| Abstract: | An investigation of children entering State wardship revealed a common background of poverty, mobility of domicile, neglect and deprivation together with physical abuse. There were high levels of parental loss and parental psychiatric illness and criminality. While of average intelligence, the children were educationally retarded and emotionally disturbed with depression and hostility the main symptoms. They perceived their environment as violent and aggressive and themselves as deprived or experiencing loss. Most clung to idealized parental figures and denied the reality of their present situation. On discharge from the receiving centre only four children were fostered and the rest continued in care. |
