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The slow growth of the 'psychiatric' outlook led to the practice of the Juvenile Courts
requesting special psychological reports on particular cases.
(Burt's 'The Young Delinquent' was based on a careful long-term study of the case histories of nearly
200 London children. In 1926 the Council published a report entitled 'Juvenile Delinquency in London',
in which the results were given of an investigation of every London child reported as an industrial school
case during the two years ended 31 March, 1923.)
My predecessor's report for 1924 included a long report by Dr. Shrubsall on the work
of the North American juvenile courts he had visited, in which it was recommended,
inter alia, that a medical officer experienced in mental testing should be allocated to the
remand homes. This was done in 1929, when a full-time medical officer was placed in charge
of the work. As previously mentioned, in the early 30's an arrangement was also made
under which the London Child Guidance Clinic undertook the psychometric testing of
cases on remand, and the provision of special psychiatric reports requested by the Courts.
In 1935 the large increase in the numbers of London children and young persons appearing
before the Juvenile Courts led to speculation whether the increase was real or due to
increased vigilence on the part of the social workers and the police and a greater readiness
on the part of the public to bring charges. The findings of a conference of teachers and
other officers in the Education Officer's department, published by the Council in February,
1937, were that the increase in juvenile delinquency was more apparent than real, being
accounted for in part by such factors as the high post-war birth rates, an alteration of
police procedure in 1932 and increased vigilance with a consequential increase in the
number of charges.
The fluctuating numbers of children and young persons admitted to the Council's remand
homes in this period is shown below. Quite apart from what was said about the 'increase'
in delinquency in the preceding paragraph, the reasons for admission have varied over
the years and the numbers in earlier years also included children remanded from outcounty
Courts. For example, 2,608 children admitted in 1936 included 659 from ten outcounty
Courts as far away as Hertfordshire and Southend, whilst most of the fall of about
10 per cent. between 1936 and 1937 was due to the opening in the autumn of that year
of the Middlesex County Council remand home. Nevertheless the figures show the work
done by the Council over the years in providing accommodation for children in the hands
of the police.
No. of admissions to
L.C.C. remand homes
No. of admissions to
L.C.C. remand homes
1912 2,932 1927 835
1913 2,781 1928 832
1914 2,391 1929 726
1915 3,034 1930 785
1916 3,732 1931 866
1917 3,364 1932 1,052
1918 2,975 1933 1,328
1921 1,206 1934 2,057
1922 1,190 1935 2,420
1923 1,174 1936 2,608
1924 1,012 1937 2,331
1925 910 1938 2,188
1926 1,006
Admissions for 1919 and 1920 not available.
(b) 1936 to 1946—In January, 1936 the Council's remand home was transferred to its
present premises at Stamford House and in July of that year Dr. John D. W. Pearce was
appointed as medico-psychologist.* This appointment, coupled with the termination of
the arrangement with the London Child Guidance Clinic, resulted in a co-ordination of
the methods of investigation which Dr. Pearce described as follows:
" The medico-psychologist examines physically every child or young person not later than the day
following admission. At a later date psychometric tests are carried out on every case on remand. Combined
* Dr. Pearce's book, 'Juvenile Delinquency,'published in 1952, was based mainly on his clinical experience
whilst working for the Council at Stamford House.
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