Delinquency Prevention Through Revitalizing Parent-Child Relations

At the Henry Street Settlement, New York City, a project is under way to prevent the contagion of gang activity on younger children by detecting and working with the younger groups while there is still a good chance to influence them. Here we find that one of the most important steps in the cor rective process lies in reaching the parents of these children and helping them reassert their own influence and authority. Even the flimsiest of parent-child relationship is a potential source of control, if help is given in time. Through this spe cial project we are attempting to devise programs which place as much emphasis on encouraging parents to express their au thority as on the intensive group work being done with the chil dren. One of the most effective tools for achieving this has been through a constant effort to bring the parents of prede linquent gang members together at meetings so that their opin ions and group influence can be felt by the children. Another has been through the close, informal relationships developed with individual parents around matters concerning their chil dren and themselves. The partnership between home and Settlement is accepted and recognized by the children and, in most instances, is contributing towards revitalizing parent- child relationships. All combined, this approach seems to be having a positive effect on the behavior of the children in these young groups.