Exploring the child's world; Personality traits

The child is father to the man as we hope for a world of men of good will. We must look to the conditions of the child to achieve it. So we search for the laws ways and means the sources of the capable spontaneously whole adult. It is not strange that the world of the disturbed child throws light on childhood in general. Although Father Francis Duffy chairman of the Department of Sociology at Duquesne University was not at first looking for this light when he started working with the disturbed child. He found however that it is not that the disturbed a 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 funded Duffy into Cain University presents a series of recorded interviews with delinquent children followed by a short discussion in which the child and his problems are explored for insight. Here is Father Duffy to preview the problems of this child who speaks in exploring the

child's world. Father Duffy The little boy in the interview that follows as we further explore the child's world is a 13 year old white boy. He's Catholic of Slavic Eye talian ancestry. He has two brothers and one sister. It is not a broken home although some of the features would suggest that we have here what we have previously called the psychologically broken family. There isn't much affection between the parents that had observable at least to the onlooker. Again however we must not judge people by standards outside their own class for they are probably functioning the way they want to function. If they weren't they would change and we fear the change might not be an improvement. The child who will speak on this program is a pathetic little figure who feels alone and unloved. He reaches out to his father for understanding and

acceptance. He wants to engage in more activities with his father but he isn't invited. The father doesn't seem to have time for the boy even to listen to him. Although at the moment the father is unemployed and is around the house all day. The Father as we say fails to catch the boy on the rebound. At this rather critical age the boy then turns to his mother. He has a semi romantic attachment to her. He sees her as quite a young girl and very pretty especially when she's dressed up although she doesn't get dressed up much anymore since she is absorbed with caring for the four children and the husband. She closes her ears to the boy's needs. I'm sure without meaning to do this all of us of course can be hurt recurrently or permanently by things done by other people at the unconscious level or the non conscious level. This unfortunate boy Martin is sending out signals and the signals are not received. He's always tuned in for

signals of love and acceptance coming from outside. But again he finds the air is dead. He turns to a world of fantasy. He wants to be a leader. He wants to be a general. He wants to be a priest. He really wants to be looked up to admired respected and held in high regard. He wants to. In other words feel important. He does well in school but he does not excel. He settles in for being different. Now one way to be different is to dare to do that which others admire but which they would not dare to do themselves or to do that which other people have no feel no need for doing. Some people who feel this way become social clowns. They feel I suppose that there's one element that is missing in any kind of serious group and that element of humor since these people are usually newcomers youthful unproved. They try to supply the needs of the group. They do this by supplying new

merch. And they are the world's clowns the social fools. This is also a rather pitiful plea for acceptance on the part of this newcomer. A different type especially at the child level is the one who sees that others may need a funny man who is also a trouble maker. He dares to do what their inhibitions choke up in them so he brags he lies he throws erasers he writes notes he steals. But again his stealing is meaningless and unless other people find out about it so he confesses or he may steal and then give his loot away to boyfriends who disapprove of stealing on their own part. This boy is also a manipulator of adults though he's visibly embarrassed by his misfortunes he tells everybody who will listen he elaborates on his experiences and embellish them far beyond anything warranted by the accumulated evidence of

investigators. He responds automatically and beautifully to the slightest display of interest or sympathy. All these elements are intertwined in our interview. There are others. The boy is jealous of his older brother. He suffers from and your Reese's inability to control bladder and bowels. And this of course gained him considerable attention from his peer group. It isn't nice attention but it is attention. An older child we suggest that this condition very often reveals a pretty frightfully upset home. We shouldn't overlook the suggestion of revenge. All in all we'll gain further insight as we further explore the trials world with his little boy. If we try to share the difficulties he must experience as he forces himself to narrate the features of his life. They aren't pleasant but they're part of the realism of exploring a child's world. How do you Martin 13 and how you live home ordinary are sometimes good and sometimes not so good. That seems to give you the most trouble makes it

hardest for you. Well I don't know I guess my own brother and my older brother don't make a lot of trouble for myself to get time to talk to my brother. He doesn't listen to you but very seldom get into a conversation with him was usually busy even when he has time to listen to me. What about your mother she sort of the bus in the house. Well she's one of the children. Somebody does something wrong so tell him about it and he'll correct this empty beach you know. When asked as he did a pretty thing it's a step the brown so well fine rider said bad words or something. And how could I tell you were lying. She would catch me to prove it I guess. Do you feel about big people to be little people like that. Anything is too good. Think was unfair in a row I guess because I write myself recently and have deep brown so moved to date seem to cure you you know

