View report page

67
charges as " beyond control," and " care and protection," there often lies a history
of serious domestic maladjustment and consequent nervous strain. Added factors
are the imminence of court proceedings and the attendant investigations, so that
when the child comes under the notice of the examiner the nervous tension is at its
highest.
The general result of the routine physical examination would tend to confirm
the observation that the delinquent child is of inferior physical make-up when compared
with the average child of similar age. The percentage improvement, compared
with five years ago, noted in the physical condition may be due to the larger numbers
admitted from the less crowded and more airy environment of the home counties.
The physical condition of the children admitted to the remand home shows an
improvement, and the numbers admitted (allowing for the wider source of origin and
the increase of age) show a great increase. The facts show that physical disability
is not a factor of anv importance in child delinquency.
Illness and
accidents.
During the year, 1,206 cases of illness and accident were seen and treated. Of
these 319 were serious enough to require hospital treatment. Tonsillitis was still very
prevalent, there being 118 cases. The following cases of infectious illness occurred :
diphtheria, 14 ; scarlet fever, 2 ; rubella, 3.
Two deaths occurred during the year of children under remand in the home.
Case 1.—Tubercular meningitis. Admitted to remand home 11.7.35. Transferred to St.
James's hospital 22.7.35. Died in St. James's hospital 24.9.35.
Case 2.—Cardiac failure (old rheumatic V.D.H.). Admitted to remand home 19.6.35,
Transferred to Lambeth hospital 16.7.35. Died in Lambeth hospital 20.11.35.
Mental
examination.
Mental examination was carried out in 89 cases. As a result, 32 cases were found
to be mentally defective and certifiable under the Mental Deficiency Acts ; feebleminded,
31 ; imbecile, 1. One case showed definite symptoms of dementia præcox.
Of the total number of cases of mental deficiency, 24 were known to be defective
on admission, and 8 were unsuspected until examined in the remand home.
Acknowledgment must be made to the superintendent of the remand home,
Mr. M. J. T. Jones, for his constant help throughout the year, and for his
assistance in compiling the records necessary for making the report given above.
Child guidance.
The question of dealing effectively with the maladjusted or " difficult" child
has always been a problem which has caused anxiety to parents, school authorities
and the social services alike. In the early days such cases were considered to be
merely " naughty," and were very often dealt with as disciplinary cases with negative
or unfortunate results. It is now universally recognised that underlying the manifestation
of abnormal behaviour is, in many cases, a hidden neurosis, which eventually
finds expression in rebellion against the accredited rules and tenets of society, and
that such cases must be treated with consideration and care as patients and not as
delinquents. After considerable study of the problem over many years, the methods
of the child guidance clinics in America were introduced into England about seven
years ago. Under these methods each case is considered individually with a view
to discovering the underlying factor responsible for the abnormality, and to devising
treatment or suitable outlets to enable the child to make the proper adjustment.
For this purpose it is necessary that the psychiatrist, psychologist, pedagogue and
social worker should work hand in hand in order that a complete picture may be
obtained of the past history of the child and his relations, both from a medical and
social standpoint, his standard of intelligence and of attainment, his physical condition
and his reactions during play. The assistance of the school authorities—
teachers, care committee workers and school attendance officers, and the school
medical service (school doctors, nurses, medical treatment centres and organising
staff)—is essential to the child guidance clinic in order to obtain a proper perspective
and also to assist in many cases in the treatment recommended by the clinic.
Although the Council as educational authority does not itself accept responsibility
for the organisation of child guidance clinics as a part of the school medical
service for London, nor is any financial assistance given, every facility available is