadwinners they have necessarily to be away from home throughout the day, but they have opportuni

d only by the co-operation of both pare

High

rs are obliged to work is the complaint that many young people have too much money.

ave too much spending money, and that ot

content to do normal tasks at home when they are able

he ranks of those who complain of their inability to obtain homes. This has prompted people to urge that a compulsory savings scheme should be

e of the household while youths, who may be paid nearly as much as parents

ondition of probation that the offender paid a portion of his earnings into a compulsory savings scheme. Even if such a procedure could be devised it would apply only to those who