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Child Guidance Service
A stable home background is of predominant importance to
the development of sound mental and emotional health. A
common distinguishing mark of problem families is bad marital
relationships, a crude reflection of parental instability. Children
who grow up in quarrelsome and neglectful homes without
appreciation may themselves develop into emotionally immature
adults without a balanced personality. Such children may not
only fail scholastically despite a good intelligence because of this
type of home background, but in turn become unstable parents
themselves and so perpetuate the situation through their children.
The emotional development of a child is determined by the
quality of his relationship with his parents, more particularly with
the mother, and maternal passivity, cruelty, neglect and absence
are associated with disturbed development, behaviour problems
and delinquency in a high proportion of children.
Children thrive best in the bosom of a united family where
the parental behaviour pattern is consistent and loyal. Emotional
security is a basic necessity to the health and welfare of the
growing child.
Dr. J. Vincenzi, Consultant Psychiatrist to the Romford Child
Guidance Clinic, reports on the year's work as follows:
“During the past year there has been a slight decrease in the
number of referrals, but not as much improvement as one would
have hoped between the time of referral and the initial psychiatric
interview. This is partly due to the much longer waiting list
brought over from the previous year, and also to the fact that
some of the cases needed prolonged treatment.
It will be seen that there has been an increase in the number
of diagnostic interviews and an increase in the total attendances.
Fourteen cases of school refusal were referred in 1961. Of
these eleven have returned to school, one has left school before anything
could be done, one would not attend the diagnostic interview,
and one, seen very recently, has still not returned to school.
A disturbing fact in the placement of maladjusted children
is the long waiting list of seriously disturbed boys of all ages.
There is one boy who presents a very grave problem, who has
been waiting since September, 1960.
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