﻿64 



Indiana University Studies 



10 years' difference in the ages of the parents, and in 18.4 per 

 cent 11 to 20 years. This difference in ages is much more signifi- 

 cant in the industrial class from which so many of the families 

 in this study come, because both mothers and fathers in this 

 class age early from the heavy physical strain under which they 

 live and their deadening mental and moral outlook. 



In some of the families the mothers work away from home 

 regularly and cannot give the care to their children essential 

 to their moral well-being. A more searching inquiry woul(j* 

 undoubtedly have shown a much greater number of mothers* 

 working away from home, if not regularly all day, at least too 

 great a part of the time to give the proper care to their children. 34 



In this study, in 39 . 5 per cent of the homes there is some 

 special manifestation of neglect, indifference, cruelty, lack of 

 understanding and sympathy, or inability to control the child 

 on the part of the parents. 35 Of the Old Immigration families, 

 50 per cent show some such unfavorable conditions, 42.3 per 

 cent of the New Immigration, and 40.9 per cent of the American. 

 The following examples are take a from notations appearing on the 

 records of these cases: parents indifferent; the mother mistreats 

 the girl, and tho 17 years old the mother gives her vicious whip- 

 pings; no sympathy between foster parents and child; the parents 

 do not seem to understand the young girl and will not allow her 

 to have company at home; the parents have no control over 

 the child; parents want the boy sent away seemingly to get 

 rid of him. 



The age of the parents at the time of the birth of the child 

 may be an important factor in their sympathy with him. Of 

 the fathers in this study in which information is given as to a^re, 

 in 20.4 per cent o f the cases, the fathers were 36 or more years 

 old at the time of the birth of the child, and the average age 

 of the fathers at the time of the birth of the child is 30.3 years. 

 Of the mothers for whom information is given 25 per cent are 

 from 15 to 20 years of age at the time of the birth of the child. 

 The average age of the mothers at the birth of the child is 24 . 9 

 years. Two facts here are significant. First, a fairly large pro- 

 portion of the fathers are too old to sympathize with and app e- 

 ciate the spirit of youth in their children; and second, a cc i- 



34 Breckenridge and Abbott, pp. 15, 100, 102, 103, 105, 123: Hall, p. 217; I .r- 

 rison (Juvenile Offenders), pp. 72-116; Travis, pp. 42-44; Mangold; Mon on. 

 p. 149; Everson. 



35 Breckenridge and Abbott, pp. 45, 105, 106, 123; Travis, pp. 43, 44, 45,48; 

 Hall, p. 217; Morrison (Juvenile Offenders), pp. 108-110; Mangold, rp. 226-228. 



