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It was chartered by the U.S. Congress about 1900, has been operating through the years and is especially interested in programs of health, education, and welfare. That is, basically. However, we have some hundred resolutions plus, that deal with subjects as we think do have bearing on the welfare of the people in the Nation.

Mr. ELLIOTT. Miss Butler, now what is the federation itself made up of? Are they not several different clubs?

Miss BUTLER. It is composed of clubs in the community, and then those clubs are federated in a State organization. Maybe there is a county organization and then a State organization and the general federation then is composed of a federation of all of the States plus about 60 countries outside. That includes, of course, the new States, Alaska, Hawaii, and others. It is a cross section of women in the country.

I do not know if you want me to read the statement, but I would like

Mr. ELLIOTT. You proceed in any manner that you see fit. I notice you have a short statement.

Miss BUTLER. Well I do have, and I would like perhaps to answer some questions that you might have on it.

The federation has been interested, and I will brief this, in the problem of prevention, the cause and prevention of juvenile delinquency. As early as 1926 they passed their first resolution on the subject. I might say, too, that it is of record that the General Federation of Women's Clubs had much to do with the establishment of the Children's Bureau in our Government. They have been given credit by officials for so doing.

I will skip down and say that it is evident that local community and even most States cannot cope with the situation

Mr. ELLIOTT. Miss Butler, let me say, those bells you just heard ringing are calling us to the floor for rollcall.

We will meet again at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. All you have done so far is a preliminary statement about your organization. We will begin with the reading of your statement on juvenile delinquency to 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.

Is that satisfactory to you?

Miss BUTLER. You are very generous and kind, and I am glad to cooperate.

Mr. ELLIOTT. You have been most kind.

Miss BUTLER. We are all trying to do a job.

(Whereupon, at 11:10 a.m., Thursday, March 19, 1959, the committee recessed until 10 a.m., Friday, March 20, 1959.)

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: PREVENTION AND CONTROL

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1959

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON GENERAL EDUCATION OF THE

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR,

Washington, D.C.

The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., pursuant to adjournment, in room 429, House Office Building, Hon. Carl Elliott (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Representatives Elliott, Green, and Daniels.

Also present: Mary P. Allen, subcommittee clerk, and Charles Backstrom, research assistant to the subcommittee.

Mr. ELLIOTT. Our first witness today is Miss Sally Butler. Miss Butler comes to us from the General Federation of Women's Clubs, and I believe yesterday she had made the introductory part of her statement when we adjourned on account of a call of the House. You may proceed.

STATEMENT OF MISS SALLY BUTLER, DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATION, GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS-Resumed

Miss BUTLER. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, the General Federation of Women's Clubs has long been interested in the causes and prevention of juvenile delinquency. It was in 1926 when the federation passed its first resolution regarding the need of taking a positive approach to the problems involved. That resolution was reaffirmed in 1955 and is among the active resolutions today which are the basis for our action in the general federation. Since the situation steadily grows worse-not better-it is now a national problem. It is time the Federal Government begins to face up in a very tangible manner to the problem, its causes and its remedies.

It is evident that local communities and even most States cannot cope with the situation. Thus it grows, and correctional institutions are overflowing with young lawbreakers or delinquents.

I would like to quote the resolution adopted by women of vision and women who are calling for action in the field of delinquency, and who have continuously supported legislation on the subject:

Whereas the General Federal of Women's Clubs is deeply interested in the welfare of youth, in causes of behavior problems, in the early detection of trends toward delinquency, in the prevention of actual delinquency, in addition to provision of facilities for treatment and detention of delinquents, and believes that added emphasis should be placed upon prevention: Therefore be it Resolved, That the General Federation of Women's Clubs advocates a positive approach to the problems of youth through the establishment of local communitywide committees devoted to the conditions in the home, the school, the church,

38436-59-pt. 1--10

and the community which are conducive to the development of sound, wholesome youth and urges member clubs to assume the initiative in the creation of such committees where none exist and to offer enthusiastic cooperation to such committees in communities where they have been established.

You will note that they say added emphasis should be placed upon prevention. Note further that they call for the establishment of communitywide committees devoted to the creation of conditions in the home, the school, the church, and the community to work on delinquency problems.

Today juvenile delinquency is so widespread that it ceases to be a matter of only local concern. Grants from the Federal Government are necessary and vital to the success in the fight against delinquency. General concern in this field is evidenced by the number of bills on the subject that are now before the 86th Congress. All the bills face up to the fact that delinquency is a national problem.

GFWC does not support specific bills, but we believe that certain principles are necessary if we are to make any progress with the problem, and some of the bills stress the need for trained personnel in all phases of the work to cope with the existing and growing problem.

There should be adequately trained counselors, police officers, teachers, who would be responsible for the welfare of these children. Training should be made available in local communities whenever possible. However, there should be funds provided by the Federal Government through grants to the States to augment the local funds where needed in order to give the children in every community an equal opportunity. Furthermore, proper facilities are essential to do this job, not only to train personnel but to assist in special projects to develop techniques and practices for the prevention, control, and treatment of delinquents.

It is evident, however, that trained personnel is not the only problem to be faced. The need is dominant that special projects must get a fair share of grants to continue to be effective. And surely it is evident that in order to combat juvenile delinquency, we need to support every effort in every area of child welfare.

