.

;) :) 3
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
(DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA)

. HEARINGS
Bl!I1I'ORlD 'l'II1II

SUBCOMMI'fl'EE TO INVESTIGATE
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
.
) . -' :';' /.: / (",s. OF TBlD
,
I,,-;-ir. COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY.
UNITED STATES SEN ATE
EIGHTY-THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST AND SECOND SESSIONS
PURSUANT TO

S. Res. 89
INVESTIGATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN THE
UNITED STATES

DECEMBER 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 1953, AND JANUARY 15, 1954

Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIC1D
+6481 WASHINGTON: 1934

• Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
 CONTENTS

p-
8. _
R~~Cb~ki8 !~~m2:~1ts~1~~~ _d_~~:t_ ~~ _t_~e__~~~~i_C: ~~ _~~l_~~~~~ _~~
9. Copy of statements from welfare and juvenile court officials. ____ ____ _ J
, 98
113
10. Set of 25 photographs of the Dixon Court ares. ____ ___ ___ ___ __ ___ _ I 133
11 . Copies of Metropolitan Police records of crimes committed by Dixon
Court residents from January I, 1948, to June 30,1953 __ ____ ____ _ _ I 136
12. Copy of a letter dated March 26, 1954. from Mr. Lawson Veney giving
information on Albert Williams. __ _______ __ ____ _____ ______ ._. __ 1 138
13. Copy of a study of 100 boys committed to the National Training School
for Boys by the juvenile court and related graphs _____ __ ____ __ __ _ ~ 174
14. Copy of Public Law 388, 82d Congress, chapter 417. 2d session (8 .
1822),
of amending
Columbia the act____
____ ______ creating the
_______ juvenile
____ court of ____
___ __________ the ______
District_
~ 216
15 (a.) Report showtng operating budgets of 7 juvenile and domestic rela.-
tions courts in counties of 114,000 to 355,000 population ____ ___ __ _ 2245
15 (b) C opy of letter from Judge Edith Cockrill showing recommendations
which have_______
court _____ been put into__effect
_____ in the
__ ______ District
_____ of Columbia
_____________ juvenile
________ __ 2247
16. Copy of statement of Henry J. Palmieri. ___ _______ _________ _____ _ I 250 .
17. Copy of statement of Chief Robert V. Murray __ ____ ___ __ __ __ _____ 1 288
18. Copy of article Vice Survey Praises District of Columbia appearing
in January 6, 1953, issue of Washington Daily News ___ __________ _ , 296
19. Copy of notes concerning names and disposition of men arrested in
connection with "Murphy game" in the District of Columbia __ ____ 1296
20. C08~1~~gi~~_ ~~_ ~~~~~~l~ _~~~~~t~~ _~~~~c:~ _~~~~~~ _i~_ ~~~ _~~~~~~~ ~~ 1296
21. Copy of article What Parents Don't Know About Comic Books ap-
pearing in Xovember 1953t.....issue of the Ladies Home JournaL ___ _ _ , 297
22. Copy of stat ement of Jonas Jj. Robitscber ____ ___ _______ _____ ___ __ , 336
23. Copy of article Foggy Bottom Area Gets FacelifUng appearing in
November 8,1953, issue of the Sunday Star _____ ___ ______ _____ _ • 339
24. Copy of opinions and reports to justify a proposed amendment to
the District of Columbia zoning regulations ____________ _____ ___ , 340
25 . Copies of data on truancy __ _____ _____ ___ __ __ ______ ____ ________ _ 1373
26 . Copies of records of maladjusted children _____ ______ __ ___ ___ __ __ _ 1406
27. Eight tables
lunabia _____showing
____ ____health
______statistics related to the
___ _______________ Dis trict of Co-
___ ____________ __ 2411
28. Copy of a draft statute authorizing Cnited States attorney for the Dis-
trict of Columbia to make the determination in proper cases whether
juvenile
{}olumbiadelinquent shall ______
__ ___ ___ _____ be tried
__ in
___juvenile
______ __court
__ ___of________
the District
__ ___of_
, 429
29. Copy of statement of Milo F . Christiansen and attached information __ t 445

I On tll& with the subcommittee

I Printed In the record.

Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 275
Senator KUAUYER. This does not get into the question of whether
:he parents of the juveniles should be under the Polic Department or
whether they should be under the social agencies. The only question is
~etting the child back to where be belongs.
Captain RYAN. Yes, sir, for prosecution.
The CHAIRMAN. The Chair wishes to assure the Senator from Ten-
lessee that all these observations that have so much real value will be
:eferred to the District Committee.
Captain RYAN. Now on the matter of censorship, there has never
Jeen established in the District of Columbia a statute that puts the
Jurden of censorship on anyone spot in the District of Columbia. We
aave for censorship purposes in the District one statute in our code
known as the indecent publication statute. It was written more than
50 years ago. It has never been amended. It more or less indirectly
by inference puts it on the Police Department in its general broad
powers or dut.ies of enforcing all law in the District to do the job of
censoring in the District of Columbia.
Mr. HANNOCH. Censoring what j
Captain RYAN. Censoring anything. There is just nothing here.
All States have boards of censorship. There has been some discussion
of a national board of censorship.
You see, today we police officers who deal with children feel that the
material known as comic books and movies and magazines and phono-
graph records or any other type of literature or articles, which tend
to pervert the mind ofa juvenile to indecency or lawlessness, should
be censored by a properly constituted board of persons that we believe'
should be outside of the law enforcement agency. We think they
should represent the general public opinion oy being persons of the
general public. And they should have the authority to set up a definite·
program of what is and is not indecent in the jUrIsdiction.
That is a great big broad term, indecent, and you have a very diffi-
cult situation from the practical policeman's standpoint of making
a case. Everyone in America has a different opinion of what is in-
decent.
Mr. HANNOCH. Among the other problems that you have there is no
Federal jurisdiction, is there, except in cases where it is transported
either through the mail or by an mterstate public carrier! If it is
brought into the District in a private automobile there is no Federal
jurisdiction whatsoever ~
Captain RYAN. That is right, and we have to find them in possession
and char~ them with not only having the possession but WIth the in-
tent to dIsplay it. That is where we run into trouble in the court. We
have to prove that intent to display it. If it is merely in boxes or tied
up in bales, we know it is going to be sold, but the man is presumed
innocent until pro,en guilty. It was only in transit. We have a prob-
lem there. It IS merely a misdemeanor anyway. There is one statute
relating to any indecency in the District which is known as indecent
publications in the DistrICt of Columbia Code.
But we in the police with our many duties have to add one more.
That means not only our Ii ve shows but the movies.
Senator KEFAUVER. Is there a special division in tlie Police Depart-
ment looking after those matters!
. Captain RYAN. No, sir. We have a morals division which does that
In connection with all the work it does on vice, gambling, liquor, and
SO forth. But there is no one specific division just to do that.

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286 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

A police department has a further responsibility in that it mllll

cooperate with other community agencies, both public and private,.
well as organizations of citizens and business people, to attempt t<
hetter understand the problems of these agencies or ~ups as relatal
to delinquency control of prevention, and to partIcipate as far.
possible in creating better community facilitIes or activities tluI
will aid in deterring crime. A modern police department Clwnot iso
late itself from the other constructive forces in the community. I
feel that the council on law enforcement in the District of Columbia
.which was approved by Congress and is a part of the District Oi
.Columbia Law Enforcementl Act of 1953, will be of immense val.
in bringing about improvements in the field of crime and I"
enforcement.
Mr. Chairman, the next page and a half is a repetition of t1I
testimony of the organization and function of the juvenile squad
I will skip over that if that is agreeable to you.
The CHAIRMAN. You have the permisslOn of the Chair to do that
Chief, but the full statement will be incorporated in the record. .
Chief MURRAY. The causes of crime or delinquent behavior an
many and complex. I would like to indicate, however, the three maim
causes submitted by the Committee on Juvenile Delinquency of t1I
International Association of Chiefs of Police at their last annual
meeting, namely:
1. The inadequacy of home and family life and the unwillingnoa
of parents to subiugate their personal desires to the healthy gromb
of their children, physically, mentally, and morally.
2. A need for revival of religious and moral standards.
3. The prevalence of entertainment and literature that tends fl
glorify crime and emphasize obscenity and sex. .
I believe all law-enforcement officers would concur in certain bw.
observations.
Slums breed crime. In the most deteriorated sections of our city,
criminal conduct often becomes the accepted standard of behavior.
Providing legitimate outlets for excess energy of youth during tb,ir
leisure time by means of wholesome recreational and social progrruru
is essential if we are to avoid antisocial conduct.
One of the earliest indications of potential delinquent behavior ~
frequent truancy from school.
Youth needs greater opportunities to find gainful employment to
provide for their material wants and to keep them OCCUPIed when
they leave school at the minimum age.
Every metropolitan city has within its boundaries a vast nllmberol
criminals. These hoodlums tend to become the heroes of unstable
or underprivileged youths who emulate their conduct.
Parents tend more and more to leave their children at day·can
nurseries, recreation centers, or theaters. Theater operators c1~IID
some parents are figuratively making babysitters of them, bringJng
their children to the theater early in the afternoon and calling for
them late in the evening.
A steady diet of violent crime in the form of television and radio
programs; motion pictures, novels, magazines, and comic books is fpd
to our young people day after day.
The glorification of gangstrrs, gnnmen",and hoodlums has amountrd
to-not hero worship-but hoodlum worship in rerent years. It cJ<"