I hate getting along in school. Pretty well it isn't like Radio 7. You kind of like school don't you or would you just assume that it's OK. Are you the little one in the class you know the littlest one to the other boys seem to pick on you sometimes to make school a pretty miserable place for you. You know how does this make you feel what do you do then you really just get mad. Pop Off to my get do they ever beach or something. We do about that do you tell your father about things like that you know. But it would be natural wouldn't for a young boy to turn to his father in a situation like this where other kids are beating him up. You know my mother told me that after I told her about when I came here and how to get along in the neighborhood the people pretty nice where you live you say send you on errands and give you money for running them you know a lot of things money right you know you get some kind

of allowance at home when you were a showing in any store you feel you couldn't get it any other way. Do you think this is why you did steal. Probably more in general would you say you didn't get enough attention at home. Well it seems that everyone else gets more you know I do. Yes and you miss out. And what would you like to do when you sit down and talk to me sometime. Let my father help my father do something but they're not much and they love them. You just know you like me or faction from them. I guess I'm just on the shelf for your affection with other people when you have an opportunity to be that way. You know today I don't know whether you know you know that Billy. See you a little in the study you always talk about him all the time. She buys him everything I don't know just today I just know him since I've been

here and I don't mean that much but she heard that he was going and she started crying. He's been here a year and she's been a mother to her started to cry to never have when you leave and you know when you think anybody will cry You know I don't think so. Are you kind of anxious to go home again. You sure do miss my little sister and brother. You don't seem to miss your big brother. You know southern think of him don't you. Oh you send home for my little brother and something is your father consistent. I mean if somebody tells on you when you've done something wrong. We let you go sometimes and not say anything other times he'd be rather harsh in the exam when you did exactly the same thing you. So you really don't know what to expect from him. You have got your mother she a good supervisor. She I was there with you or she work outside so she's at home all the time.

I say she's in charge of the children too much for you comes home. They seem to like each other. My mother's father and you know they do they do they don't fight or anything. No not very often and when they do fight what's it like. What do you feel like when you can fight a awful lot. They start thinking about canceling Sometimes I start crying nervous like I'm mixed up inside the ship to let off steam enough one to sustain take I don't know. There's just yelling yes. Does this make you worried or anxious or angry in a way I guess you know very happy about it. You mentioned something a while ago but your parents seem to be nervous are they both nervous and then mothers awfully nervous tissue you know how does this show itself from one of the other kids gets hurt she jumps up late series or something really knew them she overreacts

in your sets that you have a nice home you know it's nice on the inside and the outside it needs paint myself or my big brother little has a self baby sleeping with my mother for you during the night the little boy wakes up and crows and oh my mother he gets scared the kids sometime over the weekend play the fool on the court keep dust off we were a pickle gardens don't we we go to the store every day there's a pretty full job you know too much and when you steal things do you work by yourself or is it with other boys. Sorry for myself. Have you ever felt really alone and so nobody wanted you or cared cared about what could you tell me how you feel about that I'm sure nobody runs for you no one loves me.

You feel that there's anything wrong with you that would make her like you less than the other children the family gets because I should give him the edge sometimes I took this thing further. Maybe that was why you started in to buy things to please her so that you'd notice you a little bit more and maybe give you a little bit of that special attention because you were giving her things that the other her other children couldn't afford to give or maybe you hoped that she had she then like you more. Show me the way you talk about it. There seems to be a Bell told everything teacher in school she she related to pollutions that she sent a letter. She thought it was wrong. I said and did you well in a way I did. You know where did I tell you I told him to stay. You want to stay here. This is the kind of a strange thing for a boy to want to stay in an air unfamiliar place. Didn't seem like that. I know she probably worried and he wanted to us. She

told me you know I can hear everything will be different. He says it you let me out when the other kids who have come you know a certain time of course you know I'm sure we do things I was in a lot of do they try to see if I like them. So if it's any bear I see and you think you're learning anything here about how to get along with people trying to figure self-help or mostly turn to figure things you don't feel like can you take on some problems. No they come up to you and maybe you can either solving for yourself or talk in love with somebody else. I didn't have any nerve to talk in the war before. And then they took that money and just stuck in one. Maybe if your father would sit down and not so much talk to you but listen to you it might help you find a dancer I was willing to tell you what to do and how to do it and what to avoid you know mostly about tell me something about that.

