Exploring the child's world II; 13

The Duquesne University Alumni Association presents. Exploring the child's work. The child is father to the man. And as we hope for a world of men of good will Remus took to the conditions of the towns where to achieve it. So we search for the law's ways and means the sources of the capable spontaneously hole of doubt. It is not strange that the world of the disturbed child throws light on childhood in general. Although Father Francis Duffy Professor of Sociology at Duquesne University was not a trust

looking for this light. When he started working with the disturbed child he found however that it is not that the disturbed or delinquent child is completely removed from society rather that his position is more extreme and so its obviousness offers us a sharper clearer insight into the world of children to share the fruit of his research. Father Duffy and the Duquesne University Alumni Association present a series of recorded interviews with delinquent children followed by a short discussion with Father Duffy's guest in which the child and his problems are explode for insight. And now here is Father Duffy. Children are not terribly mysterious even though they are complex. It's something like food an appetite in digestive organs one may not know how much there is to the operation of the Stanley Cup or peristaltic activities but he does know when he's hungry and he knows the procedure for satisfying his hunger. In dealing with children one has to listen a great deal in the following interview.

Andrew is not very communicative. It is difficult to draw him out. He doesn't volunteer much nor does he launch very far into his life story. He's a rather colorless and timid child. His answers are brief and one gets the feeling that they are intended to put an end to the questioning. He has not responded very well to kindly treatment but any other course of action would probably be disastrous both for him and for the community in which he lives. Andrew comes from a rather fine family but he's a rather dull boy except when he's behind the wheel of a car. He has the average teenager's intensity and preoccupation revolving about the operation of a motor vehicle. This is by the way one of the most urgent problems facing parents today how to control the child's urgency to be behind a steering wheel of America's most dangerous weapon the speeding car. In the last year

Andrew has found that driving a car is very expensive. It has cost him almost six months of his liberty. Two broken teeth four fractured ribs a broken arm a concussion of the brain and permanent speech damage due to a dislocated jaw which hasn't healed properly. Here then is Andrew just 13 years of age. Where will he go from this point in life. I don't know but he has said his face to the wind and the road is perilous. The rewards few and brief and the penalties severe and permanent. How would you tell me you learned 13 I'll be 14 a man. Is this your first time here. No father. How many times you've been here you remember all Ron day 8 times. You were always a senior boy. We used junior before. I don't understand your father. We see there's the delinquent boys and there's the dependent neglected children. And I was always on the Dylan. And so I said What have you done this last time and

I stole a car. It was a couple cars just a one just one fire. Were there any other boys or girls with you. Just one of the kids. And how about the other seven times that you've been here. Would you rather not talk about. I don't care for. OK what was it for before or one time was for stealing pants Another time was for sex and another time I was in here when I was only two years or I see you were in here one time first for sex delinquency. No not when I was hit two years all. Oh I was two years old when I was here it was a different time for that. Yeah that time or my father had my mother and my mother had my dad and the police told me. I see how far you get in school and you know gray you like it pretty well or for once in a while Father you're not very

happy at school oh no father. What subject do you do best in what you what your best spelling issues are you going to go fifth grade words pretty well. Yes right. And way do worse than what's the worst. I guess English is when you steal a car what do you do with it. Drive it or are you have you have light you have no license no fi. Well has it ever occurred to you that's a very dangerous thing to do in a fire and how do you get it going in this car I've ever heard of and didn't tell me that you had keys or anything. Oh yes father left in the car. Oh I see you're still the one. How about the the family picture how many are in your family. One is five of us. You have stepfather stepmother. What about the school did you repeat any grades for a couple.

You must be pretty old and older than your classmates. Yes you are the kind of makes you natural leader doesn't I don't know. Is there anything that especially worries you. Well once in a while little things come up you know that I worry about this. What do you want to do when you want what you want to be calm when you grow up you want to be a mechanic. Are you pretty good with motors. Not jet had just started work on it. I know you know it's not a good buy a little bit. You're a fast learner a slow learner or what. Very slow. Everybody slow I guess. Are you slow and schoolwork too. There are a little bit slow. The teachers that you have They're nice to you they try to help you. Yeah. Father you get blamed for anything that you don't do once in a while. And how would you say you got along with your

parents. Pretty good. And how's that. Rather good to me unless I do something wrong as I prefer freak would you do something real often once in a while and how do you get along with your brothers and sisters. Pretty good. There's family faking and I never been sick enough to go to the hospital or the doctors. Not recently you can't remember. I think you've been to a hospital quite a few times though haven't you. Death Rider. What was it the last time. Four broken ribs a broken arm concussion and this jaw that's about offered at the time I was at the result of an automobile accident sounds like it. Yes rather this was in a stolen car their own car. You had a smash up and we driving at the time nor see I drove from downtown

