A panel discussion on the effects of home life on juvenile delinquency, with Father Raymond Fisher and Texas-side police officers Bruce Fitzhugh, Joe Cerrato and Bill Fincher participating, highlighted the Dec. 3 sociology class of Mrs. Thelma Bollinger.
Each of the above gentlemen gave a brief description of his research on the subject and joined in open discussion with the students in class.
According to officer Cerrato, persons under 18 now account for 50 percent of all arrests. Juveniles also seem to be more involved in crimes of violence and contempt rather than offenses committed for personal gain as is common in older criminals.
Cerrato went on to say that there are three types of homes: the happy, unbroken home; the unhappy, unbroken home; and the broken home. He said that those from the second category, where the home life is bad but the family remains together, tend to be the poorest atmosphere.
When asked about gangs, Cerrato said that a child who cannot find a suitable relationship with his family often seeks companionship with a gang. However, he did say that association with a gang does not necessarily breed contempt for law and order.
On the influence the church has on the juvenile crime rate, Father Fisher said that the church does not really have that much power to help. He went on to say that the ministers today are trained more in psychological counseling than in pastoral training.
The discussion turned to the ways a church will reject a person for his dress or appearance and some students said that they felt that this was one of the church’s shortcomings.
This led to the question of the dominance of the nonconformist in today’s society. Cerrato said that he felt there was no nonconformity, only conforming to different sets of values.
In an attempt to get back to the main subject, Fincher told of some actual cases. He told of one girl who ran away from a supposedly happy home because her parents refused to discuss a dating problem with her. He also told of another girl who ran away often because she said her stepmother and her father mistreated her. She was once left in the city jail for three days because her father refused to take custody of her.
All the officers said that at one time or another, they had each been offered children for sale. Fincher said that he knew one infant whose mother sold her for $50 in order to take a trip to California.