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 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 287
;es the ..,ort of atmosphere that appears to have existed in a recent
.se at one of our high schools where a boy, himself an intended victim
ra crime, was later assaulted and beaten because he reported the crime
, school officials and police. This is what I mean by "hoodlum
orship." .
A chpping from a newspaper was sent to me not long ago in which
reporter had kept a tally on .the television ~h?ws in the earl~ evening
hen young chIldren ordInarIly watch televISIOn. In 1 evenIng there
·ere 18 assorted violent crimes against the person, including murders
y shooting, stabbing, strangling, and poisoning, several assaults on
le person, and other miscellaneous crimes. ThIs, in one evenin~.
The CHAmMAN. You are referring to crimes depicted on televisIOn!
Chief MWRA Y. Yes.
An internationally known European police official, while visiting at
Iy office last month, told me that meetings were being held in his CIty,
y responsible groups, to ban the showing of gangster motion pictures,
II of which, he stated, are made in the United States of AmerIca.
Maj. Gen. William F. Dean, after his release from a Communist
rison camp and over 3 years away from this country, stated in a
ress interview that he was disturbed upon his return to the United
:tates by the crime programs on radio and television, by the comic
trips and comic books at every newsstand and by the emphasis on
ex suggestive pictures and stories:
I have a clippIng in the paper. I would like to quote a question to
leneral Dean and his reEly verbatim. This following verbatim ex-
hange occurred on NBC s Meet the Press television show last Sunday
,ith Frank Coniff, New York Journal-American.
Mr. CoNIFF. General, the tact that you have beeD out ot Circulation, 8S you say
or 3 years, may have its advantages. Coming back to AmerIca after that period.
rhat strikes you about our country. the good and the bad, that is? Has there
oeeo anything that disturbs you?
General DEAN. I sound rather Uke a purist but I am disturbed by the crime
Irograms that I hear on the radio, on television, by the comic strips and the
~mic books that I see at every newsstand and by the empbasis on sex, suggestive
lictures, and storIes and so on. I don't teel that is good tor the coming genera-
10n and although we cuss about Koreans, I lived very closely to the North
{orean soldIers for 3 years, lived In the same room with them, and sex does
lot mean to them what it means to our youth.
That is the end of his quote, but I feel, Mr. ChairmlID, that a steady
liet of crime that I spoke of is bound to have a bad effect on youngsters.
[ think it is reflected in the serious personal -assaults tliat we come in
",ntaet with.
The CHAIRMAN. It is very hard to trace, though, is it not! It is
very hard to trace the connection.
Chief MURRAY. I have another clipping here, I won't take the time
of the committee to read it but a 9-year-old youngster was brought
into White Plains, N. Y., under date of October 1, he was brought into
the police station. He had been involved in a large number of house-
breakings in which safes were opened. The detectives questioning
him doubted his ability to open the safe but he demonstrated that he
could open the safe and he opened the one in the police station. He
said he learned that from watching television shows.
The CHAmMAN. I know how serious it can be. I have four grand-
children living with us up in my Newark home and when I am per-
mitted to be home I am constantly turning off that television at certain
hours of the day.

