Eighty Thousand Adolescents, originally published in 1950, illustrated by maps, photographs and diagrams, describes and interprets the results of a study of the young people of Birmingham. This study was made by the staff and students of Westhill Training College, under the direction of Bryan Reed, Youth Tutor. Visits were paid to some hundreds of youth organizations, and answers to a series of questions were given by over a thousand young people, both ‘attached’ and ‘unattached’.
Some of the questions to which the investigators set out to find answers were: In what kind of homes are young people growing up? How do they earn their living? How many take advantage of opportunities for further education? How do they spend their leisure? – and their pocket money? What do they read? What are their emotional, intellectual, spiritual and social needs? and how far do Education Authorities, Clubs, Churches, etc. meets these needs?
In his summing-up Mr. Reed calls attention to the need for imaginative and instructed leadership, for a sense of purpose in the Youth Service, and for the integration of this Service in the wider life of the community. Today it is a fascinating look back at adolescent life in post-war Britain.