-marital sexual relations, and the
spread of new psychological ideas.

25. The Committee is unanimously of the opinion that adolescents should
not buy or be in possession of contraceptives. There is, however, some
difference of opinion as to how this decision could be made effective.

26. The state of the law regarding indecent conduct on the part of boys
and girls operates very unfairly. Boys who admit this offence are
charged in the Children's Court under sections of the Crimes Act for
breach of which they are liable to terms of imprisonment of five to
seven years. Their names and particulars of the offence are recorded in
the _Police Gazette_. The girls (some of whom may have incited the boys
to offend) cannot be charged; if they are brought before the Court at
all, it is only when their parents are summoned for having delinquent
children and their names are not gazetted.

27. The Child Welfare Act should be broadened to provide for the doing
of preventive work. At present it provides only for the correction of
children who have committed offences or who are delinquents. There are
also grave weaknesses in this statute and in the whole procedure for
dealing with offending and delinquent children.

_XVIII. Recommendations_

=(1) Proposals for Legislation=

(_a_) The definition of "obscene" and "indecent" in the statute law
relating to printed and published matter should be enlarged so as to
cover all productions which are harmful in that they place undue
emphasis on sex, crime, or horror.

(_b_) All distributors of books, magazines, and periodical (other than
newspapers and educational or scientific publications) should be
required to register their names and the names of their various
publications. If they offend against the proposed law regarding
objectionable publications, their licences to produce or distribute
should be cancelled.

(_c_) A new offence should be created whereunder boys and girls who are
guilty of indecent conduct with one another should both be liable to be
charged as delinquents in the Children's Court and the practice of
recording the names of boys in the _Police Gazette_ as having been
summarily dealt with should cease.

(_d_) In all cases where children are summoned to Court their parents
(if available) should be required to attend with them.

(_e_) The Court should have the power to require the parent or guardian
of an offending or delinquent child to pay the fine