Juvenile delinquency and the school : a study of one hundred and sixty-three juvenile delinquents known to the Halifax District Office of the Department of Public Welfare as of March 31, 1960

Abstract

This thesis is one of eighteen based on a group study of one hundred and sixty-three delinquents known to the Halifax District Office of the Department of Public Welfare. In the group study, primary data was obtained from the case records of these juvenile delinquents. Bibliographical data was obtained from literature in the fields of social work, psychiatry and psychology. The subject of this thesis is delinquency and its causes with specific consideration given to the school and its relationship to delinquency. A general study was made of the environmental causes including the family, neighbourhood and socio-economic factors. A more detailed study was made of the school situation. Many of the children studied were victims of broken and unstable homes resulting in emotional depreciation of the child. School achievement of a number of these children was below average. In some but not all cases, this could be attributed to low intelligence. It was concluded that there was a pressing community need for improved school services helping children with special needs, especially the emotionally disturbed and mentally retarded.