The third social group worker on the staff reports that he has gained the confidence and respect of group members to the extent that they have been willing to discuss with him certain antisocial behavior they had engaged in. The worker has been able to help the boys see the destructiveness of their behavior, not only to others, but to themselves. In a number of instances, group members with the help of the worker have contacted law enforcement authorities to clear up questions regarding their participation in delinquent activity. Worker accompanied one boy to the Seattle Police Department where he voluntarily discussed and cleared up the matter of his involvement in a runaway and larceny. Another member accompanied worker to the police department to clear up an offense which the boy was suspected of having committed and for which he had been earlier picked up by the police. Another youngster, involved in name calling with a teen-age girl, went with police officers to apologize to the girl and her mother.

Point II: To help individuals to move in the direction of assuming citizenship responsibilities in modifying social institutions, community attitudes and other conditions

One worker reports that members of his club have developed a strong desire to give the club a good name and hence be accepted by the community in general. Actions or attitudes by individual members which would negate this achievement have been frowned upon. One example illustrating this is contained in the statement of some group members to others, "If you must 'rumble,' you're on your own. We don't want to have any part of it." In another instance the president of this same club refused to condone the purchase of stolen property for the club's use. Recently the focus of program interest in this same club has changed to cars. In forming the purpose of the car club, the members stated it to be, "To learn about cars, promote safe driving and courtesy on the road." In addition, members are interested in gaining greater acceptance by the community through giving free carwash jobs, giving free brake adjustments, and providing courtesy road service. Earlier within this same group, the president acknowledged that responsibility was not one of the club's virtues. Now, according to the worker, group members are indicating a willingness and an ability to accept greater responsibility.

In another group the members, with the help of the worker, organized a carwash for a fund-raising activity. This group was assisted in making the approach to the service station owner by the worker. However, the planning and execution of the event was their own. The entire group remained from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on a very hot day with time out only for lunch. They cleaned up the area before departing, and thanked the proprietor and his employees. Though there was a selfish motive, the group used the money to purchase club jackets for five of the less fortunate members. Thus, this group successfully carried out a constructive and incidentally profitable group venture.

The third group worker reports that his group has increasingly used parliamentary procedure for promoting orderly club meetings. The group members are learning to share financial and work responsibilities in their program. A number of limitations have been established by the group to control individual member behavior, such as: fining members for speaking out of turn, giving support to the observation of no smoking rules at dances, and no disorderly conduct by club members at dances. The group members indicated a consideration for others by approving a standard of clothes for a dance on the basis of what every member had. In one instance, the club members were able to restrain two boys, not affiliated with the club, who were fighting at a dance. The members in each instance have assumed responsibility for thoroughly cleaning up the facilities after a dance. The officers of this group were able and willing to discuss the matter of a conflict with another club. In this situation, the group was able to accept the results of discussion and to avoid further conflict. Also, the same group members were willing to prove themselves in their behavior in club meetings before inviting girls to the meetings. They were able without difficulty to accept changing date of dance in order to avoid a conflict with other activities. They were willing to make the decision to revise payments for the dance band because the band's payment, although according to original agreemen“, was not in their judgment adequate. The group also engaged in an orderly discussion of the pros and cons of a public dance versus a closed dance and were able to make a decision on this. Responsibilities were assumed by individual group members to hold down the amount of rough housing at the club meetings. In

dividual group members increasingly are held responsible for their behavior within the group. The limits that are set by the members in the meetings ap pear to be extending beyond this situation into the member's relationships with the public in other situations.

