All Criminals Are Cowards, Group Is Told
Training of Children Is Solution to Crime, Says Doctor
TALKS TO TORCH CLUB
Delinquency Can Be Traced Back to Boyhood, Says Psychologist
"Every criminal is a coward, is vain and seeks company of his own type."
This was one of the declarations of Dr. Alfred Adler, famed Viennese psychologist, in his address before the Binghamton Torch club at its dinner meeting in the Arlington hotel Wednesday night.
Taking for his subject "Neurosis and Crime Prevention," Dr. Adler went through the field of psychology as it applies to neurotic and delinquent persons to bring out clearly his point that the solution of the problem of crime prevention lies in proper up-bringing of the child—primarily, he said, a problem for educators but also one for parents and clergymen.
Entirely avoiding discussion of his widely known "inferiority complex theory," Dr. Adler declared that during the first few years of a child's life is indicated the individual characteristics of the child.
"Too little social activity is dangerous," he said. The child who wants to boss others, to order them about, to be waited on, to utilize playmates and parents is lacking in social activity.
"On the other hand the delinquent has greater activity. The delinquent is seeking an outlet for some force within that is useful but that is not utilized."
Tendencies of criminals can be traced back to childhood. There is, according to Dr. Adler, no criminal whose past will not show delinquent tendencies from childhood.
"And," explained the psychologist, "they stay in their own style. Once a pickpocket, always a pickpocket. A burglar always remains a burglar. A holdup man the same."
The average delinquent, Dr. Adler pointed out, has a characteristic vanity. If he is caught in a delinquency, his reaction is that he must have made a mistake. He ponders on how he might have done a better job. Any remorse he might have is for his mistakes.
Delinquents seek their own level and this, it was explained, is responsible for the formation of gangs.
A characteristic of delinquents, Dr. Adler asserted, is that invariably they are naturally left handed.
"If you look far enough back in Hauptmann's life," he said, "you will find that he was left handed."
In the open forum which followed the address, Dr. Adler was asked if he had made a sufficient study of the Lindbergh kidnaping case to reach a conclusion on the mental makeup of the individual who committed the crime and if Hauptmann was in this category.
"The person kidnaping the child," said Dr. Adler, "was a burglar. Kidnaping is burglary. Hauptmann in his youth was delinquent. He was in prison in Germany."
Dr. Adler inferred that society in a way is responsible for Hauptmann's guilt if he is found guilty because of his lack of social adjustment.
In presenting a solution for crime prevention, Dr. Adler said the responsibility lies with educators. Problem children, he said, should be supervised and trained. He told of his experiences with children in schools of Vienna and Detroit, Mich., as examples of developing characteristics in children to adjust them socially.
Fuente: «All Criminals Are Cowards, Group Is Told. Training of Children Is Solution to Crime, Says Doctor. Talks to Torch Club. Delinquency Can Be Traced Back to Boyhood, Says Psychologist», The Binghamton Press, Binghamton (N.Y.), jueves 17 de enero de 1935 (edición de tarde), p. 17 (primera página de la segunda sección), sin firma. Transcripción hecha sobre la imagen de la página en Fulton History (Binghamton NY Press Grayscale 1935 - 1486), cotejada con el OCR del archivo; la imagen permite leer entera la última frase, que el OCR daba incompleta. El espaciado de «naturally» y «person» se da en cursiva. Las palabras partidas a final de línea se unen. Se omiten las demás piezas de la página.