Delinquency and Child Neglect

Originally published in 1962, this was the first comprehensive study of a group of families often referred to as 'problem families'. Harriett Wilson shows that they are not a homogenous group, and furthermore, that they do not possess any unique personality traits.

Harriett Wilson (1916-2002) was a sociologist, anti-poverty campaigner and the founder, in 1965, of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). Her discovery of the overlap of poverty, juvenile delinquency and problems at school also led her to set up an experimental pre-school play centre, an initiative taken further in the Sure Start programme launched in 1998.

Preface. 1. Trends in Juvenile-Delinquency Studies 2. Aims and Methods of the Seaport Survey 3. The Parents 4. The Children 5. Housing Conditions 6. Performance Inadequacy 7. Juvenile Delinquency: The Facts 8. Juvenile Delinquency: An Interpretation 9. Conclusions 10. Some Practical Proposals. Appendices. Bibliography. Index.