Juvenile delinquency (1955)

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JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 33 from those cited above. Vandalism is one of the inexplicable otl'enses occurring in alarming proportions. Automobiles produce temptations to violate speed laws and moral laws. Violence dominates too many movie and television plots. The appalling percentage of divorces in this county (almost equal to the number of marriages) is one of the greatest contributors to delinquency. No child can escape suffering when the two persons who are his first and greatest sources of love and security divorce and discredit each other. To meet all these conditions and many more not enumerated, our socially minded leaders, far too small in numbers, have tried heroi- cally, almost desperately, to combat these trends. Youth centers, well equipped and manned, are being multiplied. The YIVICA has revised its procedure to emphasize neighborhood activities rather than branch YMCA buiklings; the Jewish people are fostering a social program which is family-centered; the Catholic Church has success- fully furthered Boys Scouts and Catholic youth programs, etc. Many Protestant Churches are devoting special emphasis to youth activi- ties both on Sunday and weekdays. The value of these religious in- spired efforts cannot be overemphasized. But the tragic part is that thousands of homes have no church contacts. The American Legion, the Masons and other fraternal orders are bringing a percentage of their own youth into well-ordered programs for young people. Los xVngeles County, through the probation department, has as- signed 10 socially trained deputies to be gang leaders—leaders who really befriend and guide many gangs otherwise without the pale of accepted society. As others doubtless will relate, the county's boys' camps and the State youth authority camps are doing much to restore and rescue a percentage of the boys who have taken first steps in the wrong direc- tion. From what I have touched on here, the remedies for delinquency may be summed up by saying: Our homes must do much more; our schools are not yet meeting the full need; and our churches are not yet going into the byways and bringing in these unfortunate youth. The harvest is truly plentious but the real laborers are too few. Chairman Kefau\t;r. That's a very fuie statement, and it has some good recommendations, and j^ou tell Mr. Ford that we appreciate it very much, Mr. Miley. Mr. Miley. I might say one more thing. As Mr. Daly, the assist- ant attorney general, spoke on the Governor's committee on alco- holism, the board of supervisors has appointed a committee on alco- holism, of which I am a member, trying to implement something along the line of alcohol clinics in southern California. So what will become of it, I do not know. The committee is a new committee just started, and we hope that the county through the clinic will be able to do something which will relieve some of the alcoholic prob- lems which have been cited here before as the cause in the liomes by example of juvenile de]inquenc3\ That's about all I have to say. Chairman Kefauver. Thank you very much, jVIr. Miley. We ap- preciate your coming. Mr. Miley. Thank you. Chairman Kefauver. The next witness will be the ReA^ Andy Griffin, ptastor of Emmanuel Methodist Church, Los Angeles.