Pittsburgh all the way to Washington D.C. and then I let the other kid drive a nice smashed in this deal dredge duty. Did he get her to notify. And this was in Washington or just outside on Route 14 to Alexandria Virginia. And then what happened. The police came and they rushed me to hospital and the next morning I came back to Pittsburgh in an ambulance. I see a lady you had a hearing. Yeah I hear what happened. Probation was at the seventh time that you were picked up. Yes father and this is the eighth. Yes fine. What about the time before what about number six. What was it for. I don't know I just said Rhonda. Oh Boise. But you were ever involved with cars before this matchup. No father. Do you do it do it or stealing. Or would you prefer not to tell me. Nor I don't do no dinner no.

I see how late you stay out and I run 10 at most. Then you have your studies. What are going to your parents or are they kind to you. Yes right. You like them or would you just assume you had different heads. I like damn do they like you. Yes father. They ever sit down and listen do you talk to you. Saul they do. I said No complaints here in three years or anything that you do that you wish that they would do more with you know five. I don't imagine too talkative at home. Do you listen mostly. I do listening privately all the time. And did the attendance say that you thought you wanted to be a priest. Yes rather. And have you given up this idea that you'd rather be a mechanic now. No father I give up the idea about being a priest. Oh well the man thought you still had this in mind. Greece seriously

I guess that's why he asked me to talk to you for a while to see if there was anything that you you want to find out that I might be able to tell you about your father. But since you have given up the idea isn't much point in exploring any further. That's about it far is there anything else that you like to talk about. Nor are your your relatively happy pretty happy. Yeah pretty happy far and what would it may take to make you a little happier to go home. Do you think that that you have pretty much recovered from the stealing automobiles you stole the one time. Yes five so I think you might be better off to be a mechanic Retta than a car thief. And and also wait to you're old enough. Then you can get your own car and meantime you might learned how to work on other people's cars keep them in shape and in time you have your own car and I'm sure you won't want anybody to take your car we know all that's about it.

Yeah and I guess we'll get back to department. You going to bed now. Yes. OK. To complete this summarization of the ideas aspects thoughts and generalizations developed during this series of exploring the child's world we have invited the Honorable David L. Lawrence former governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and now chairman of the president's committee on equal opportunities in housing to share with us his evaluation of the merits of this research project and his ideas developed and many years of intense sustained productive and effective efforts on behalf of the misunderstood unguided and underprivileged children here then is the Honorable David L. Lawrence. People in public office are constantly confronted with problems and decisions that involve two things. The needs of the people and the resources available to meet these needs is always a difficult job to

reappraise the value system under which we operate. Most of us tend to overestimate our needs and to underestimate our resources. There used to be a poster in the Washington bus terminal which read you can do more than you think you can you haven't done as much as you think you did in estimating our needs we sometimes double our demands in estimating our resources we tend to pare down our assets. Yet we know that the surplus of some are rather of all who have surplus is the only source of supply that can be used to maintain and support those who cannot support themselves. We must give a great deal of consideration to our value system a great deal more of conscious attention. And if the child is the father of the man then we must give a great deal more conscious attention to our children than we have given up to now. You don't teach

self-sacrifice by paying him for every chore he does around the house. This just teaches him that you don't do anything for anybody unless you get paid for it. We can teach him a great deal more than we are teaching him about what his responsibilities are to god parents and fellow man. We do not have to emphasize teaching him his rights. He will discover these for himself. I don't mean that we should start to preach to children who are not them. This simply makes them ignore. Rebel are wrong. The child learns from the demands made of him in the home and from the rewards and punishments it gets there and certainly both reward and punishment are part of any training program. I cannot tell you how to teach. Each one has to work out his own way. This means that parents will have to spend a little more time with their children than they do today. Parents have to be more vital in the home.

