West Side Studies: Boyhood and Lawlessness; The Neglected Girl

by Unknown

APPENDIX

Source	Names
1909 Court list	202
Big Brother Movement	43
Special club studies	10
Charity Organization Society	8
Additional children of interest in families visited	20
Known through investigators on other topics	6
Known through other children	2
School	1
Church	1
Settlement	1
Total	294

TABLE 2.—AGES OF BOYS[a]

Age	BOYS
	Number	Per Cent
Less than 8 years	1	.3
8 years and less than 10 years	3	1.0
10 years and less than 12 years	24	8.2
12 years and less than 14 years	71	24.3
14 years and less than 16 years	102	35.0
16 years and more	91	31.2
Total	292	100.0

[a] Information is not available as to the ages of two of the 294 boys.

TABLE 3.—LENGTH OF RESIDENCE IN THE DISTRICTOF 183 FAMILIES[a]

Year in District	FAMILIES
	Number	Per Cent
Less than 5 years	13	7.1
5 years and less than 10 years	31	16.9
10 years and less than 15 years	25	13.7
15 years and less than 20 years	26	14.2
20 years and more	88	48.1
Total	183	100.0

[a] Information is not available as to the length of residence in the district of 58 of the 241 families.

Country of birth	Fathers	Mothers
United States	81	92
Ireland	64	72
Germany	27	18
Italy	17	15
Scotland	7	8
England	6	4
Sweden	4	4
France	4	2
Austria	3	2
Russia	1	3
Dalmatia	2	2
Roumania	2	1
Armenia	1	1
Switzerland	1	1
West Indies	1	1
Portugal	..	1
Denmark	1	..
Total	222	227

[a] Information is not available as to the country of birth of 19 fathers and 14 mothers in 241 families.

Nationality	Fathers	Mothers
German	28	28
Irish	21	25
American	15	18
English	3	2
Total	67	73

[a] Information is not available as to the nationality of 14 of 81 American-born fathers and of 19 of 92 American-born mothers.

TABLE 6.—TWO HUNDRED FAMILIES CLASSIFIED ACCORDINGTO NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOUSEHOLDSAND NUMBER OF ROOMS OCCUPIED[a]

Persons in household	FAMILIES OCCUPYING								All families
	One room	Two rooms	Three rooms	Four rooms	Five rooms	Six rooms	Seven rooms	Eight rooms
Two	1	..	1	1	1	..	..	..	4
Three	1	3	13	7	1	1	..	..	26
Four	..	1	7	11	6	2	..	..	27
Five	1	3	11	10	2	..	..	..	27
Six	..	3	12	12	10	4	..	..	41
Seven	..	..	4	11	8	1	..	1	25
Eight	..	..	4	17	5	2	..	..	28
Nine	..	..	2	5	3	1	2	..	13
Ten or eleven	..	..	..	1	4	1	..	..	6
Twelve and less than 15	..	..	..	..	1	2	..	..	3
Total	3	10	54	75	41	14	2	1	200

[a] Information is not available as to the number of rooms occupied by one household of three persons, six of four persons, six of five persons, three of six persons, three of seven persons, three of eight persons, one of nine persons, and one of 12 persons; as to the number of persons in two households occupying four rooms; nor as to the number of rooms occupied or the number of persons in 15 households.

TABLE 7.—LIVING CHILDREN IN 231 FAMILIES[a]

Number of living children	FAMILIES
	Number	Per cent
One	12	5.2
Two	28	12.1
Three	28	12.1
Four	34	14.7
Five	44	19.0
Six	36	15.6
Seven	24	10.4
Eight	17	7.4
Nine	5	2.2
Ten	2	.9
Eleven	1	.4
Total	231	100.0

[a] Information is not available as to the number of children in 10 of the 241 families.