Point III: To improve attitudes and behavior toward adults and society

A number of members of one of the groups has more consistently expressed a strong desire to get out of the gang stage and get a good name for the club This purpose has permeated the group in varying degrees. Some evidences of improved social adjustments are as follows: Four or five of the club members participated in a school-sponsored play. This is something that was unprece dented in the lives of the club members. A teacher was asked to act as a chap eron at one of the dances. There have been no known major delinquencies, either individually, or as a total group. Within the period of time that the group has been worked with by the worker, one member has graduated from high school and has obtained a job. Another member who earlier had been suspended from school, is now attending a sheet metal class at Edison Technical School, something that he initiated. Members of the club who have been expelled from school have not become more antisocial in terms of community standards. Os the other hand, they have sought protection from the police department: sought counseling from probation officers and parents. They have sought jobs and op portunities to enroll in some other type of schooling. The members of this group, according to the worker, are beginning to realize that a club obtains a reputation by its actions and examples and not by a name that may be or may have been associated with delinquent or antisocial activity. There is an extremely strong desire on the part of the members to be accepted by the commu nity. Several ways have been suggested by the members through which the community could identify them as being a group with good standards. Exanples of these ways are given in the material above under the second goal of the project. The group, under the auspices of the special service project, has respected the property of the Seattle Atlantic Street Center and other physical facilities used. The individual members have accepted and identified in varying degrees with the worker and his standard of values. The group has, as a whole. taken a strong stand in opposition to anybody getting into difficulty in the name of the club.

Another group has demonstrated a growing understanding and appreciation of adults. This change is presumed to have been effected through the relationship of the worker to the group members. This group has held one public dance at the Seattle Atlantic Street Center. Although it was not a big success in the traditional sense, it was a beginning, and helped the members to be more aware of the responsibilities that have to be assumed in an enterprise such as this. Recently in discussing possibilities for a future dance, the group decided to explore the feasibility of holding the dance in West Seattle. This has beer explored with consideration being given their request by the West Seattle YMCA. This action has been taken by the group. The group members, simulated by their initial contact with the center, have explored other facilities in the city that they might use. The worker is encouraged in noting that there is greater initiative being taken by the group members in this regard.

The third worker reports that group members have used him to clarify points of indecision in the area of behavior of individual members. They have also used worker as a liaison person between the group and other community agencies. The worker has been consulted by the president of the club regarding his recommendation for enlistment in the armed services. The same group members invited the field counselor of the division of children and youth serv ices and a staff supervisor at the King County juvenile court detention facility to be chaperons at one of their social events. The president of this group warned members about taking matches and cigarettes into the detention facility when the group played basketball with one of the groups from that setting. Again, this group has been able to ask for adult help when they felt it was necessary. indicating a strengthening of the relationship between the group members and the worker. These members have indicated a respect for agency property through their behavior following the use of this property for their programs They have in each instance taken sufficient time and care to clean the facilities and place the property in its original condition. Several of the members of this group assisted the police department in solving a burglary for which they received a letter of thinks from Chief of Police Lawrence.

Point IV: To help individuals and groups to utilize resources available in the community

One group has been using the facilities of the Seattle Atlantic Street Center for their meetings and social get-togethers. This same group has used Collins fieldhouse facilities for a club meeting, for basketball turnouts and softball. In addition, two dances were held at the Seattle Atlantic Street Center. This group has appropriately used the agency's bus for transportation to a picnic at Lake Wilderness, and also for transportation to and from a camping area during spring vacation of 1958. This group has responded to the worker's encouragement in making use of the Kiwanis teenage employment service. There has been some followup by members regarding the matter of jobs.

One of the groups has developed an increased interest and concern in school, a matter that has been earlier related. This group has utilized the Seattle Atlantic Street Center's facilities and its appreciation of this is evident in the behavior of the youngsters. There has been no excessive deviant behavior while utilizing the facilities. Breakage has been at a bare minimum and responsibility has been assumed by the group members for cleanup. Last spring, this group readily accepted an opportunity to participate in Atlantic Street Center's spring carnival. The group worked out the size and type of booth and event. The group members who were present at this affair worked diligently from 8:30 to 12:10 in the evening to complete their project. This is an event that is designed to raise funds for the agency, and in view of this, this appears to the worker to be quite remarkable behavior, since the boys themselves did not gain financially from this activity. In addition to this, this group has utilized other community facilities and a neighborhood service station where they conducted a carwash.

The third group worker reports that members of his group were able to participate in a scheduled basketball game at Collins Fieldhouse, and to sponsor two dances at the Seattle Atlantic Street Center.

