| Abstract: | This article addresses the official responses by various governmentalagencies and departments to the perceived increase in juvenilecrime—seen mainly as a male phenomenon—in Scotlandduring the Second World War. The war forced administrators toboth contest and affirm current ideas about the punishment andtreatment of juvenile offenders at a time of crisis when nationalunity was a concern. Experts saw the problem of delinquencyas related to the breakdown of family life and the social disorganizationcaused by war conditions. The war also reinforced experts’fears about the lack of citizenship among school children andteenagers. There was consequently considerable discussion aboutrecreational facilities available for children and young adults.As a result this study reveals the indistinct boundaries betweenjuvenile crime, youth culture and welfare during World War IIin Scotland. |