TABLE 8.—STATUS OF MOTHERS IN 222 FAMILIES[a]

Status of mother	MOTHERS
	Number	Per cent
Living and earning wages	87	39.2
Living and not earning wages	103	46.4
Dead	32	14.4
Total	222	100.0

[a] Information not available as to the status of the mother in 19 of the 241 families.

TABLE 9.—CONJUGAL CONDITIONS OF PARENTS IN 233FAMILIES[a]

Conjugal condition of parents	FAMILIES
	Number	Per cent
Parents living together	133	57.1
Father dead, mother living[b]	53	22.7
Mother dead, father living[c]	20	8.6
Both parents living, but separated	15	6.4
Both parents dead	12	5.2
Total	233	100.0

[a] Information is not available as to the conjugal condition of parents in eight of the 241 families.

[b] In eleven cases where the father was dead and the mother living, the mother had remarried and the step-father was with the family.

[c] In four cases where the mother was dead, and the father living, the father had remarried and the step-mother was with the family.

TABLE 10.—RELIEF RECORDS OF 241 FAMILIES

Record	FAMILIES
	Number	Per cent
Known to have received aid:
From relief societies	73	30.3
In form of institutional care for children	17	7.1
From other sources	15	6.2
Total	105	43.6
Deducting duplicates[a]	19	7.9
Total	86	35.7
Known not to have received aid	144	59.7
Relief record unknown	11	4.6
Grand total	241	100.0

[a] There were 19 cases in which families were known to have received relief of more than one of the three kinds specified.

TABLE 11.—DURATION OF RELIEF RECORDS OF 73FAMILIES KNOWN TO HAVE RECEIVED AID FROMRELIEF SOCIETIES[a]

Duration of record	FAMILIES
	Number	Per cent
Less than 1 year	15	20.5
1 year and less than 2 years	11	15.1
2 years and less than 5 years	10	13.7
5 years and less than 10 years	19	26.0
10 years and less than 15 years	11	15.1
15 years and less than 20 years	4	5.5
20 years and less than 25 years	3	4.1
Total	73	100.0

[a] Information is not at all available as to the duration of the relief records of 13 of the 86 families who were known to have received aid.

Disposition of cases	Arrests	Boys affected	Families affected
Boy let go	260	197	176
Boy paroled	95	83	76
Boy sent up	99	75	67
Total	454	259[b]	221[b]

[a] Information is not available as to the disposition of nine cases involving arrest.

[b] As some of the boys were arrested more times than one, and as some of the families had two or more boys who were arrested, these figures are absolute totals, and not the sums of the other figures in the columns in which they appear.

TABLE 13.—FINAL DISPOSITION OF 92 WEST SIDE PAROLEDCASES AND OF 1,492 PAROLED CASES DISPOSEDOF BY THE MANHATTAN COURT IN 1909[a]

Final disposition of case	WEST SIDE CASES		ALL CASES
	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent
Discharged or sentence suspended	78	84.8	1,264	89.5
Committed to institutions	14	15.2	148	10.5
Total	92	100.0	1,412	100.0

[a] Information is not available as to two of the 95 paroled cases and one case was still pending when the study was concluded.

TABLE 14.—TRUANCY RECORDS OF 215 BOYS, CLASSIFIEDAS DELINQUENT OR NOT DELINQUENT[a]

Extent of truancy	BOYS		Total
	Delinquent	Not delinquent
No truancy	41	43	84
Occasional truancy	17	..	17
Serious truancy	109	1	110
Boy physically disqualified for school attendance	4	..	4
Total	171	44	215

[a] Information is not available as to the truancy of 79 of the 294 boys included in the study.

Status	Boys
Less than 14 years of age	99
14 years of age or more:
Attending school	31
In institutions	8
Out of work and out of school	25
Total	163

[a] Of the 294 boys, 100 were gainfully employed. Information is not available as to the status of 31 boys.

