Juvenile Delinquency

During the Second World War the British government was constantly monitoring the success of its various policies concerning the Home Front. The government was also aware of the possibility that it might be necessary to introduce legislation to deal with any emerging problems.

It is December 1941. You have been asked to write a report on Juvenile Delinquency. This is to be divided into two sections.

Juvenile Delinquency: Main article

(1) A report on juvenile delinquency since the outbreak of the war.

Things you should consider include:

(a) What was the connection between evacuation and juvenile delinquency?

(b) What crimes were teenagers accused of committing in public air raid shelter?

(c) What reasons did the headmaster of Ashurst Wood Council School give for the growth in juvenile delinquency.

(d) Why did raids on Home Guard armaments stores cause problems for the police during the war.

(2) A report that includes proposals about the changes that you would like to see in government policy. These proposals will then be discussed and voted on by the rest of the class.

Things you should consider include:

(a) What preventative methods could the government introduce to reduce juvenile delinquency?

(b) Should juvenile delinquents be treated in the same way as adult criminals during a war?

(c) What could the government do to deal with the problems raised by the headmaster of Ashurst Wood Council School?