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.