Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/79

Rh estimate of the number of children thai you have seen from which you gain your conclusions?

Dr. . We see approximately: about 2,000 cases a year at the mental health services of the New York City children's court. So I think it would be fair to say I have seen aboutor through my service, we have seen about 15,000 cases over the past 7 or 8 years,

Senator. Do you find about the same conclusions in other places of the country? What you have said New York is typical of, happens throughout the Nation, I take it?

Dr. . In regard to what point, Senator?

Senator. In regard to the effect of horror and crime comics.

In other words, in your discussion and experience with other psychiatrists, do you find that they generally agree with you in your conclusions?

Dr. . I think as Mo. Clendenen indicated, there is some vari- ance in point of view. The point of view J have given here, I think vou might say, is something of a middle-of-the-road point of view. There are those who are yery much more concerned about the elfect oft comic books and there are those who discount a good deal nore than T would be willing to.

Senator. So you think you are in the middle of the road in appraising the matter?

Dr. . I think that would be a fair estimate of my position.

Senator. I think you have been very fair in your point of view.

Senator. Mr. Chairman,

The. The Senator from Missouri.

Senator. Doctor, I know we all appreciate very much your coming here and giving us the benefit of your thoughtful consideration of these things which are of interest to us and which in many respects are very complex.

For example, we are led to believe, are we not, that crimes of violence are increasing here and perhaps in England?

Dr. . Yes; that. is true.

Senator. Although figures and statisticsand figures can be very misleading, can they not?

Dr. . Yes.

Senator. When we talk about homicides, sometimes it is in the course of a robbery, perpetration of a felony ; sometimes as the Latin Americans say, a crime of passion, sometimes a sporadic sort of thing that does not seein to be accounted for by anything except we are people with all the ilts that flesh is heir to.

We know that one of the prime entertainments in Iingland years ago was 2 public hanging, until Charles Dickens and a number of reformers of that period abolished pubhe executions and they began to hang people behind the walls of penitentiaries.

We know in this country eyen today in some cominunities people clamor io get into the death house, or get into where the gallows is put up so they ¢ ean see these things, bt by and large we do not let the general public view these as spectacles, but they were great sources of amusement. Fathers took the family and promised the children if they were good they would take them to the hanging the next day.