DIS-SOCIAL Child IS NO MYTH

Radio Record, 31 July 1936, Page 24

DIS-SOCIAL Child IS NO MYTH

ae a LZ THE dis-social child is no myth. This modern life, which we are pleased to call civilisation, is repro-: ducing his kind in ever-increasing numbers-take a look for. yourself at the youngsters of 21 years and less who have been keeping New Zealand judges busy this last year or So. Something can be done about itsomething must be done-and it would be a wise move on the part of those persons who would like to see something achieved in the way of assisting New Zealand juvenile delinquents to read a new publication, "Wayward Youth," by August Aichhorn. © The author is the head of a worldfamous clinic in Vienna and, in his experimental school, he used methods of psycho-analysis to get at the roots of the trouble. His pursuit of the -elusive conflicts which cause maladjustment has brought amazing results. The book combines a straightforward account of his theories with actual case histories that are revealing human documents. It is written, not for trained psychologists, but for the intelligent layman-parents, teachers, social workers-who concern themselves with the problems of the growing generation, and who would like to avail themselves of the new technique. A plea for the giving of a freer hand to the responsible person who is anxious to get at the root of the trouble in individual cases of maladjustment is embodied in the foreword, written by Sigmund Freud. He says: "Tf a teacher has learned analysis by ex- ' perimenting it himself and is capable of applying his knowledge as a supplementary aid in his work with borderline and mixed cases, he should obviously be allowed the practice of analysis and should not be hindered in it for narrow-minded reasons." "Wayward Youth." August Aichhorn. Putnam. Our copy from the publishers.