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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
 JUVENILE DEIJNQUENCY 297
Mr. BEABER. IB there anything else you wanted to add I
Chief MURRAY. I believe there was another item. Since I testified
ost Friday, I received a copy of a magazine, the Ladies Home J ourna!,
he November 1953 issue, which contains an article by one Frederick
Vertham, M. D., and it is entitled "What Parents Don't Know About
:Omie Books." I would like t& leave that with the subcommittee if
hey feel they would like to have it in the record.
I think it does emphasize what I stated here Friday about the
langer of those books. I understand from this article that there are
orne 90 million copies a month distributed throughout this country• .
The CHAIRMAN. Your article will be made a part of the subcom· ·
nittee's files, but not incorporated in the record.
(The article referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 21" and is on file
vith the subcommittee.)
Chief MURRAY. One of the statements, Mr. Chairman, is: "The key-
lOte of crime-comic books is violence and sadism," contempt for law
md order; in fact, for anything decent. Some of those things must
)8 the product of a diseased mind. They are bound to do tremendous
l • .m~e to young people.
I WIsh the subcommittee would take time to look at that article.
The CHAIRMAN. The subcommittee will do that, you may be as-
;ured.
Mr. BEABER. ·C aptain Ryan, Friday afternoon, made a number of
recommendations. I wonder if you would care to comment on those.
Are you in accord with them!
Chief MURRAY. No; not entirely. When Captain Ryan forwarded
those recommendations to me I forwarded them intact to the subcom-
mittee with the notation that these were his recommendations and
while I was not in complete accord with all of them, I felt I should
forward them to the subcommittee as they were.
One thing I would like to comment on is the curfew. Of course, a
curfew would be wonderful, but we couldn't say we could enforce a
curfew in this city and I don't think the police department of any
large city could enforce a curfew.
I think a curfew is something that the parents will have to enforce
on the children. I would say .t would be good if we could work it,
but I know we don't have enough policemen to enforce it.
Parental responsibility is also good in theory, but most of the parenta
whose children are in trouble, not all, but a great many of them, don't
have any money to start with. A good many of them are poverty
stricken and to impose further penalties on them would not be
workable.
I would agree that it be left to the discretion of the judge and where
a parent is able to assume responsibility or make restitution, that it
bedone.
He has here about a board of censors. I, as a matter of fact, have
taken that matter up with the law enforcement council with the idea
of having some sort of board of review to review these various things
that I have mentioned here Friday, the books, and crime comics and
so. forth, indecency in publications.
Mr. BF.ABER. So many other cities have a board of censors, have you
any information how those are working out! .
Chief MURRAY. I understand they are working out ·very well. De-
troit, for instance, has one, and I understand it works out very well.

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304 JUVENILE DEIJNQUENCY

The CHAmMAN. Are there any further questions by counsel'

Mr. BEASER. I have no other questions.
The CHAm.IAN. Chief, aside from the recommendations which
have been IlUtde by Captain Ryan, tbat you have made yourself, hove
you any other suggestions which this subcommittee might follow
m its effort to help you and help the people of the District reduce
juvenile delinquency in the District!
Chief MURRAY. Yes, sir. I have mentioned them, but I will repeat
them.
I think that if we have a full force, an adequate force of uniform
patrolmen on the street, that would be a great deterrent to juvenile
and adult crime.
No.2, I feel that the United States attorney should hove a voice at
least in any prosecution of any serious crime, whether committed by
a juvenile or an adult.
Three, I feel that we should have the dispositions on juvenile cases.
The;r are booked now under our present system. I don't see any
addItional harm in having the dispositions on those cases.
Now, there was some comment here this is not in line with your
question, Mr. Chairman-but there was some comment here Friday
about whether or not there had been an increase in juvenile cases.
There has been an increase in juvenile cases.
And, above all, the seriousness of the cases has increased, not only
here, but I think you will find that all over the country. The juveniles
are more prone to commit crimes of violence and the age group is
constantly lowerin~, so it is not unusual for a 12- and 13-year-old
boy to commit a vicIOUS assault and robbery or to open a safe.
In fact, I testified here Friday about a 9-yea.r-old who had opened
safes in the State of New York.
The CHAmMAN. The Chair recalls that testimony.
Senator HENNINOS. Has the Chief completed his observations ,
Chief MURRAY. Yes, sir; I think so.
Senator HENNINGS. What do you attribute that to!
Chief MURRAY. The juvenile violent crime j
Senator HENNINOS. Yes. What do you attribute to the increa.se in
juvenile crime and the character and nature of juvenile crime, depart·
mg from the trend that you heretofore noted m terms of the offense
and the seriousness of which, if they were adults, would bring them
in the United States court as misdemeanors!
Chief MURRAY. Senator, when I testified here Friday--
Senator HENNINGS. I must at this time say, Chief, I regret very
much I was not here for your testimony. I am a member of another
committee which is meeting at the same time. I had to be at th.t
committee in the afternoon.
Chief MURRAY. Yes. I put this in the record last Friday. Could
I touch briefly on it, sir!
Senator HENNINGS. I would be very happy if you would. I do not
want to impose on the time of the subcommittee or your time with
repetitious testimony.
'Chief MURRAY (reading) :
A steady diet or violent crime tn the form of television and radio programs,
motion pictures, novels, magazines, and comic books Is fed to our young people
day after day.

