204 Social Training for Farm Boys and Girls 



of fathers if such men keep company with their boys. 

 No matter how excellent the family history, how well- 

 born the boy may be, and how carefully he has been 

 admonished, there is always some danger of his 

 yielding to an evil sex temptation a situation which 

 the parent should always be watchful about and ready 

 to meet. 



3. Secret sex habits. It is probable that country 

 boys are more prone to secret perversions of their sex 

 life than are city boys. The enforced solitude of the 

 former and the increased opportunities for such secret 

 evil may be accountable for the difference. In any 

 event, there is necessity of constant watchfulness, 

 and that especially until the son has reached com- 

 parative maturity of the physical body. The danger 

 is at its height at the beginning of the adolescent 

 period, fourteen to sixteen years of age. But the 

 preparation for meeting the possible sex perversion 

 should be begun very early and consist in frank talks 

 and admonitions. The small boy's questions about 

 the origin of life must be answered frankly but only 

 to the extent of imparting to him enough information 

 to satisfy his present curiosity. Thus to satisfy 

 his childish curiosity will prove a means of counter- 

 acting the evil influences of the bad companionships 

 referred to above. Then, the youth needs to be 

 shown some instances of the ruinous effects of sex 

 perversion in boys and men, together with the incul- 

 cation of the idea that any such evil practice will cut 