TABLE 16.—OCCUPATION AND WAGES OF 100 BOYSGAINFULLY EMPLOYED[a]

Occupation	BOYS EARNING						Boys whose earnings are not available	All boys
	$2 and less than $3	$3 and less than $4	$4 and less than $5	$5 and less than $6	$6 and less than $7	$7 and less than more
Errand boy	3	2	3	5	2	1	6	22
Office boy	..	..	2	6	1	2	4	15
Piano factory worker	..	1	3	2	1	4	3	14
Driver or driver’s helper	..	..	..	2	2	3	..	7
Stock boy	..	1	..	..	2	1	1	5
Printer’s apprentice	..	..	..	..	1	2	1	4
Plumber’s apprentice	..	..	..	1	1	..	2	4
Worker in factory other than piano factory	..	..	1	..	..	2	..	3
Cashboy	..	2	..	..	..	..	1	3
Tailor’s helper	..	..	..	..	..	1	2	3
Farmhand	..	..	..	..	..	..	2	2
Checkboy	..	..	2	..	..	..	..	2
Messenger boy	..	..	..	1	..	1	..	2
Bakery worker	..	..	1	1	..	..	..	2
Moving picture show worker	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	1
Freight checker	..	..	..	..	..	1	..	1
Packer	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	1
Garage helper	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	1
Plasterer’s helper	..	1	..	..	..	..	..	..
Water boy, Metropolitan Railroad	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	1
Engineer’s helper	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	1
Newspaper boy	..	1	..	..	..	..	..	1
Furnace company worker	..	..	..	..	..	1	..	1
Water works worker	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1
Clerk	..	..	..	..	1	..	..	1
Prisoner in navy prison	..	1	..	..	..	..	..	1
Total	3	9	12	21	11	19	24	99

[a] Of the 294 boys, 163 were not gainfully employed. Information is not available as to the status of 31 boys.

REPORT OF CHILDREN’S COURT, 1913
Excerpts from Annual Report Court of Special Sessions of the City of New York
For the Year Ending December 31, 1913

The following tables and charts are taken from the annual report of the children’s court for the county of New York.

In the preparation of this report the court officials had the active co-operation of the Committee on Criminal Courts of the Charity Organization Society. With the approval of Frank Smith, the Chief Clerk of the Court of Special Sessions, and under the direction of Lawrence Veiller, Secretary of the Committee, the report was planned and compiled by George Everson, the Assistant Secretary of the Committee.

These statistics, based on a total of 9,019 cases and representing the juvenile delinquency of the entire county, make it possible for us to compare some of the features of juvenile lawlessness on the Middle West Side with corresponding conditions in the larger area. To quote from the report:

“The total number of arraignments in the Court for the year 1913 was 9,019. The statistical tables of this report are based on this large number of cases. Any facts concerning juvenile delinquency in these statistics should be of permanent scientific value because of the fact of the large number of cases involved.

“In the present report an effort has been made to put before the public more detailed information, in the form of statistical tables and charts, than has been done in previous years. These tables, and their illustrative graphics, will show to some extent the detail of the work of the Court and will make available for popular use some of the information which is carefully tabulated for each case that comes into the Court during the year.

“Many pertinent and interesting facts concerning juvenile delinquency are available from the court records. Owing to the limited time at the disposal of the clerical staff for the compilation of statistics from the individual records of the Court, we have heretofore been unable to get as much of the information before the public as we should like to have done. The assistance which we have received from the Committee on Criminal Courts of the Charity Organization Society has made it possible for us to put the statistics in their present form, they having collaborated with our staff, at the expenditure of considerable time and money, for which we are considerably indebted.

“The installation of the probation system, with its very accurate and detailed records of each case investigated by, or placed in charge of probation officers, has put many more facts at our disposal in regard to the family conditions, school and employment records, etc., of children receiving probationary treatment. It has been our purpose to include some of these facts of general and scientific interest in this report.

