A Work Camp Program for Potential Delinquents

Abstract

Fuld Neighborhood House in Newark, New Jer sey, has for the past two summers sponsored a Work Camp Project in an attempt to combat delinquent trends by offering teen-agers both paid work in accordance with their abilities and the guidance and leadership of trained social workers. The experiment has not been an unqualified success, but many good results have been obtained and many valuable lessons learned for future projects. Boys of the particular subculture involved equate success with the art of obtaining the greatest material reward for the least effort possible, an equation clearly indi cated by their work habits. Their deep fear of being taken advantage of by society causes them to react violently to any thing which they feel to be unfair, but at the same time they are extremely responsive to just treatment and anxious to maintain a close and friendly relationship with the social work ers who serve as their leaders. The extension of the Work Camp Project into a year-round program could provide the continued leadership sorely needed by these young people and offer them an incentive to obtain the education and training necessary to enable them to become productive members of society.