Exploring the child's world III; I stole $600,000

One group of scientists would have us believe that delinquent children are different from non delinquent ones. The difference they say lies in the fact that delinquent children are sick sick actions proceed from a sick emotional personality in a functional illness there is nothing wrong with the organism. Rather something is wrong in the functioning areas in the attitudes interests and motivations. The emotional controls have become interrupted disrupted ruptured or disorganized. They go right become just balanced and fragmented. Fears worries preoccupations anxieties elation and depression spillover into the person's actions and show up in his conversation. We incline to the idea that there are just as many emotionally upset individuals in a normal population as one would find in an equivalent number of delinquent children. It is true that among delinquents one does occasionally find a child who is obviously disturbed. This is manifested in his unusual bizarre inappropriate behavior and conversation patterns. Here to preview the features of just such a disturbed child is father Duffy a

professor of sociology at Ukraine University. Jimmy The boy you're about to hear is presently in the Allegheny County Juvenile the court detention home in Pittsburgh. He's a 12 year old white Catholic boy who says he is in the eighth grade A low I think he has promoted himself for prestige purposes. He is really in the sixth grade in parochial school. He has been seen on various occasions by six different psychiatrists. He will tell you what they thought of him. And he also then will tell you his own diagnosis of himself what he thinks of himself. It's interesting he doesn't say what he thinks of the psychiatrist Alo I feel from what he says he appreciates their interest. The general consensus is that this boy is confused and mixed up apprehensive and depressed. Officially the diagnostic report contains very descriptive fragments to indicate his present state of mental or emotional health.

But first let's hear the boy and then hear what the psychiatrist felt as to the kind of boy he is. How old are you. Well when you go to school. Yes. What kind of school to go to camp like. What GREENE Did you ever get left on them. You know we do pretty good in school yes. Do you ever get punished or kept in or may do any homework extra Yes. And do you think it's fair to do that don't you. Yes I do. Look you do get punished. I don't listen to the sisters don't you. Sometimes I don't know sometimes it's like how you feel I'm all right and you tell me home when you get punished you know I keep to myself. And who was at home to tell it's just me and

my brother my sister my mother. Cause he's he's 16. Does he work or does he go to school or where he works. He's done school. Yes and you mention your father what's happened to him. I've only just had my moments. And you make good money. Yes but how much you can hear her and want her and I guess to me that you maybe six seven thousand dollars a year. So you're not really poverty stricken right now. You get pretty much everything that you want most of the time. You live in a city or where you live and I mean McKeesport had a pretty nice place. Now what's the matter with it. It's too crowded and I don't like the place to get in trouble because we've got to clear the place. Tired of seeing this same place all the time and how many times have you been here. I've been here twice.

What was it for the first time. Just from running away and this time tempted not to run away. You were tempted to murder somebody. Yes. You know just saying that you know it's true. Was this a man or a woman or boy or girl. I'M GOING TO GIRL YOU'RE GOING TO MURDER. Yes. They must have hurt you a lot and they did what would they do to you. I get expelled from school. I want to come in. Yes basically when you are going you know I talked and I didn't belong to me and put it at my desk. All of this is just found and expelled. Had you been in trouble before. Yes. How about tell me about the time you run away what happened. Oh I got to I got real man I met my mother. So I'm going to take a walk somewhere walk up and she's all right she says you'll be back for supper she says you go up there so you'll be back for supper. So OK so I started walking.

I had money with me and I went around with it. So Marcus how are you going to someone know so much I'm going to go with you myself and I said I don't want you guys you're going to get in trouble he saw no keener someone with you. So he got the money and started walking towards Pittsburgh and we got a check from Texas California going to California and we have enough money so much short and then we're going back to the hotel we were staying in and up to 12 o'clock and a policeman found us they took us and they put us in a court down there. You know my mother come and got me a week later and when I got home I got my backside be red as a baby and I told my son never going I'm never going to stay home. And who's about 100 family me and who you like or you like anybody else your uncles were and your money yeah I'm like a

