NCJ Number
111277
Journal
Today's Delinquent Volume: 4 Dated: (1985) Pages: 47-53
Date Published
1985
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A judge, commenting on a paper by Professor Empey, agrees that much juvenile delinquency has its roots in family problems and argues that schools have a pivotal role in delinquency prevention by offering virtually the only hope for correcting the behavior of those who have already been identified as delinquent.
Abstract
A decrease in the quality of the parent-child relationship and in the quantity of responsible adult supervision provided children have caused the problems presented by young people today. Broken homes by themselves are not the source of the problems. However, it is impossible to overemphasize the impact of the drug problem as a cause of crime and delinquency. Solving the problems of the parents is impossible in many cases. The schools are thus the only means for accomplishing Professor Empey's objectives of reestablishing the bonds of children to conventional society. Reestablishing the system of small schools that existed before World War II may be too expensive, but establishing some schools for children with special needs would be worthwhile. In addition, the schools need backup from the juvenile courts and volunteer organizations. 6 references. For Dr. Empey's paper, see NCJ 111276.