Teachers have to be more vital in the school. Clergyman have to be more vital in the church. If we hope to fulfill the needs of our children this program has pointed out some of the needs which all of our childrens feel. It is also pointed out in the words of the children themselves how they feel we adults have failed them at least in part. The needs of children may be complex but they are visible. They need affection warmth understanding and kindness. They also need to have limits for them much the same way that Clay needs a model until it is short enough and firm enough and sad enough. To get along with out the MO limits do not remove independence. They simply define it. Children have to be helped to grow in areas of responsibility loyalty and devotion to duty. They have to learn to postpone current urgent and demanding satisfactions for the sake of better ones in the future. They have to be

taught that man is social. This means that all men are interdependent. The surplus of some meat and satisfy the needs of our children can be helped to see that as they grow they take on responsibilities to their families their neighbors their friends the people of the state and the nation and the world. They can learn cooperation in the process of cooperation. All succeed or all fail. I am happy to be able to encourage research of this Comm into the dynamics of juvenile delinquency. I am impressed by the findings that seem to show that delinquent children are not a different brand of human being. For the most part they are children with weak inhibitions with strong individual district are anti-social drives with poor social tie. They've had poor parents all and adult models to follow. They've had bad experience in all of this there still remains hope for all of these are reversible. They are subject

to modification. We may look experimentally to an improvement in our informal education system. That is the one in which the teachers are the nation's parents associates reading materials television radio motion pictures advertising and public opinion. It is often been said and often challenges that there is no such thing as a bad child. Whether this statement is true or false will probably never be settled definitively. There is such a thing as a good child. What does the product look like when a set of parents dared to follow the sort of guidelines laid down by Governor Lawrence good children or potentially the good adults of tomorrow. They do not just grow like Eva. They follow the pattern laid down by good parents teachers clergy companions. They follow the culture good or bad in which they live. They reflect the atmosphere of their strategic environment. Let us join Father Duffy again and examine briefly the other

side of the calling the wholesome adjusted average if not model child. What's your name Mary and how well do you Mary. Can I know what grade you in school. Six and you go to public or procure one I got a parochial and did you skip any grades in school. Yes why did you. What grade was that. The art do you like school pretty well you have a nice teacher. Yeah we have three of them. Oh and are they pretty demanding or are they pretty strict with you right now are they pretty nice to you. Do you ever get disciplined you have to do any punishments. Only one where only when the class is disobedient as I pretty often and then do you tell them at home about that. Here sometimes because we don't do it very often. And who is there at home to tell

my mother my father. Yeah my sister. How would you sister. Well there's I mean she's 17 and there's Isabella he's 12. And how do you get along with the 12 year old and since you're 10 very good. And what about the older one she never had any issues she goes to work and when she is home she pretty nice with you. Yeah if you have any do you have any brothers. No no brothers if you have any secrets to tell or or information you wanted who would you go to meet them. And so she's got your pal and who's a bad one in the family. Nobody I think they're nice and who's the one is the most like you are who who do you resemble the other day who is he your special body. Yeah so he likes all of you. Yeah and what about your mother.

She likes everybody I see and you like the neighborhood where you live. You know have you lived here long. Not very you know and where you lived before was it just as nice as here. You don't have any trouble making friends these and the other girls or boys tease you make fun of you. No they don't and you get along very well in school don't you get to grade you and what you want to be when you grow up you think well either chemical engineer or not you do you have any problems of any kind. Difficulties. You don't have any now. And what do you worry about the most. And make an amazing report card. You just worry about your schoolwork and what do you make in your report card. I mean they say you're afraid to fail. Take off our clothes I start to study real hard for the test.

And that's one way to get by feeling to bypass family is to study and you won't have to worry about feeling. How about telling me something that happened to you when you're a little girl. Before he started school even though you know I got a crack on the head I would leave in five. And how did that happen. Well my mother was a phone clothes you know on her bed there's it on the corner of the bed. There's just point them to a point. And I leaned back to rest and I hit my hand head against the point and my head cracked open and I went to the hospital and I had five stitches. Anything else happened down back in those days. They all I got another bruise on my arm and they're released it's done now is riding my bicycle and I ran into some glass and they cut my arm a little bit.

