Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/225

 MORAL INFL UENCE OF PUBERAL DEVELOPMENT 2 1 1

In the work of Roussel' containing the results of the investi- gation ordered by the senate of France on the charitable and correctional institutions for orphans and minors in France itself and in other countries, we find a comparative examination demon- strating such a fact, carried out under the best conditions of comparison.

Roussel gives in this work the proportional list of punishments and rewards given the male and female inmates of the reform schools of Ruisselfede and Beernem in Belgium, governed by the same rules.

In the period of time from i860 to 1879 the average number of rewards and punishments for 100 inmates was :

Boys.

Punishments, 31. i per cent. Rewards, 31.3 per cent.

Girls.

Punishments, 25.7 per cent. Rewards, 31.7 per cent.

While in active good conduct the proportions almost balance, still with a slight excess in favor of the girls, we observe that the girls have a considerably smaller number of punishments. Not only the number but the inferior gravity of the offenses punished is in favor of the girls, as we see from the following figures :

OFFENSES

PUNISHED.

Boys.

Girls.

Quarreling and fighting

53.90 per cent.

17-4

per cent.

Idleness, negligence

1.80

21.3

'

Untidiness - - - -

10.70

24.7

•'

Disrespectful words

0.41

14.6

'

Indecent acts and words

1. 00

0.24

"

Refusal to work

0.82

1.26

■ „

Various infractions of rules

IQ.OO

19.9

"

Theft and attempted theft -

Q.60

0.

■

Attempts and plots to escape -

1.70

0.

.

Escape

0.72

0.

, II

A characteristic fact in the comparison between the punish- ments of the boys and the girls, besides that of the varied

'Theophile Roussel, Enqulte sur les orphilinats et autres Itablissements consacris a rtnfanct, etc. Paris, 1 88 1.