The Problem of Youth (Conclusion) ~ Fr. T. Grealy, 1944: Discipline/Spare Time/Movies

(Picture of After Confirmation Party)

THE PROBLEM OF YOUTH (Part 4)

By Rev. T. Grealy, 1944

Part 3 is here.

Part 2 is here.

Part 1 is here.

THE PROBLEM OF YOUTH

By Rev. T. Grealy

Catholics Are Filling Our Jails

From time to time we hear people say that Catholics are filling our jails. This is not true and therefore is no slur on the Catholic Church. If a large number of Catholics are brought before the Court, the blame is to be attributed to the parents NOT to the Catholic faith. Most of the cases that come before the Court are the product of irregular homes.

I have shown that delinquency for the most part is the result of bad home surroundings and lack of training and religion. Not one child in ten of the Catholic children brought before the Children’s Court comes from even a fair Catholic home.

It is equally unfair to blame Catholic education, as not two cases in ten are the product of a true Catholic education. It is usually found that there has been a break (and sometimes a long break) in the period that the child has attended a Catholic school.

Parents often change the child from one school to another-from State school to Catholic. It will be seen then that most of the trouble is due to careless parents and the consequent lack of home and religious training.

Discipline Necessary

On June 14, 1939, the Commissioner of Police in N.S.W. was reported to have said: “My opinion is that until the people of this State attack crime at the cradle and get the youths banded together and disciplined, we will have waves of crime.” (S.M. Herald, June 14, 1939.)

Yes, discipline is vital in the control of the young people, and if they are trained while young there will be some hope for them when they grow older. This discipline must be personal and social, so that the best results may be secured.

Social discipline will follow quite naturally once the individuals learn self discipline. Each one should know himself (or try to know himself) and endeavor to correct what he finds wrong in his character.

REMEDIES

The remedies to be applied for the prevention of juvenile delinquency concern the Churches, the State and the parents. Under each of these headings I shall discuss the means to be adopted.

(1) THE CHURCHES

The Churches should be active in the instruction of all the people under their care. Religion is the foundation of education. No education is complete without it. Therefore, they should insist that proper CHRISTIAN education is given to all children by the competent religious authority.

If correct instructions were given in the virtues of TRUTH, JUSTICE, OBEDIENCE and CHARITY, there would be little fault to find with the average youth.

Religion must form part of the daily life of the citizen. It is NOT something for Sunday alone. Since we all belong to God, it is quite true to say that religion should be the main part of our lives. It is not acceptable to many because no material gain can be derived from it.

A more active campaign for a return to religion is necessary before we shall have made even a start in the right direction.

The Newspapers

The newspapers could do quite a lot to foster and encourage religion amongst the people. The same may be said of the radio. But we know well that there is nothing to be gained, in the material sense, from religion. There is no money to be made by encouraging people in this way. On the contrary, there is more profit to be made by encouraging people to indulge in border-line amusements.

We read much from time to time in the newspapers about the care and cure of delinquents. Many theories are advanced, but we do not find the daily newspapers advocating a little more religion in the community. The daily newspapers are supposed to be the expression of public opinion.

We live in what we are pleased to call a Christian community, but is there, after all, a great deal of REAL Christianity in our country? Christianity has NOT failed, but men have failed in their religious duties, and it is the DUTY of the newspapers to try to restore that Christian spirit.

We do not desire the newspapers to commence a campaign of dogmatic teaching, but we DO expect that those who read them would be encouraged to practice their religion in a conscientious manner.

How often we find that something detrimental to a particular religious body is reported in screaming headlines while no serious effort is made to encourage people to be truly religious. The newspapers should at least give Christian principles a fair chance and impress upon their readers to do the same.

Are those newspapers one with the man who considers that religion is the dope of the people? Christ has said that he who is not with Me is against Me. By their very silence it would appear that the newspapers are NOT wholly WITH CHRIST. Are we still going to blunder along with theories and work in the dark without the light of religion?

Why could parents who lived from 30 to 50 years ago rear children correctly without the aid of our present day science? There was no psychology to help THEM find out what made their children disobedient. Yet they seemed to get along quite well and reared sons and daughters who have been a credit to their country. There is no reason to believe that they would have done any better if they had been aided by modern psychology-without a soul.

Why has delinquency increased in these days? It takes two generations for an evil system to have its effects upon the people in the sense that it becomes noticeable to its victims. How long has our secular education system been in operation in this country? Well over 50 years, I should say. Can you imagine what the next generation will be like?

The Layman’s Part

It will be noticed that many representative people do not consider it their duty to encourage religion as the solution of our present-day problems, yet if we are to make any progress in the solution of our difficulties, it is the most important consideration of all.

In conversation, people will agree that religion and proper parental control are the most necessary items in the training of the child. Why do they not advocate these in public? They have the false notion that religion is a matter for the minister of religion alone to teach and encourage. Let your light shine before men does not mean that a layman’s religion should be confined to the house in which he lives, or to the church in which he worships on Sundays.

(2) The Work of the State

In conjunction with the spiritual work of the churches, the State can and is bound to provide for its citizens so that they will have a respectable existence. The State has no right to interfere with the spiritual life of the citizen, but it is bound to encourage Christian principles.

It is the duty of the State to see that its people receive a LIVING WAGE that is sufficient for a family to live in comfort. Many of the hovels that glory in the name of homes should be demolished and comfortable homes built for the working people.