“Charts and Graphics.—An effort has been made to illustrate the most pertinent facts brought out in the statistical tables by some simple charts and graphics; it is hoped that the reader will get at a glance the gist of the tables so illustrated. In some instances, the charts have been used to supplement the information included in the tables accompanying them.

“Special Proceedings and Juvenile Delinquency Distinguished.—It will be noted that throughout the statistical tables distinction has been made between cases of children arraigned as juvenile delinquents and children arraigned in special proceedings. An explanation of these terms may help the reader. The general distinction, broadly stated, is the same distinction which is generally made between delinquent and dependent children. Special Proceedings, however, include beside improper guardianship cases, so-called, all cases of truancy, ungovernable and disorderly children, and cases of girls in danger of becoming morally depraved. While these latter are considered by the Court as being in need of the care and protection of the State, their offenses often show evidence of grave moral turpitude, and the Court finds them to be among the most difficult cases to handle.

“Whenever, in the case of a child brought before the Court on the charge of juvenile delinquency, it shall appear in the course of the trial that the child is without proper guardianship, or is in unfavorable environment, he or she may be adjudged to be in need of the care and protection of the State, and is then arraigned in Special Proceedings.

“Probation.—Within the last two years great advances have been made in probation in this Court. A complete and well-organized system of probation records has been installed, and the Court has the service of twenty-three probation officers who devote their entire time and energy to the assistance and reformation of children placed in their charge by the Court. The results of their investigations are invaluable to the judge in making his disposition of the cases, and their work in helping the boys and girls to become good citizens is a great service to the community. The only fault which we have to find with the present system is the fact that the period of probation in general is not long enough to allow the probation officer to do his best work with the children under his charge. Table XXX, and its accompanying chart, shows the length of the probation periods; it will be noted that one-quarter of the cases are on probation for a period of two months or under, while 80 per cent of them are for periods of less than six months. It is the opinion of experts that proper probationary treatment can be given only when the child is placed under the officer for sufficient length of time to allow the officer to do really constructive work with the child, so that it will be of lasting influence in his life. If the offense is not sufficiently serious to require a substantial probation period, then it is not of sufficient importance to have the probation officer spend his time with the case. In order to have longer probation periods a larger corps of probation officers will be necessary.

“Truancy.—The report shows that there were 62 cases of violation of the compulsory education law brought into the Court during the year. Investigations of cases by the probation officers have disclosed the appalling prevalence of truancy among juvenile delinquents. Hundreds of cases are on record in the probation rooms showing that children on probation have been habitual truants previous to being brought into the Court on delinquency charges.”

Under the group of cases defined as Special Proceedings is often found the neglected young girl of the accompanying study by Ruth S. True. The columns in the following tables dealing with girls’ cases will throw some light on the charges on which she sometimes gets into court.

TABLE ONE

(Table XVIII.—Residence by Districts of Children Arraigned during 1913.[52] Report, pp. 72-73.)

Districts and territory in districts	JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
	Male		Female		Total
	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent
I. Below 14th St., East of 4th Ave., Bowery and Catharine St.	1,002	21.0	23	25.2	1,025	21.1
II. Below 14th St., West of 4th Ave., Bowery and Catharine St.	604	12.7	9	9.9	613	12.6
III. East of 6th Ave., from 14th St. to 63d St[a]	332	7.0	6	6.6	338	7.0
IV. West of 6th Ave., between 14th St. and 62d St.	499	10.5	10	11.0	509	10.5
V. East of 5th Ave., from 63d St. to 109th St.[b]	667	14.0	16	17.6	683	14.1
VI. West of Central Park and 8th Ave., from 62d St. to 126th St.	253	5.3	4	4.4	257	5.3
VII. In Manhattan, East of 8th Ave., North of 109th St.[c]	597	12.5	12	13.2	609	12.5
VIII. West of 8th Ave. between 126th St. and 155th St.	91	1.9	..	..	91	1.9
IX. West of 8th Ave. and Harlem River North of 155th St.	32	.7	..	..	32	.7
X. All of The Bronx	529	11.1	8	8.8	537	11.1
Brooklyn[d]	113	2.4	..	..	113	2.3
All others	29	.6	2	2.2	31	.6
Not stated	15	.3	1	1.1	16	.3
Total	4,763	100.0	91	100.0	4,854	100.0