It is also a self-evident fact that grants are necessary to establish institutions where needed and to maintain those now in existence, and in every case to operate these institutions in such a way as to be effective in the prevention, the reduction, and the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents.

Since the juvenile courts of the Nation report that delinquency has increased each year since 1948, as of 1957 an alltime high was reached, indicating 603,000 cases involving 520,000 children. It is evident that the problem is one of national proportions.

Of course, GFWC urges the local and State units of government to do all in their power to handle all phases of the problem. It being evident, however, that States and local government cannot provide for the proper care and welfare of the youth to prevent as well as to rehabilitate, the Federal Government has the responsibility to augment State funds by grants, as the Government has long done in the field of education with land-grant colleges.

The juvenile court reports tell us that in 1948 about 12 out of 1,000 children from 10 to 17 years of age came before the courts, while in 1957 this number had nearly doubled, with the record showing that about 24 out of every 1,000 children of that age were before the courts.

These children, along with the fine youngsters that do not have criminal records, will be the citizens responsible for our society and even our national security in a few short years. It is the responsibility of this generation to provide the necessary requisites to give every child a chance to become a good, healthy, wholesome, and educated individual.

For your information and in order that you may understand how deeply GFWC is concerned with this problem, I shall quote our resolution on economy in government. This sets out our concern for the support of services necessary to the education, health, and welfare of the people:

Whereas the General Federation of Women's Clubs has urged a program of economy for the Government of the United States which is consistent with good government and adequate services; and

Whereas the General Federation of Women's Clubs has long advocated programs of the Government of the United States which foster and support services necessary to the education, health and welfare of the people: Therefore Resolved, That the General Federation of Women's Clubs again commends the elimination of waste in governmental spending, but also urges that it is false economy to jeopardize such services as now are being rendered by the agencies of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

GFWC believes that juvenile delinquency has reached the crisis stage so far as society is concerned.

We urge the 86th Congress to pass such legislation immediately so as to tackle this national program of juvenile delinquency with vigor, making the necessary appropriations to meet this need.

Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you very much, Miss Butler. I gather from your statement that interest in juvenile delinquency is not a new thing with the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

Miss BUTLER. It is not. Our first resolution was in 1926.

Mr. ELLIOTT. And the resolutions you quoted in your statement are from your general convention?

Miss BUTLER. That is right. Our resolutions are really our basis for action. I could only be here if we had a resolution concerning it. They are passed at a general convention. They do not come from the head office or from the national office. They may be proposed by the national officers or State officers or even more than one club, but five or six clubs in the State can propose one, then they come to the national office and are written as they should be and go back to the States for approval. Then they go to the convention and are voted on by the delegates. The delegate body votes them or defeats them. Mr. ELLIOTT. Mrs. Green.

Mrs. GREEN. I am very much interested in the statement you have presented, Miss Butler. I must also say that in the last few weeks I have received several letters that say in effect, a balanced budget is the most important thing for the United States to have.

I am delighted that the General Federation of Women's Clubs recognize the importance of economy in government but also recognizes the importance of the programs for the health, education, and welfare of the American people. I think it is a well-balanced view. Miss BUTLER. Thank you very much.

Mr. ELLIOTT. Mr. Daniels?

Mr. DANIELS. No questions.

Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you very much, Miss Butler.

Our next witness is Mr. Rudolph T. Danstedt, director of the Washington branch office of the National Association of Social Workers.. May I say we are happy to have you, Mr. Danstedt.

STATEMENT OF RUDOLPH T. DANSTEDT, DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON BRANCH OFFICE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS

Mr. DANSTEDT. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am Rudolph Danstedt, director of the Washington branch office of the National Association of Social Workers.

I have filed a statement with certain appendixes which I hope will be included in the full record of these hearings. I would like to talk briefly to them.

I would like to start out by saying that I am delighted to follow someone from a women's organization because I have worked long enough in the social welfare field to realize that their power and influence in this area is very significant. Whether you are raising money of planning services for health, welfare, and education, if you have got the women behind you you have really got some very important support.

I just want to refer to a few items in my testimony and, if I can, observe a 5-minute time limit. You can drop the gavel on me at the end of that time because I know there are a number of persons here waiting to testify.

First I think our association can take this reasonably broad view toward this whole subject because we have people who work in health agencies, who work in voluntary Catholic, Jewish, Protestant and nonsectarian family and child agencies, in public welfare agencies, in juvenile court, in correctional institutions, in a whole wide variety of services. So we do not attempt to represent the point of view of any particular operating field. I think we want to take a broad approach to the whole situation.

I would like to point out that in the design and operation of programs for the prevention and control of juvenile delinquency we find many frustrations among people who work in this field, whether social workers, police officers, school officials, educators or juvenile court judges. You have heard a lot of them over the last few days, and I know you heard more back in 1957.

One of the problems is that no single concept will define what are the causes of juvenile delinquency. That is a frustrating sort of situation.

Secondly, I think we realize that any treatment of juvenile delinquency requires individualization. That is costly even at the salaries that are paid social workers, police officers and school people. The community tends to get sort of excited when a crisis arises, and some hastily contrived program is put together. Then the crisis passes and apathy again settles in.

I think the common experiences of people who work in this field is that the community wants to send out a team to do something about it, but they do not give them any rules, enough equipment and manpower, and then they start throwing bottles at them from the grandstand when no results come out of that sort of effort.

I think it might be appropriate if, off the record, I may tell a little story that I think has a couple of morals to it.

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