You think of them. Will look at when I was in the public school myself the United have to go to school again. Naturally when you want to hear of the soreness and blisters on the buttocks and you still want more action from the last one we're having a little boy here yes it is. There might be other ways or two she said it would stop me. Did your children avoid your tease you make fun of you. They avoided they've teased me you know for the future so it might be sitting next to a kid or some one kid would say passes Booker shroom and the backers. Thank you in the same way Kim thanks for your kind offer one year. You know feel like going back to school like that anymore. But there's nothing surprising about not wanting to go to a school under those circumstances.

Whose flock was all this really morning drinking to lunch but pick fruit off the trees on the way to school. I ate too much and started the long balls a little bit too much and they have to go and I couldn't come up my pain. This was probably pretty miserable experience for you but doesn't have the reward doesn't stop as soon as I go to the other school. I see well from this I guess we could learn if a boy isn't trying to misbehave when he has a bad name. Two in one school the other children didn't like you when they made fun of you and they did some pretty unpleasant teasing when you were the target and you never did get any better there and then you moved you got to a new place where the children didn't know you and they didn't teach you about these things and they didn't make fun of you when you began to behave better. You also feel that you've got better self-control and if that were the time to hear some of the kids knew about it as a close all the kids in the

other school where I used to be there told me they would say anything to me but they didn't. I said Well my friends I was talking about what you're saying is that in addition to wanting to be good and wanting to behave you also need a chance to be good people nasty with you it makes it pretty difficult to be nice back. Short stories and born in China and why did you do this do you think. Bernal for attention I guess the nose of the fourth grader told my baby sister died and this I bet cost a lot of comment. Yes. They seem to like you better than you ever imagine that you are something different or that you're in a different place or doing different things and you know it's times like we're seeing a great big guy in your meat lean your regular soldiers there. Sometimes I think of a tree standing over you know. You're saying there's a lot it gets lots of attention.

Yeah I guess everyone looks up to me I said. Could you ever have anything you really felt was yours nobody else's something that you really loved. Yeah I had a rosary sister in school gave to me. She thought it was blessed by the pope. Oh I cherish that thing my mother talk about New Orleans or for hire were going on or something and there were lots of things that all of our beautiful America medal for doing good work in geography to a finish to the present. You won these medals and you came out your mother ever. And did you tell me before she's the nervous one or is it your father. She's in there somewhere. There for those pretty women there and is she pretty. Yeah she gets dressed up he looks like she's just a young girl she's very stubborn for understanding that poor Harry there anymore. This little baby can you know he's running around and all who are occupying you

hold a baby the little brother can pretty well take your him so he can help one way or the attendee's marble floors and dust that you were even trying to help will carry this week or do you wish it should hold you some of the time you know I'm kind of big that I let it sit down and talk to me. While I was crying today I didn't even know why. You know you're crying maybe you're homesick. No I couldn't even figure it out. Mood just seemed to me that time to cry and cry. You find you cry often on the roof sometimes I guess well lots of times people say something not about me but someone else I liked here. You mean something sad or something bad about other people. You cry you cry much when you're home too much. Did did you ever do any stealing after you've had one of these crying bouts for a while. Drink next between those two things.

Stealing an upright and you do seem to like school fairly well you know in size and geography in English. Do you smoke by the way that I tried it one time and that was enough. That was choked to death. You ever go to parties with boys and girls your own age. You mean you hear no. Went to my aunt's graduation party once and I never went to any party for yourself. I was going to learn how to dance with him due to that. They picked it up off the other kids. I always wanted to learn to dance. I see. And now joining from a doctor to discuss the features of this child's world is guest Professor Chester agers AKh of the Sociology Department and Hugh Kane university here are Father Duffy And Professor Jerzy back again we welcomed Mr. Jersey back to our program.

Today's interview I think Mr. Jersey I think represents one of the theories of delinquency which would trace things back to a peculiar bizarre personality trait would you see it the same way. In this particular case of the 13 year old boy who seems to manifest a number of personality difficulties. We would I think agree that one of his problems probably is the notion of how he thinks of himself. And also another problem seems to be that he's a loner that he seems to live in in isolation while he does answer to the question that he has friends but you'll notice that he answers this rather vaguely and saying well yes one or two or two or three and so on. However when we refer back

to the personality traits we have to be careful that not to make it appear as if the personality traits by themselves cause the delinquency sense personality traits. Come through the social and cultural channels pay through the child's experiences but I would agree that there are number of things that we can discuss which relate back to personality traits to the boys reaction to his parents to his situation which have a deep meaning in his inner personality. Yes some of the more dramatic ones I thought were that this little boy appears to be so hungry for attention that he told people he was born in the Orient again after this made it splash and died and they began to forget about him. Then he initiated the idea his little sister died or his little brother died at the age of two or

three and then when asked about what he ever imagined he was he sometimes imagines he's a general or a colonel leading a regiment of soldiers and sometimes he pictures himself as a priest and he was asked Will these people get a lot of attention don't they. And he agreed that it probably is. It answers it. Another thing to do before we get back to your analysis. I felt that there was a very strong almost romantic get traction this boy had attachment to his mother and she didn't seem to be giving a very adequate response as an older boy I believe. And the mother seems to respond to him. And of course the baby mother responds to him but this boy seems to have been forced to give up his position where he was the center and the last thing that I thought of was that this boy appears to be very truthful but not honest. If you can make such a distinction. What were some of the other kind of dramatic things that you could see in his life.

Stone Well if we continue on analyzing this case in terms of personality traits or at least emotional factors. Besides the strong attachment to mother I think that there almost is a romantic relationship with the mother. There is the problem of sibling rivalry with an older brother. Yes which is in indication of something then his stature you know I think makes him react in the particular way he small in stature and I get the impression just an impression that there's a kind of a Napoleonic complex because I understood you told me that he had some notions of leading troops and so on yet had the world that lived in a world of fantasy where he let people sort of and I think again this just adds and complicates his difficulty in adjusting also his difficulty is compounded by the fact that his father he complains his father is too busy

is not interested. And I guess this makes him just drive harder for his mother's affection. And then the whole thing is completely made very bad by the kind of punishment that is meted out to this boy. Something that you don't hear much of today I hear the boys. Told to eat brown soap. If he uses bad language. If he can't control himself and all kinds of things of the sort happened this is kind of an unusual type of punishment for a boy of this sort who already is isolated who doesn't have too many friends who is overly attached to one of the parents all bearing out. But in this particular case a personality adjustment is a strong factor. I felt too that this is a little boy who could easily be salvaged. He is an

intelligent child he speaks very well and it appears to me that that there should be some something to motivate him better in school till he has a somewhat nebulous idea of being a priest or being a soldier which is kind of odd situation. It appeared to me too that the child was reaching out for something. For example he did steal money he stole it from school but then he immediately confessed to it and he was then sent for to appear as a juvenile court and they kept him instead of just appearing to question him. They kept him because they thought I suppose he might have been involved in other things. But the big reason why they kept him was he has to stay there. And I think again in some kind of a psychological way he was asking for refuge hoping I think to stir his parents up to to coming in and saying they demanded to have him back they wanted him back they loved him and I'm afraid that they couldn't rise to this. We have here today then discussed a young boy 13 years of age who was not too seriously involved in any

criminal activity but he is involved in a great number of personality disturbances and upset which we're afraid will lead him into further trouble in the line of exhibitionism of one kind or another or thrill situations that are going to make the world sit up and notice him probably to its own dismay. I'd like to thank Mr. George Zack associate professor of sociology at Duquesne University also honorable Bennett Rodgers who has made this program possible and to Mr. Boyd McDevitt chief probation officer who has given us complete cooperation in our work. You have been listening to exploring the child's world in a program in which the child speaks from the French a stuffy chairman of the sociology department at UK university has conducted the interview with the child and to find the outlines of this world in the discussion with his guest Professor Chester agers Act also of the Department of Sociology at UK. And.

This has been a production of the radio services at Duquesne University technical direction by Frederick Williams your announcer has been a hero tonight. Listen again next week for another in the series exploring the child's world. The. Heat was. 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.