You fell off a bicycle into the glass. Yeah. And what was that what was there anything nice happened when you were little. We always went to parties and weddings. Well I was the happiest time you ever had the happiest incident or event that ever happened. Wedding. And if you become a nun you will be having anyway. No not already. Well maybe I could see my sister. Yeah that would be one way this year and he also says. Are your sisters sharing people do they do they give you things and are they nice to you. Do your parents you think trust you. You know how do we trust you. Well I like my mother want to make her way to get money for Christmas Club. She has a Christmas club and. You know there's some money like five or ten dollars at Christmas Club. She'll tell me Go down to the

bank and put again with the money. Usually other people don't trust her children with the money. Not to me they're afraid that they might lose it. And do you feel you have kind of a special family a nice family. Yes they're all nice people. Yes they do much drinking. You know your daddy doesn't drink much now. And what does he do. Well he's an office manager. And does he seem to like that work. Yeah. Does he spend a lot of time with you he helps me all clean with my homework. Does he mean no problem. Here is Mark. He was in the Army or the Marines or your former Air Force has an office there and he spends most of his free time around the house doesn't it sometimes on Mondays he goes bowling. But you don't feel that the private you have anything in is with you the other night.

And if you're not in a car and I'm not I usually get ice cream. And you think you get enough attention at home. Yeah everybody gets the same attention today and it's a lot of good. I mean my mother she didn't pay rarely watch television. Sometimes we'd go out together and you get enough affection. From your mother and father. How do they show it when we go live. He always has gone now. NEARY if we want to play on I always wonder were go on when I say decide war would be allies and that's where we're out. Well affection means that he likes you beat. He shows he likes you you know how does he show this besides taking out for things. Well. It's not like I'm stuck with something I have written to problem with fractions and that I'm stuck like some and I always put my pencil in my I mean I know you're in trouble to be angry and would you rather

have somebody else for your day. You would give him up and the same for your mother too. I would give her up now and if you have troubles or you get hurt you can always run to them. My my father at the office I had to run my mother. Oh I see. And do you ever feel jealous about your sisters that they get more than you ever have any real worries or fears. What are you most afraid of do you think. Now I don't want to risk it you're going to die or get sick and you don't have those troubles. Well everybody has to die when time. That's something we're looking at isn't it. And what was the thing is scared you the most in your whole life. What was the most scary thing. Ghost stories but now one time and the hassle and haunted we all know it was scary.

There really isn't much in the area of problems in your life are there no problems when you think that's due to a lot of other kids you know have problems. How come you don't have any leak they said in the book. Usually family the boys such as the boy who sits in front of me always say if you meet somebody up when we want to do that. He's always talking and Forney sister put him in a but front seat the first seat to make him be good he gets wrecked and I didn't want that. Well he still he's pretty good. So we have the double dash to the end or the teacher guesses right against or the double desk. And do you have any boyfriends in there but you know that's not become a problem with you. Do you have a do you do a lot with adult people to you with adults a lot. Not that much aren't you. I'm ok with my little girl friend named Glenda.

Oh she'll want to know ME SEE ME SEE she's a month four days older than me and she only four feet three inches and I'm four feet nine and how much do you weigh. Well ninety nine. Me and you don't think that there's a anything disturb you at all. As we come to the end of our series in which the child speaks I would like to thank Governor Lawrence and all the others who have helped to construct the program. Among these I would like to cite the outstanding contributions of Professor du Mae who was both director and announcer and the technical direction of Mr. Fred would make Williams. We also feel gratitude to Judge Bennett Rogers and Mr. Boyd McDavid both of Allegheny County Juvenile Court whose decision in cooperation made the program possible. And lastly I'd like to thank the children by appearing with us on these programs they have

helped us to help them help themselves. You have been listening to exploring the child's world with a program in which the child speaks. Father Francis Duff a professor of sociology of Duquesne University has conducted the interviews with the children and to find the outlines of this world in discussions with faculty and alumni who appeared on the program's special guest on this closing program was David L. Lawrence former governor of Pennsylvania and now chairman of the president's committee on equal opportunities in housing. This is going to production for your services created as a technical direction right. Right McWilliam is your announcer has been. I read. The interview heard on this program was a recreation exploring the child's world is

distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the enemy B Radio Network.