teasing, buoyant, buffoon, cruel, selfish, generous, sympathetic, inquisitive,
lying, ill-tempered, silent, dignified, frank, loquacious, courageous, timid,
whining, spoiled, gluttonous and only child.
Marro[4] tabulated the conduct of 3,012 boys in gymnasial and lyceal classes in
Italy from eleven to eighteen years of age (see table given above). Conduct was
marked as good, bad, and indifferent, according to the teacher's estimate, and
was good at eighteen in 74 per cent of the cases; at eleven in 70 per cent; at
seventeen in 69 per cent; and at fourteen in only 58 per cent. In positively bad
conduct, the age of fifteen led, thirteen and fourteen were but little better, while
it improved at sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. In general, conduct was good at
eleven; declined at twelve and thirteen; said, to its worst at fourteen; and then
improved in yearly increments that did not differ much, and at seventeen was
nearly as good as at eleven, and at eighteen four points better.
[Illustration: Percentage x Age]
He computed also the following percentage table of the causes of punishments in
certain Italian schools for girls and boys near pubescent ages:
Boys GirlsQuarrels and blows 53.90 17.4
Laziness, negligence 1.80 21.3
Untidiness 10.70 24.7
Improper language .41 14.6
Indecent acts and words 1.00 .24
Refusal to work .82 1.26
Various offenses against discipline 19.00 19.9
Truancy 9.60 .0
Plots to run away 1.70 .0
Running away .72 .0
Mr. Sears[5] reports in percentages statistics of the punishments received by a
thousand children for the following offenses: Disorder, 17-1/3; disobedience, 16;
carelessness, 13-1/3; running away, 12-2/3; quarreling, 10; tardiness, 6-2/3;
rudeness, 6; fighting, 5-1/3; lying, 4; stealing, 1; miscellaneous, 7-1/3. He names
a long list of punishable offenses, such as malice, swearing, obscenity, bullying,
lying, cheating, untidiness, insolence, insult, conspiracy, disobedience,
obstinacy, rudeness, noisiness, ridicule; injury to books, building, or other