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 JUvENILE DEIJNQUENCY 305
The glorltlcatlon ot gangsters, gunmen, and hoodlums bas amounted to--
not hero worshl~ut "hoodlum worship" in recent years. It ereates the sort
of atmosphere that appears to have existed in a recent case at one of our hIgh
schools where a boy. himself an intended victim of a crime, was later assaulted
ond beaten because he reported the crime to school officials and police. This if
what I mean by "hoodlum worship,"
A clipping from a newspaper was seot to me not long ago in which a reporter
had kept a tally on the television shows in the early evening when young cbildren
ordinarily watch television. In 1 evening there were 18 assorted violent crimes
against the person, including murders by shooting, s tabbing, strangling, BDd
poisoning, several assaults on the person, and other miscellaneous crimes. This,
in one evening.
Maj. G.en. William F. Dean after his release from a Communist prison camp
amI over 3 years away from this country stated in a press interview-this is
following a verbatim exchange with Mr. eonia:
"General, the tact that you have been out of circulatioD, as you say. for 3
years, may bave its advantages. Coming back to America after that period
what strikes you abont our country, the good and the bad, that is? H8B there
bee n anything that disturbs you?
"General DEAN . I sound rather as a purist, but I am disturbed by the crime
programs that I hear on the radio, on television, by the comic strips and comic
books that I see at any newsstand and by the emphasis on sex, suggestive pic-
tUres and stories, and so on. I doo't feel that is good for the coming genera-
tions. And although we cuss about Koreans, I lh'ed very closely to the North
Korean soldiers for 3 years, lived tn the same room with them. Sex does Dot
mean to them wbat It does to our youth."
Inspector Blake has some material, Mr. Senator, that I looked at
this morning before coming over here. It is very bulky. It would
take two men I believe to carry it all. It is appalling, stuff that is
sold under the counter, stuff that is sold over the counUlr.
Senator HENNINGS. You mean pornographic!
Chief MURRAY. Yes; and what they call crime books of which there
are 90 million published each month. It is a blueprint for crime.
The keynoUl of it is violent crime and sadism. I think it is bound
to have a Ulrrible effect on the young people of this country and to
make crime commonplace, that it is the thing to do.
As I mentioned before you came in this morning, a lot of that stuff
must be contrived by diseased minds and put out and circulated in
public.
Now, one other thing-this note calls it to my attention-about the
testimony on the increase in juvenile complaints. Now, in the spring
of 1951 we put an order out to the force, particularly the juvenile
squad, that any case that would amount to a felony if commItted by
an adult, or any aggravated misdemeanor, would not be retained by
our squad and a hearing held with the parents, but would be sent to
the juvenile court for disposition.
I believe that was used here Friday as a reason why there was an
increase in crime; in other words, that the increase was in statistics
only.
But that was in 1951. We had a genuine increase in 1953 over 1952.
Senator HENNINGS. Chief, do you think these hearings we have
been holding have been of any value insofar as you are acquainted
with what we have undertaken to develop here j
Chief MURRAY. Yes, sir; and most helpful.
Senator HENNINGS. I do not ask you to say something that is pleas-
ing' to the ,subcommittee, but do you think that as a result of these
bearings that we have, among other things, helped to point up and
draw atUlntion to the acuUl nature of this problem!