Well supervised parks and play-grounds are also necessary so that children would not be forced to play in the streets. In fact, every effort should be made to keep the children off the streets as much as possible.

Institutions

Institutions for delinquent children should not be conducted by the State on more or less go-as-you-please lines. Strict discipline should be enforced and religious training should be given to make up for what the child has lost in the broken home.

Hence delinquents should be cared for in denominational institutions where the religious training would be carried out correctly. It is ridiculous to take a delinquent, place him in an institution and then allow him to do practically what he wishes while he is there.

These children would not have come before the Children’s Court if they were not lacking in obedience and self-control. Why not endeavor to teach them these two virtues at least? Training in truth, justice and charity should do much to make the delinquent better than he was. While I do not advise or condone cruelty of any kind, still it is a fatal mistake to pamper many of these children in any way.

Science

It is expecting too much if we try to overcome by modern scientific and materialistic methods, an evil that is mainly spiritual. No amount of science can take the place of the Ten Commandments. The indifferent and irreligious spirit that is so common in the world today is but the gradual result of the Reformation of the 16^th century, aggravated by secular education.

We are very optimistic if we imagine that we can cure in a comparatively short time an evil that has been maturing for the past 300 years. Society in general needs regeneration in order that we may produce the desired effect on the delinquent section of society.

Hostels

Hostels for certain classes of children would be an asset, e.g., for orphan children from 14 to 18 who are earning their living and/or children who can conduct themselves well enough when away from bad home surroundings. Such hostels should be under denominational control and conducted in a truly religious atmosphere. In other words. the hostels would make up (in some way) for what the child has lost in its own home through the carelessness of the parents.

Our governments are supposed to be Christian, so their work for the people should be Christian also. Our civilization depends on how much Christianity there is in the community.

(3) Parents Not Excused

Although the Churches and the State may do their part, this does not excuse the parents from their obligations. They must realize that their domestic happiness and the peace and happiness of the community depend entirely on the amount of religion there is in the home.

On the parents rests the responsibility of bringing up their children as God wants them to be instructed. At times their work may be hard, but they should not shirk their obligations just because they find it a little difficult to do what is right.

Much of the blame for delinquent children can be attributed to the parents and in many cases the parents and not the children should be prosecuted in the Court. A father or a mother will go to great trouble to excuse a child’s fault which really amounts to excusing themselves. There is little use trying to impress religious principles on children unless there is good example shown by the parents.

Use of Spare Time

Children should be taught to use spare time well. e.g., by being interested in some useful hobby. Figures supplied by the St. Vincent de Paul Society Probation Committee for 1938 show that the number of boys on probation at the age of 14 was just double the number of the age of 13. From the age of 14 there was a slight increase in numbers up to the age of 17.

This would seem to indicate that when the boys leave school they are at a loss to know how to use their spare time. They drift away from home, go with bad companions, and are tempted to make a nuisance of themselves. If they were encouraged to have lawful hobbies, they could use their spare time well. Wherever possible boys should be bound to a trade and then the nights would be well occupied by attending a Technical School.

The slogan to be adopted by all parents is: Our children must be kept off the streets at night. You will ask then what will the children do at night. Many of them should be in bed an hour or two earlier than they are seen on the street. The remainder can occupy themselves with something useful. I have outlined above how time may be spent with profit. There is an old saying that Idleness is the devil’s playtime.

Picture Shows

A strict censorship must be exercised over the films that children are allowed to see, and the books they are allowed to read. Some of the films are dangerous because they are not well censored. Parents take too much for granted in this matter.

While we know that nothing openly immodest would be allowed to appear on the screen, still suggestive films are frequently shown. We have a public censor who does his work well, but parents should not be satisfied with that censorship. The obligation is on THE PARENTS to find out if a film is fit for their children to see and to make sure that there is nothing in the film which offends against faith or morals.

No child should be allowed to think he has the right to go to picture shows. Neither should the child be allowed to tell his parents what pictures he will attend. The parents are the judges in this matter. Many children attend the pictures each week more regularly than they attend religious duties.

Privileges of any kind are a reward of good conduct. If the child has not behaved himself during the week then let him understand that privileges will be forbidden until there is some improvement in conduct. Parents frequently fail in this way. They are inclined to overlook misconduct too easily.

I do not mean to say that they should keep nagging at the child on account of some fault, but, at the same time, the child must realize that he has done wrong and cannot expect a favor immediately after an act of misconduct.

Children soon realize that they can win over weak parents. Your no should be no, and you should mean yes when you say it. A cute child will play on the affections of weak parents.

Modern Entertainments

Besides the picture shows and uncensored books, there are two other dangers about which we must give a note of warning. These are modern dancing and modern music. Neither of these has valid title to its name. One has only to walk into a dance hall to realize this.

The rubbish that is given over the air under the title music makes one feel ill. Both modern dancing and modern music are dangerous to morals. The same can be said about any of the films. This does not mean that each person may be affected in the same way or by the same kind of amusement. Such amusements undermine the moral fiber of many, and on that account are a danger to the community.

Nihil obstat:

MOYNIHAN, Censor Deputatus.

Imprimatur:

@ D. MANNIX,

Archiepiscopus Melbournensis.

Oct 20, 1944

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