JOURNAL ARTICLE

"Depraved and Vicious": The Incorrigible Inmates of New Zealand's Girls' Reformatory 1900–1918.

  • Published In: Journal of the History of Childhood & Youth, 2024, v. 17, n. 3. P. 370 1 of 3

  • Database: America: History and Life with Full Text 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Blondell, Delwyn 3 of 3

Abstract

Between 1900 and 1918, New Zealand sent its least cooperative girls and young women into a single state-run reformatory. Te Oranga's inmates included girls raised in industrial schools, thieving domestic servants, and sexually active adolescents. Using a collective biography approach, this study examines these "incorrigible girls" to test their negative portrayal in contemporary reporting. Comparing girls' life courses shows little difference in either precipitating factors or life outcomes. This research suggests that the moral panic about youthful sexual activity exaggerated the social dangers and that girls grew out of their troublesome tendencies during lengthy preventative detention rather than being reformed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of the History of Childhood & Youth. 2024/10, Vol. 17, Issue 3, p370
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:1939-6724
  • DOI:10.1353/hcy.2024.a938246
  • Accession Number:180135594
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of the History of Childhood & Youth is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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