﻿Edmondson: Juvenile Delinquency and Adult Crime 95 



In juvenile delinquency the disposition of the case is based 

 on the relation of the child to his environment. Commitments 

 to institutions indicate in a general way that the environment is 

 such that no hope of success is offered by returning the child to it. 

 Such an environment is a characteristic accompaniment of low 

 economic and social class. Of the total number of cases of 

 juvenile delinquents in this study, 32 . 3 per cent are committed to 

 institutions. To this group the New Immigration contributes 

 48 . 3 per cent of its number, and the American and Old Immigra- 

 tion only 7.4 per cent and 25.0 per cent of their respective 

 numbers. That is, a high per cent of all the cases come from a 

 highly unfavorable environment, and a higher relative proportion 

 of the New Immigration comes from the unfavorable environ- 

 ment than of the Americans and the Old Immigration. 



Repetition of offense indicates an environment so unfavor- 

 able that cases returned to it must fail. In this study, 18.6 

 per cent of the total number of juvenile delinquents are second 

 offenders, and of these cases the New Immigration furnishes 

 26 . 6 per cent of its numbers, and the American and Old Immigra- 

 tion 7.4 per cent and 12.5 per cent respectively. Here again 

 is shown the high per cent of all the cases living in an unfavorable 

 environment, with a higher relative proportion of the New 

 Immigration than of the Americans and the Old Immigration. 



A high proportion of subnormal physical and mental qualities 

 accompanies low economic and social class. Of the cases of 

 juvenile delinquents in this study, 24.5 per cent are clearly 

 subnormal physically or mentally, and of this number the New 

 Immigration and the Colored furnish 28.3 per cent aid 28.57 

 per cent of their respective total numbers, while the Americans 

 and Old Immigration furnish 18.51 per cent and 12.5 per cent 

 respectively. That is, a high proportion of all the cases show 

 clearly those subnormal physical and mental qualities quite 

 generally accompanying low economic and social class, and of 

 these the New Immigration and the Colored show higher relative 

 proportions than the Americans and the Old Immigration. 



Illiteracy depends to a large extent on conditions other than 

 'economic and social class, but since it is seldom found to any 

 extent in the higher economic and social classes, for the purpose 

 here it may be considered an accompaniment of low economic 

 class. In this study in petty adult crime, 35.7 per cent of the 

 total number are illiterate; and of this number the New Immi- 

 gration and the Colored furnish 59. 1 per cent and 16.8 per cent 