Point V: To strengthen the ability of the individual to establish and maintain productive social relationships

In one of the groups, the worker has stated that he feels he has been accepted by the boys as a person who is seen to be interested in them and the club. Personal relationships have ranged from cautiousness, as reflected by the statement, "You're a cop, aren't you?" to casual acceptance, and beyond that to identification, or a rather full measure of acceptance. This same group has invited a teacher to chaperon a dance. This teacher and her husband were treated with courtesy and respect. The group worker and his wife were also invited to serve as chaperons. The same treatment was accorded them. These two instances appear to the worker to reflect a substantial change in attitude of the members of this group toward adults. The special service project appears to have made a contribution to these boys in providing them with an ability to establish and maintain appropriate relationships with adult authority.

In another group, the worker has seen a growing ability on the part of the members to discuss group problems with him. Members of this same group indicated a growth in their ability to relate and work out problems with adults by admitting having taken soft drinks from the YMCA and reimbursing the agency executive for the drinks they had taken.

In the third group served by this project, the worker cites rather remarkable growth in the ability of one of the members to communicate and relate to the others. Whereas this individual from the beginning of his affiliation with the group had always been quiet and unable to express himself beyond very brief sentences, he has recently, through the activities of the program, more frequently been motivated to speak out. This boy is still withdrawn, but the worker expresses optimism over the chances this boy has of overcoming this personal difficulty.

VI. SUMMARY

After a 2-year project, the nature of the job reinforces the judgment of the director and supervisor and group members of the unit that a professionally trained full-time social worker is needed in order to more effectively attain the goals set by the project staff and outlined in earlier report materials.

Although this material has been presented under the headings of the five goals developed by the staff of the special service project, all of the workers would agree, I am sure, that the overall goal of the project is to effect changes or adapt

41638-59-26

ations in individual attitudes, relationships and behavior to the end that the group member may develop greater personal adequacy and improved social adjustment. It would appear to the staff that the ultimate test of the program is whether the individuals participating in it were helped to make positive changes as the result of their experience in the project. The workers' reports would lead us to conclude that this project has attained a measure of success warranting its expansion and continuance on a full-time basis.

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS

The special service project of the Seattle Atlantic Street Center recommends the project be expanded on a full-time basis with a minimum of three trained social group workers who will serve a maximum of three groups each. The supervisor will be in charge of the direction of the three workers in addition to a supervisory responsibility of graduate students from the school of social work, and one secretary.

In communities of the size of Seattle, special programs to serve such youth are available. There is definite need to begin to serve these hostile youth in Seattle. This type of program is much more economical than the cost of detention which is $4,700 a year to the citizens of Washington and all the other misery caused to so many people. Can we afford not to serve them?

AMERICAN PUBLIC WELFARE ASSOCIATION,

Chicago, Ill., May 14, 1959.

Hon. JOSEPH CLARK,

Chairman, Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, Senate Committee Labor and Public Welfare, Washington, D.C.

DEAR SENATOR CLARK: AS you requested at the recent hearings, I have given thought to the kinds of projects in the field of juvenile delinquency that might be undertaken with the support of Federal funds. I have also consulted with other persons who have knowledge of this subject. I am pleased now to send you sich observations and comments that have come to mind.

In considering the kinds of demonstration and experimentation projects of general significance that might be profitably supported by a program of Federal grants such as those contemplated in proposals currently before Congress it is necessary first to recognize that a great number of projects of various kinds and purposes have been undertaken in many places over a long period.

One important factor which must be kept prominently in mind in planning projects of this kind is that the concept of juvenile delinquency is in a sense artificial and narrow and does not go directly to the roots of the problem. Juvene delinquency is the legal term referring to young people who have been arre hended in misbehavior and found by the court to be delinquent. This, however, does not help very much in understanding the specifics of individual cases or in providing a sound framework in which to build a program of services. In developing and supporting such services there should be concern for the wellbeing of the individuals involved as well as for the protection of society. Some children who are not delinquent have serious difficulties, too, and the individuals who are to benefit from the services the community has to offer should not be selected on the basis of their abilities to thrust themselves into public attention or to pose a menace to the community.

