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phisUfek| DESPITE EVERYTHING YOU READ ABOUT DELINQUENCY Wre RAISING V GREAT CROP OF KIDS Never before in our history have we Americans experienced such a wave of fear and distrust of our teen-age youth. Throughout the country adults frankly admit that they are afraid of today’s teen-agers. Perhaps you have felt it. The sight of a group of hulking 16-year olds ambling down the street makes you wonder uneasily whether you left the ignition keys in your car. When you see your neighbor’s pretty daughter racketing around in a hot rod with her boy friends, you have misgivings about her morals. Many believe from what they have heard that it is a rare teen-ager these days who is not giving both parents and home community a rough time. Everywhere adults are taking defensive measures against the entire juvenile community. On a recent trip ..* vat-, --' ■' HHHK ' BJ Hr i V-rs* I • .r JIIIK-- TJ 4 i sM m "m B It H& m ISIiKaBHI mIl. v ' Jffl d 3« * ■ JERRY WHEELER : /’ B built boot, made around the country, on assignment from This Week Magazine, we learned of 21 states where there are towns with a 10 p.m. curfew for everyone under 18. In one Southern community last summer everyone between the ages of 12 and 18 was summarily barred from a Fourth of July fireworks display. The Chief of Police explained. “Last year a bunch of kids played some pranks and darn near blew up the whole crowd. We can’t afford to take chances like that again!” Fw.m time to |taM» we AaM, pobHA more <*"' to jwt teto of fun —«« ' AmorlMft «is 4 iftrito.. ■ Miiafviiciflfc' f "-t By Jhan and June Robbins Photograph by Maurice Miller Everywhere there is an increasing reluctance to take chances on our youth. Even our young people’s job opportunities are being restricted: A baby-sitting service in southern Connecticut no longer employs teen-agers. A large summer camp in Arizona which has successfully employed teen-agers as junior counselors for 25 years is this year advising that no teen-agers need apply! falMll mi Dflwqnncy In many areas these days an entire teen-age population is being labeled a menace before any of them even get a chance to step out of line! To a surprising number of adults today the words teen-ager and delinquent mean the same thing! Try talking, as we did. to half a hundred apparently well-informed grownups. A decided-majority of them thought that the percentage of young people who tangled with the law in some manner before leaving their teens was upwards of 35 per cent! Some guessed as high as 75 per cent. We cannot ignore our juvenile delinquents. We dare not neglect them. We must continue to look for new ways Continued on next page 7