Districts and territory in districts	SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS
	Male		Female		Total
	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent
I. Below 14th St., East of 4th Ave., Bowery and Catharine St.	473	17.8	235	15.5	708	17.0
II. Below 14th St., West of 4th Ave., Bowery and Catharine St.	278	10.4	123	8.1	401	9.6
III. East of 6th Ave., from 14th St. to 63d St.[a]	192	7.2	152	10.0	344	8.3
IV. West of 6th Ave., between 14th St. and 62d St.	330	12.4	235	15.5	565	13.6
V. East of 5th Ave., from 63d St. to 109th St.[b]	306	11.6	186	12.3	492	11.8
VI. West of Central Park and 8th Ave., from 62d St. to 126th St.	98	3.7	70	4.7	168	4.0
VII. In Manhattan, East of 8th Ave., North of 109th St.[c]	257	9.7	161	10.6	418	10.0
VIII. West of 8th Ave. between 126th St. and 155th St.	46	1.8	20	1.3	66	1.6
IX. West of 8th Ave. and Harlem River North of 155th St.	22	.8	13	.9	35	.8
X. All of The Bronx	308	11.7	191	12.6	499	12.0
Brooklyn[d]	36	1.3	13	.9	49	1.2
All others	145	5.5	37	2.4	182	4.4
Not stated	159	6.1	79	5.2	238	5.7
Total	2,650	100.0	1,515	100.0	4,165	100.0

Districts and territory in districts	ALL CASES
	Male		Female		Total
	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent
I. Below 14th St., East of 4th Ave., Bowery and Catharine St.	1,475	19.9	258	16.0	1,733	19.2
II. Below 14th St., West of 4th Ave., Bowery and Catharine St.	8.1	401	9.6	882	11.9	132
III. East of 6th Ave., from 14th St. to 63d St.[a]	524	7.1	158	9.8	682	7.6
IV. West of 6th Ave., between 14th St. and 62d St.	829	11.2	245	15.4	1,074	11.9
V. East of 5th Ave., from 63d St. to 109th St.[b]	973	13.1	202	12.6	1,175	13.0
VI. West of Central Park and 8th Ave., from 62d St. to 126th St.	351	4.7	74	4.6	425	4.7
VII. In Manhattan, East of 8th Ave., North of 109th St.[c]	854	11.5	173	10.8	1,027	11.4
VIII. West of 8th Ave. between 126th St. and 155th St.	137	1.9	20	1.2	157	1.8
IX. West of 8th Ave. and Harlem River North of 155th St.	54	.7	13	.8	67	.7
X. All of The Bronx	837	11.3	199	12.4	1,036	11.5
Brooklyn[d]	149	2.1	13	.8	162	1.8
All others	174	2.3	39	2.4	213	2.3
Not stated	174	2.3	80	5.0	254	2.8
Total	7,413	100.0	1,606	100.0	9,019	100.0

[a] East of 6th Ave., from 14th St. to 63d St. to 3d Ave.; and 64th St., from 3d Ave. to East River.

[b] East of 5th Ave., from 63d St. to 3d Ave., and 64th St., between 3d Ave. and East River, to 112th St. to 3d Ave., and 109th St. from 3d Ave. to the East River.

[c] In Manhattan, East of 8th Ave., North of. 110th St. to 5th Ave., and 112th St., from 5th Ave. to 3d Ave., and 109th St., from 3d Ave. to East River.

[d] Children living in Brooklyn, but arrested in Manhattan.

(Chart XIV.—Residence by Districts of Children Arraigned During 1913. Report, p. 74.)