Moreover, the services to be provided should not only include the treatment of young people who have already become delinquent but should also be directed toward the prevention of delinquency. Prevention, however, is the more dif cult part, if for no other reason than that it is never possible to know exactly what it is. The only defensible position, therefore, is to be concerned for the well-being of all children and to provide services to those who require them simply because they do require them and not because they are more trophies some or destructive than others. If such an approach is adequat ly maintaize! will result in a reduction in delinquency.

The projects that have been undertaken for demonstration and experimentation in this field have too often been conducted in isolation, with insu coordination with the total fabric of services and resources in the corYWOWAAKT and without continuity of services for the individuals concerned. Projects hire usually been too short-term to allow them to get well established or to mod fr their practices in the light of experience gained, and too often there has not been a careful evaluation of the results.

Projects of this kind should be conducted with the needs of the total community in mind and they should be closely geared to the total pattern of services in the community. It should also be well understood that because of the magnitude of the problem and the nature of the services required, programs that are to deal constructively with juvenile delinquency must necessarily be predominantly under public auspices. Such services should be channeled for the most part through the schools, the courts and the welfare agencies.

Since the amount of funds involved in the current proposal is very small in relation to the total problem it seems likely that many of the projects will of necessity deal with small parts of the problem. Perhaps it is actually impossible to demonstrate in any effective way just what can be done and what needs to be done on this basis. The several years of inaction and the size of the grants currently proposed emphasize once again the general reluctance to face up to the proportions and the urgency of this problem.

Projects that might be proposed could conveniently be classified under three major headings. The first would be those having a general concern with the well-being of children in the community and for the coordination of services. The second might be thought of as focusing on children who are in trouble and on the services that are most closely related to the courts. The third area then would have to do with the treatment and rehabilitation of young people who have need for specialized facilities of this kind.

With further reference to these three general areas projects might be conceived of along the following lines:

1. Projects designed to bring about a greater degree of coordination of community services, to strengthen services in areas where they are weak and to develop them where they do not exist, and to assure a continuity of services to inidviduals as they might require one type of service or another. Such an approach would involve first of all a well-organized method for the early identification and diagnosis of the problems of children and youth. In that respect one of the most valuable resources is the school system and a great deal more could obviously be done by developing ways for utilizing potentialities of this resources. Proper attention to referrals for appropriate services as the next step is also a major area. Types of service that would come under this heading would include protective services for children suffering from parental neglect and abuse, social services for children and their families, including casework services, child guidance clinics, marriage counseling, job counseling and provision of job opportunities. Such a program would involve the close coordination of the services of the public and voluntary social agencies, as well as the police and the courts. Projects of this kind might be concerned with discovering the true extent of the problem of delinquency in communities and to identify the range and kind of services that are needed for an adequate and comprehensive approach. They might also seek ways of obtaining permanent support for such services.

They should emphasize throughout the central responsibilities of the public welfare agencies not only in providing the services needed but in their functions of coordination and leadership in developing a comprehensive program that would meet the needs of the total community.

2. Services relating to the courts. These would deal with children and youth who already find themselves in trouble. Such services would be in the general nature of supporting the functions of the juvenile court through the provision of adequate professional services. This would include diagnostic services and probation and parole services. A great deal could undoubtedly be learned as well as demonstrated by enabling a number of selected juvenile courts to function with the support of diagnostic and treatment services that are truly on an adequate level.

3. Finally there is a great need for a larger number and a wider variety of specialized facilities for the more intensive treatment of delinquency. The traditional institution for juvenile delinquents has provided demonstrations in endless variety of its inadequacy to deal constructively with this problem. Some of these institutions could be made more effective if they were provided with adequate and competent staff and if they were permitted to set the term of institutional treatment on the basis of the needs of the individual rather than on the overcrowded physical capacities of the institution.

There is a genuine need for experimentation and demonstration with smallgroup-treatment institutions for delinquent youths, for the use of individual placements in foster family homes, and for other specialized facilities such as