KL1NISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE 859

reeherch6s. Plus qu'une technique, ou une autre, c'est l e r s6minaire ou la session, combinant ces techniques, qui permet d'atteindre des r6sultats v6ritablement satisfaisants.

NEW CONCEPTS IN THE PSYCHOTHERAPY OF JUVENILE

DELINQUENTS

CARMI HARARI 285 Central Park West, New York, N.Y. (USA)

Recent treatment approaches to juvenile delinquency appear to be characterized by the blending of both sociological and psychological theories. The extremely high rate of therapeutic failures with this population causes reexamination of both philosophy and technique.

Increased delinquency is "reported from many parts of the world, in- cluding paradoxically prosperous nations as well as those beset by very fundamental economic problems. One may also say that delinquency is encountered in all social strata. It appears true, however, that in the main delinquency tends to be found in the "low socio-economic" groups in large urban areas. They are typically defined as delinquent by a finding made by a court or similar public body.

Considerat.;on has been given to social class differences with respect to values, goals, symbols and commmfieatinn between "lower social class" delinquents and their middle class therapists. New approaches to treatment of this group emphasize the need to profoundly modify classic psycho- analytic concepts and techniques in the treatment of the essentially non- verbal and extremely concrete delinquent.

The need to examine value differences between therapist and delinquent patients calls attention to the general problem of values in ,.he post-war and rapidly changing world scene. Some examination is needed of the vacuum created with respect to goals and values for adolescents in general. Ado- lescents do not readily find an identification with ~ommunity goals and aspirations and may feel that there is no important status for them--that they can only mark time. In this light, current reports of desecration of houses of worship require thoughtful examination in terms of their implica- tions with respect to adolescent needs and frustrations.

The programs of the Inter-Professional Committee on Treatment Practice with Delinquents and of the newly organized Juvenile Definquency Research Institute of the Post Graduate Center for Psychotherapy of New York City

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have sought to examine prevailing philosophy and technique of psycho- therapy with delinquents and Io evolve new approaches based on grealcr therapist activity rather than classic passivity, concretely applied to the needs of the impulsive delinquent with a low frustration threshold.

PICTURE PROJ-:r2TION MATERIAL FOR CHILD

PSYCHOTHERAPY

R. Vr PICKFORD .\:ot~e Dame Child Guido.nee Clinic, Gtasgo~ IScot&:nd)

Details are given of the use of a series of 120 simple line drawings for child psychotherapy. The pictures are also u~ful for obtaining more complete information about the emotional problems of clinic children and others. The.',' should be s h o ~ to the child one at a time and about six at each session, and the child should be invited to tell a story about each picture,

They are probably most appropriate for children of pro-adolescent age, who tend to look upon Lowenfeld's World Material as too childish for their attention.

The-therapist should follow in his mind the unconscious phantasies expressed in the stories, and meet them with analytic understanding, so that the child is able to communicate and share his inner problems and conflicts, and to try out in verbal form his repressed phantasies upon an adult who does not become anxious or retaliate. In this way the phantasies may be brought into relation with reality.

The pictures are being used in the Child Guidance Clinics in Glasgow and elsewhere, and a brief report is given of results with 85 boys and 44 girls between 5 and 15 years of age, with I.Q.'s running from 81 to 155. The most frequent symptoms for which children were referred for treat- ment were enuresis, stammering or stuttering and aggressive or difficult behaviour. In 41 reports the pictures were said to be of diagnostic, and in 50 of therapeutic value. In 42 oases their value was not assessed, and in 9 they were said to be of no value. The data do not suggest that they are more effective vd.'th girls or with boys, or that they are better for older or for younger children, or for children of higher or of lower i.Q2s. They are good in ax~ ali-rotmd way.

The report gives an analysis of some of the stories told by five of the children treated by the writer. These analyses show how the stories reveal