Published September 1964 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
From the Office of United States Senator Robert C. Byrd Room 342, Old Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. Volume IV - - Number 30 September 11, 1964 BYRD' EYE VIEW A Public Service Column by SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD JUVENILE DELINQUENCY INCREASES More than a half million juvenile delinquency cases were handled by juvenile courts in the United States in 1962, with a reported total of 555,000 cases. However, because some juveniles were involved in more than one case, the total number of children involved was 478,000, representing 1.8 percent of all children aged 10 through 17 years in the country. The year 1962 showed a 10 percent increase in delinquency cases over the previous year, while the child population, 10 through 17 years, increased only 3-1/2 percent. This upward trend, noted every year beginning with 1949, continues; and, as in every year in the past decade, the increase exceeds the increase in population. Federal authorities charged with determining factors causing the 1962 sizeable increase have found that the high birth rates during the latter 1940's are now swelling the ranks of 15- and l6-year olds, the ages at which the majority of juveniles contribute most to the volume of delinquency. The pattern of our decrease in U.S. rural life, as contrasted to our increasing urbanization, may be considered as a factor, although the rural courts are experiencing a greater increase in the number of delinquency cases handled than are the urban courts. The pattern was noted prior to 1960 of delinquency cases increasing faster in rural areas than elsewhere. As divided between boys and girls, the percentage increases for 1961 and 1962 were the same for both sexes, with delinquency continuing to be primarily a boys• problem, Courts note that boys are referred four times as often as girls and that boys are referred generally for very different reasons then are girls. More than half the offenses committed by girls were for conduct Characterized as juvenile misbehavior and were not for conduct ordinarily considered a crime. These included runaway, truancy, curfew, and ungovernable behavior. Only 20 percent of the boys were involved in offenses of this nature, while about 50 percent of the boys were referred to the courts for offenses against property--larceny, auto theft, vandalism, robbery, end burglary. Less than 20 percent of the girls were involved in such cases. Forcible rape represented only two-tenths of one percent of the offenses officially charged against boys, with other sex offenses reported totaling 2.5 percent. Sex offenses by girls were the basis for court action in almost 10 percent of the total cases coming to juvenile courts. Drunkenness in boys and girls was noted as increasing, with 2.5 percent of the charges against boys resulting from this cause and 2.1 percent against girls. In addition to the 555,000 juvenile delinquency cases, about 312,000 traffic cases were disposed of by juvenile courts in 1962, an increase over previous years. In many communities, these courts do not have authority over traffic offenses, so that the actual total of traffic offenses among juveniles is considerably higher. Some of the statistics on juvenile delinquency for West Virginia cover those from Cabell County, including Huntington-- showing 182 officially handled cases in 1962--and Kanawha County, including Charleston--showing 768 cases officially handled. Among 53 small courts elsewhere in the State, 1,833 juvenile delinquency cases were handled. -30-