sister only yes she's bad too. Well sometimes and sometimes not but always fight. Yes you get along with your mother. Yes who's her pet her pet the next door neighbor. Tell me something happened to you when you're the one before you start to go to school. Oh I was outside one day and was planning my cakes for my sister and I but really sent the sand bucket full of mud and she says that's painting ourselves let's ban or stuff like Indians I still Rice you know get that paint brush and I said don't let mommy see riches only let mommy see me so she snuck in the cellar and she got the paint brush. She smiled and she got and some water to the minute she met real gushy and she started painting myself and we were in the house with since we started and so I was a brand new carpet like Indians and she'd come in and she says she's aware of here and ISIS's

sweepin and I still feel like Indians. My mother took us and stuck us in the tub and she said I want to get back and stomach the every state some money. So we started a man and my sister started jumping up and down in the water. And she started splashing water all over that she might not call it the same color or the floor. I mean she had a strap and beat us both and she wished button pressed the button we have been today. And it was nothing happened to when you're like oh my uncle had a gourd he was living with and he had a garden he planted about 400 made of me and my sister went a little pair of scissors and we cut the tops. Yeah. I didn't make him too happy that they were cut off from the timeliness ceases. Did you cut that. Sure a lion as far as not go like you. And she's

here and she is fresh. She's he says. She says I didn't kill her off and she's nice and you're just going to take the money on your piggy bank and help more. So she took the money out of AP bank. He says I'm only a mom above by myself. But he was a man. And when was the time that you were most scared of scary things happen. When I run away. How about this attempted murder. What I did I went up to our house that night and I went mad when I got a penknife. As I most folks answered I'm look nice or get me a tryst. Can't go to school so I was going walk up place business same gravitas as you give is not the principal. I said don't you give it to nobody else. And he says I won't so it is to his mother. As mother opens it and read it she calls or comes with threatening

letter that you wrote. Yes so I get by the bread you have a son and I hear your son it was for the last nice one who is just now and here it was just me. She just left me. He stopped by the bridge and he took me out and he took that out of self and he went and took me down to just peace was going to do. He just threw the blackjack at me stop because I was going to run. So it took me nana just some peace. And I feel like the papers it brought me down here and I'm down here reading and you're 12 years old. Yes. And where you get the idea that if you have a problem you kill a puplic cause the problem where you get that idea. Well this is the first time the latter never happened. You do get real mad. That real man. How does that show itself. What do you do when you get really mad. I get reprimanded by a guy ripping up means I get ripped in the trade. Yeah I

ripped up the house and this man didn't rip up the house I ripped up my room. Yeah but you know we're doing fire saying yeah I said Fine our porch one at you and you've been smoking or when you know I was sitting on a hammock and was playing with matches and I dropped on the side just drawing a portrait. My mother just through Alice So I went helplessly you know to start a burden of you know on the porch. What happened your dad did he give you know he didn't. Yes he had killed in the Army when he was in what World War Two. He was to get killed late in the war to yes. So you're the youngest. Yes. What was you think the worst thing you ever did. Well the worst thing I ever did was lie. You know you never do any stupid.

Yes I did and I say the worst thing I did. His father asked me a question when he knew I didn't and I said I know. He says he says he's not online. He thought you did he know right down places where you want lighted which I says not father and it's not tell me you think that I signed in there with father and he says yes you do. So you didn't really want to do and I didn't from you know it. Do you really do you usually fool people when you're like you know because you know I want to find out sooner or later we're going to talk you can do anything you know like I have classes I talk with the biggest MLG ever still don't want this moment was I ever saw it was twelve hundred twelve hundred dollars. Yes. Was it from home or it was from home. My mother was going to play just to California I stole it. That's when I messed up everything. And you spent all that money go. I took my unit and I and I had it for about

six months and she came in asked me where the money was made where when I saw what I saw you know I said I don't know where it is and she says if you said you know I'm going to tell you I don't know why I did it she said you must know where. And she says he trumped you. She trapped and she said you're going to have to tell me sooner or later. But six months later I told her where the money was by the time I told her where the money was it wasn't time for us to stay on because you could go to California so she had to use the money for something else and we didn't go in there. Did you ever steal any big announcements on. Yes what was the biggest while you were gone. One of my five hundred dollars was a store you know it was from the school. How much you think you don't want to give her some more. I'd say close to six hundred thousand dollars worth of stuff. 600000 Yes. And you have your own warehouse to put this stuff and now I have a little kind of a little

and look yap and stuff. Cool I put steaks in the granite last together with the robes and I'm going to do it with hinges and I never kidnapped anybody now I don't think you've ever tried because I'm going to ever kidnap you and you never you never you never do any train robbery. Now if you can think of it. Yeah. And did any did any people ever scary. Yeah she's doing to you make fun of you. Yes. Want me to call you names but yeah I was upstairs a comic caveman doing you know the county you're gay you know. And I would have had I haven't had a haircut since May. I guess he's coming along telling us one man says his next time I come is some abang colonels I might put up Roman years unable to night at home you have no

father you just have a mother and one brother and one sister. Yes you get enough attention at home and school. Yeah like you know a lot of you get enough affection to be like you sisters and my mother like me this is just at school and I thought me and I thought your mother liked you too. Yes how would you show that. Well I mean one reason she showed me by she lets me do most of things I ask her. And she lets me go most places I asked her to go home and we had a long together. Can I switch more than you know her partners and she yes. You never felt you do you lose your home or your mother would leave you. They didn't want you around and I did to you. Yes. How did you feel going. Well one day one day she machine she didn't want to bother with me because she had a lot of work to fill not papers for contractors and then. I asked her eyes and you will you. Let me go or something she was not nice and you had to

stand over so I want you to help. I was logged on and I said I want to know she's not my god. And she says. And she says Mission or you're just going to have to stay home ice don't. So I said I'm going to run away. And she says oh yes she's going to get the strap if you do. I said I don't care I somewhat going away. So I did run away and I just ran away up heels on top of the hill and I stayed there overnight. And she went crazy just want to fall. Do you have any cars now. What did you do with the cars. If I ever did still embody you never see me again. You never lose your car. No. Did you ever wonder who you were. I do and who do you think you are. I think I'm not some time really really a new thing and I'm not for the things I do.

What are people coming to your friendly or do you make fun of your teacher when most people come to me. It's pretty hard to you know for a boy who has funny ideas about who years and what are you some kind of a boy. Well for me yes. Around my place I do a lot of things that people never in the world think you're doing. Never. You take any medication any medicine. Yeah look around you and. File you for johns the medicine some medicine for your nerves. Yes yeah. Because I missed it maybe six. And I won't unless. I do that every day I wake up and I was thinking I'll go mess up everything and I was and jump around and crabbing grouchy. And what's the big thing that you're afraid of. I'm going to go home.

What do you think might happen if you win. I'm going to get on the net. I know mine. I go back to school from the time I'm going to be here til next Tuesday and I'm going to get in fights and I don't want to get back here. All those things going to worry you. Yes. What are you afraid of. I'm afraid to get in trouble again. Do you have nightmares. You got you know yes I do add to our time. Do you ever ever hear any funny noises that when you look there's nothing there. Yes. Do you work in or you do you. Know I mean the people rapping on doors and windows. Anybody ever look in your window up in the second floor you know. Like instant 911 abandon the company and look at the mourners pictures on the wall.

What kind of pictures we Tell me what they look like and I don't like people randomly and almost in ways you never seen the world. 16 come out I mean the marble. Did you ever see them at home. Revenue not seen my home to my line abandon you see Amanda walls Seeman a ceiling on a floor in light by the well these ones or a strangers are different because I'm a difference and rest thing. I'm not going to live you know light won't be there. She blacked out some awards as Roland wound his legacy way if you think you're different from other people. Now you get the same. Yeah. And when you went away did did you think that you or somebody else. Yeah. Who do you think you were. I thought I wanted my brother I thought that maybe I was going to go right to him. Do you find it easy to tell people your story or is it hard. Hard for me

because I don't tell the truth. You are funny at times. Are you always you're funny. You're funnier things where I am what I'm doing there. Did you ever think that things were closing you in your theories you was moving or you were moving you know not Iraq but the mountains and mountains have a way of. Looking up in the mountains to see trees and that. As a mom I see them mountains are strong. Come closer and closer I'm sure you're out of your mind. I says I'm not. And as you must I said look at it as a coming right up to me. And she's off forget about. What was the thing that startled or shocked you the most. One day it was going down town. Crash began Well I don't care about you.

Carrying your cross didn't mean that knocked up car and took me up the hospital on the show I was in shock then because I didn't know where I was and I find to my shock was shock me. Ryan I whom I said I want to go home that nurses bring it down now so I gotta go. So I'm going to see my sister she was just going to come visit. I say she is not she never comes. And she said well you didn't react so I think I'm here and she's where's here as is now. Did we ever and I was outside of that time. Did you ever talk to psychiatrists. Yeah I'm talk to six of them. What do they seem to think.

Montana to think I'm alright other to think I'm alone a lot. And the attitude thing out of the way our money I'm going I'm way off. I want to ask you you say you are trying to cure yourself is a huge thing. You see things in the law so you never try to cure anybody. You said you're imagining things are never there when you said you never do 90 thing life is. Sometimes you do it sometime and let go. This year I'm going to arrange an Icelander one but not the lock. You think everything is going to turn out all right you know everything wanted to know I was going to turn around and turn up some terrible some good some medium and you think you'll ever get way back in the game where if your way out you think you see any way to get way way back yeah.

What would you suggest. Listen to people's advice and do what I'm told. And where do you think you could best do that. Well one place California and not a place where learned a lot juvenile court you know like you. Yes. When I'm through good advertisement for the planes. Yes. You know you hear. Yes we're yes everybody. And they try real hard to help you. Yes. You have trouble sleeping. Yes. You having trouble eating. Yes. You're able to get it done I do it you know. I just wanted to tame us thing. I sent him a similar service so I'm not going to eat. And I was up here I didn't need to get one made last month while others

appear was up here this time. I was and am I need Iranian Monday Tuesday Wednesday to relieve your set. On Sunday I ate money the surprises from this. This is why wouldn't she. I said I had a nice i was thinking of home. I hadn't seen him for a long time let him see my mother or anybody else and I didn't want to eat. I want a CD and when it might my mother comes home to see me and she says I heard it you were neat and orderly and I said yeah and she just the same thing the psychiatrist said to me you. And do you have a lot of boyfriends and girlfriends. Yeah in different city you do not know. Yeah. I don't get along with the server so yeah don't you know. Therefore Part B was your or you boy of partly mine partly they're yours because

I don't do the things that do and they don't think do the things I do. And what kind of parents do you think you'd like to have. I like to have the ones that yeah. And they were not yet and they're not they're not people aren't you know. Do they ever. They don't. So you think you see now they're odd one way. Now they are some of the things they do. Mind your parents and their parents were from the old countries and you are just following along with some of the things they follow certain certain danger or certain clones there are daily certain things. Oh Naisi are now there and they were certain things under Clinton and I don't do it right.

I found singers that you think you'd be coming back here again. I point to make sure I go. M I would imagine that you mouth quote when I try to correct them. What a nice window and it's not a nice group when you want to hear it when you're out in it right. Well you know I think if I'm going to go to bed now Jimmy gives us the picture of a dismal child who was anxious and upset impulsive and explosive. His intelligence quotient is 100. He has a B average in school but is otherwise obnoxious and a real problem creator. He's a fabricator and a manipulator. When he can't get people to do what he wants are given to him. He runs he fights and he threatens to kill. He has a loser nations and is still in your attic at 12 Jimmy once asked to

be sent to a institution he said. I'm so weak that I get afraid for psychiatrist found him to be seriously ill psychotic in fact the report his affect is flat he rambles but is oriented in time and space. He is withdrawn and preoccupied with fantasy. His conversation is rambling and bizarre. He's impaired in judgement and needs institutional care. I think you would probably agree wholeheartedly with this diagnosis. You have been listening to exploring the child's world. A program in which the child speaks. Father Francis Duffy a professor of sociology at Duke University has conducted the interview with the child and to find the outlines of this world in the summary that followed. This is been a production of the radio service of detained University in cooperation with U.K.

sociology department technical director Frederick Williams program director and listen again next week for another in the series exploring. The preceding program was made available to the station by the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the end E.B. Radio Network.