Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents Part 12

14. The school is not the proper place for fully instructing children about s.e.x, although it may be a convenient place in which mothers and daughters together, fathers and sons together, or parents together, may listen to addresses or see appropriate films. This would help to break down some of the barriers of self-consciousness.

15. In the new housing settlements the younger age groups predominate.

They are without the stabilizing influence of older people and established inst.i.tutions.

16. The work of all organizations which aim at building character is warmly commended as they help to prevent children from becoming delinquent; but facilities for recreation and entertainment will not cure juvenile delinquency.

17. Liquor and gambling are symptomatic of some homes where there is child neglect. The Committee deprecates the growing practice of parents conniving at the consumption of liquor at young people's parties.

18. Tension in the household, separation of the parents, lack of training for parenthood, the absence of a parental sense of responsibility or poor discipline all help to create an unsatisfactory home environment; the child of such a home often feels unwanted or unloved. This unsatisfactory environment or feeling of being unloved is productive of much delinquency.

19. Nearly one-third of the delinquent children whose cases were considered came from homes where the mothers, possibly out of necessity, went out to work. Fathers themselves are also to blame when they neglect the opportunities available in the evenings or at the weekends to interest themselves in the welfare of their children.

20. The high wages paid to adolescents on leaving school are an important contributing factor especially when those youths have not been trained in the virtues of thrift and self-reliance.

21. In many of the cases investigated by the police the children have either been ignorant of the functions of s.e.x or have too advanced a knowledge of its physical aspects. When, how, and by whom the information should be given is very important.

22. The present state of morals in the community has indicated the value of a religious faith, and of family religion. Encouragement should be given to the work of the New Zealand Council of Christian Education.

23. There has been a decline in certain aspects of family life because of a failure to appreciate the worth of religious and moral sanctions.

24. During the past forty years new concepts have entered into society.

These concepts resulted from the unsettlement following two world wars.

The changes were the increased use of contraceptives, the broadening of the divorce laws, an increase in pre-marital s.e.xual relations, and the spread of new psychological ideas.

25. The Committee is unanimously of the opinion that adolescents should not buy or be in possession of contraceptives. There is, however, some difference of opinion as to how this decision could be made effective.

26. The state of the law regarding indecent conduct on the part of boys and girls operates very unfairly. Boys who admit this offence are charged in the Children's Court under sections of the Crimes Act for breach of which they are liable to terms of imprisonment of five to seven years. Their names and particulars of the offence are recorded in the _Police Gazette_. The girls (some of whom may have incited the boys to offend) cannot be charged; if they are brought before the Court at all, it is only when their parents are summoned for having delinquent children and their names are not gazetted.

27. The Child Welfare Act should be broadened to provide for the doing of preventive work. At present it provides only for the correction of children who have committed offences or who are delinquents. There are also grave weaknesses in this statute and in the whole procedure for dealing with offending and delinquent children.

_XVIII. Recommendations_

=(1) Proposals for Legislation=

(_a_) The definition of "obscene" and "indecent" in the statute law relating to printed and published matter should be enlarged so as to cover all productions which are harmful in that they place undue emphasis on s.e.x, crime, or horror.

(_b_) All distributors of books, magazines, and periodical (other than newspapers and educational or scientific publications) should be required to register their names and the names of their various publications. If they offend against the proposed law regarding objectionable publications, their licences to produce or distribute should be cancelled.

(_c_) A new offence should be created whereunder boys and girls who are guilty of indecent conduct with one another should both be liable to be charged as delinquents in the Children's Court and the practice of recording the names of boys in the _Police Gazette_ as having been summarily dealt with should cease.

(_d_) In all cases where children are summoned to Court their parents (if available) should be required to attend with them.

(_e_) The Court should have the power to require the parent or guardian of an offending or delinquent child to pay the fine or costs and to give security for the future good behaviour of the child unless the Court is satisfied that the conduct of the parent or guardian has not conduced to the child's wrong doing.

(_f_) The Court should also be given power to direct that the children's benefit or family benefit payable to any parent or guardian by the Social Security Commission be suspended until he gives the security required by the Court or for such further or other period as the Court may order. The material interests of the child should be preserved by enabling the Court to suspend the operation of the order, or to cancel it upon being satisfied that the parent or guardian has given the required security to exercise due care and control.

(_g_) Effect should be given to the recommendations regarding enrolment or expulsion of children as set out in Section XVI (5) (_d_) and (_e_) of this report.

(_h_) The Child Welfare Act should be completely recast in such a way as to remove the weaknesses indicated in this report and to suit modern needs. "Child welfare" should be given an autonomous status under the Minister of Social Welfare.

=(2) Proposals for Administrative Action=

The following outlines of administrative action are not dependent upon the amending of any Acts of Parliament such as were recommended above:

_(a) Police Department_

The training and duties of policewomen should be considered with a view to deciding the best method of dealing with girls involved in s.e.xual offences.

_(b) Department of Internal Affairs (Films)_

To facilitate the practical working of film censors.h.i.+p steps should be taken to gazette the outstanding regulations empowered under the relevant Acts of 1934 and 1953.

_(c) Broadcasting Service_

It is suggested:

(i) That the service ensure that the concept "Crime must never pay" is more prominently featured in crime serials.

(ii) That a married woman be immediately appointed to the auditioning panel.

_(d) Censoring Authorities_

Any Departments concerned with censors.h.i.+p should maintain a liaison to produce as far as possible a uniform interpretation of public opinion and taste.

_(e) Department of Education_

(i) The Department of Education should discuss with the Department of Health the respective duties of public health nurses and visiting teachers to prevent overlapping and to ensure the best possible employment of these officers.

(ii) Following upon the conference outlined in the previous paragraph the appointment of additional visiting teachers should be accorded priority.