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390 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give
this subcommittee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth, so help you God'
Dr. WEXBERG. I do.
TES'tIMOllY OF DR. LEOPOLD E. WEXBERG, CHlo'" OF )(ENTAL
H EALTll DIVISION, BUREAU OF DISEA8E COl'lTROL, DEl'ART·
MEN't OF PUBLIC HEALTll, DISTRICT OF COLlJlI1IlA
The CHAmMAN. Doctor, will you state your name, occupation, and
address for the record I
Dr. WEXBEOO. Dr. Leopold E. Wexberg doctor of medicine, Direc·
tor of the Division of Mental Health 01 the District of Columbia
Health Department. My business address is 300 Indiana Avenue.
The CHAIRMAN. Counsel may proceed.
Mr. BEASER. Dr. Wexberg, did you want to testify alone, or did
you want Dr. Stocking to testify, or do each of you have separat.
statements ,
Dr. WEXBERG. Sir, I have a prepared statement which I would like
to read first.
Mr. BEASER. All right.
Dr. WEXBERG. Delinquency in children and adolescents is not to be
explained by one single reason, such as economic or social factors,
slum conditlOns, lack of parental supervision! or comic strip, movie
and TV programs. Everyone of them is si~ificant, but it is impor.
tant to relaize that every Single case of iuvemle delinquency represents
a social, psychological, and psychiatric problem of its own, with a
variety of elements contributing to it.
BaSICally, prevention and treatment are of two different kinds: 1,
general prevention which attempts to remove or improve conditions
known to be related to juvenile delinquency; 2, treatment of early
individual cases by way of social casework or/ and psychiatry. As III
point 1, we are referring to slum clearance, improved recreational
facilities, development of day·care centers, settlements, boys' clubs,
etc. It is under point 2 where psychiatric care takes its place.
The CHAIRMAN. Senator Kefauver'
Senator KEFAUVER. Are copies of the statement available I
Dr. WEXBERG. Yes, sir.
The CUAmMAN. WoUld you distribute them for the use of the sub-
committee, please I What page were you reading from j
Dr. WEXBERG. Page 1.
It is the consensus of opinion that juvenile delinquency has its
psychological origin in a child's lack of emotional security. Emo-
tional immaturity is the common result of the insecurity mentioned.
The most important single factor responsible for juvenile delinquency
is parental rejection or parental neglect. Rejection may be due to the
financial load involved In the birth of an additional child; it may be
due to a child's illegitimacy which is resented by the unmarried mother
and her family, or it may be due to a broken home, after the father
has deserted his family; it may be due to emotional immaturity of
both parents or .eit~er one. of them, to mental disorder or ~Icoholism.
QUlte often It IS overindulgence of the parents, whIch cau'"
emotional immaturity. When denial occurs because the child has ex·

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 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Senator KEFAUVER. Doctor, one further question because I do not

want to take too much time. Most of the psychiatrists who have testi·
fied before our subcommittee had not placed an awful lot of impor-
tance on movie or TV programs; at least they haven't gone into that
in detail. I notice on page 1 of your statement after listing social
factors, slum conditions, and the lack of parental supervision, then
vou have comic strips, movies, and TV programs, indicating that you
plnce a great deal of importance on the kind of comic strips, movies,
and TV Erograms that children read or see in connection with causes
of juvemle delinquency.
Dr. WEXBERO. To some extent, but not too much so. I do believe,
sir, that as far as the violent crime pictures are concerned their inJIu·
ence on the child's mind is not any worse than playing robbers or
playing Indians with play guns and so on. It keeps the child's imagi·
natIOn busy, and it may be a healthy outlet for the child's natural
aggression. It think it IS a little worse with definitely sexy and stimu·
latmg pictures of certain comic books and so on.
I do believe that this premature stimulation of sex instinct can,
under certain circumstances, exert a damaging influence and facilitate
the development along the Ime of sex deliquency, though I would not
overestimate this factor, too. There is not one single factor. It may
be a contributory factor, however.
Senator KEFAUVER. It would be better for children if certain of
these shows and certain types of crime books were eliminated and not
circulated ?
Dr. WEXBERO. It would not do any harm. But I wouldn't eliminate
them entirely because our young people need certain outlets of that
kind. They feel if they don't have any outlet of that kind they will
go into vandalism and other fOl1ns of acting out which are much less
desirable than reading comic strips or watching TV.
Senator KEFAUVER. Thank you, Doctor.
The CHAIRMAN. Doctor, in discussing your caseload, your backlog
of cases, you mentioned something about emergencies; that you did
take care of certain emergency cases!
Dr. WEXBERO. That is right.
The CHAWMAN. Who would determine what an emergency would
be. Who would be the person to determine an emergency!
Dr. WEXBERO. The psychiatrist who sees the case for diagnosis.
Usually at thelresent time it is myself. I would say that I see every
single case, an I determine whether it is an emergency or not. Cases
in which suicide or violence against others is a possibility, cases of
drug addiction, and cases in which severe mental disorder may be in
the state of development are considered as emergencies.
The CHAIRMAN. I see. In that category of cases you always ad-
vance them over the other cases!
Dr. WEXBERG. We take them on immediately.
The CHAmMAN. Doctor, I have asked this question 2 or 3 times to-
day. I wonder if you would want to venture a statement as to the
cause of the sharp upward curve here in the District in the field of
juvenile delinquency.
Dr. WEXBERG. Inmyopinion sir'--
The CHArpVAN. Why should there be a sharper curve here than in
some other city of comparable size!

Onginal from
Dig'''"d by Coogle UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN