The Juvenile Court and the Child Guidance Clinic
| Author | E.E. Irvine |
| Published date | 01 January 1945 |
| Date | 01 January 1945 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455054500401005 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
109
THE JUVENILE COURT AND THE CHILD
GUIDANCE CLINIC
By Miss E. E. IRVINE, Psychiatric Social Worker
The Child Guidance movement was cradled in
appear immatur e and irresponsible, thoughtless, self-
America by certain Juvenile Courts which became
indulgent, too impulsive to exercise any systematic
aware of a need for thorough psychological investiga-
authority, too uncontrolled to command the respect of
tion of cases appearing before them.
It thus
their children. The latter will tend to show similar
developed in close rcontact with the more enlightened
weaknesses of character, ~and to lack self-control
American Courts and their requirements, while they
where discipline is weak, or to be tough and rebel-
in turn modified their attitudes and procedure to some
lious where it has beep too harsh. Such cases do not
extent in the light of their growing psychological
as a rule require the specialised technique of the
insight. This organic relationship has not been para-
Child Guidance Clinic. The family needs more than
lelled in this country, where a Child Guidance move-
anything else a wise and steadfast friend, patient
ment reared in U.S.A. immigrated, shall we say, at
and understanding, who can play the part of a good
adolescence, arriving as a strangler which had to
parent to the child and his parents alike-in fact, a
introduce itself to the senior service, to prove its
first-rate probation officer,. He (or she) will exercise
mettle and in course of time to build up a firm rela-
a
constant influence towards responsibility, good
tionship.
This relationship is in fact still in the
sense, self-control, consideration for others and good
making, and this article is written in the hope of
f eeling and understanding between the child and his
contributing something to it by a consideration of the
parents. He is at pains to build up in them the
overlapping fields of the two services and possible
foundations of self-confidence and self-respect, by
lines of division of labour between them.
dis~cussing their problems without censoriousness, and
Since it is to some extent a matter of chance whether
by giving them the heartening assurance that no effort
any given child is referred in the first instance to
they make will lack appreciation.
Such work
Court or Clinic, each acts as a filler for the other.
involves a wide understanding of normal psychology,
The Juvenile Courts had their, consider.able propor-
whether this is attained by...
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