[originaltext]Interviewer (M) Mrs. Hobson (W)M: Mrs. Hobson, would you please

Interviewer (M) Mrs. Hobson (W)
M: Mrs. Hobson, would you please describe some of the things you do with aggressive children in this special school.’?
W: Well, you must realize that when he comes here he is meeting other aggressive children, and aggressive children all together usually gum each other up.
M: Umm.
W: And they find that aggressive here doesn’t pay off because you can be jolly sure there’s one tougher and worse than he is.
M: Umm.
W: So I usually have ohm... Sometimes have organized fights.
M: Organized fights.’? You actually...
W: Yes.
M: You actually encourage the children to.
W: We have a ring and we have a hell.
M: A boxing ring?
W: Yes! They must conform, they must keep to tile rules, and when they have either lost or won, we discuss what it is to be the winner and what it is like to lose. And we carry on with our discussion and go on to what it is like in life.
M: Umm.
W: We must win or lose and we must do each very gracefully.
M: Would you please describe some children you have had problems with?
W: I had one boy who cut off his dog’s ears.
M: Cut off his dog’s ears? Good lord!
W: Yes. And put a stone around his neck and drowned him.
M: The dog?
W: Yes, Then there was another boy that used to attack me.
M: Attack you?
W: Yes. Umm... with anything at hand. I hid scissors. Umm... he tried to cut my hair once. And...
M: When you weren’t looking?
W: Yes. You have to be strong. And of course.., er...
M: By strong you mean...
W: Physically strong and mentally.
M: So that you can shove them away?
W: Well, so that you can defend yourself. I always say to them I’m going to win. And once I’ve established that, we’re all right.
M: Mrs. Hobson, why do you think some children are aggressive?
W: If a child is one of six or seven children in a family, it’s pretty sure that he is naughty and aggressive because he is crying out for attention and in this large family he’s found that a jolly good way of getting attention is to shout, be naughty. At least mummy turns round and says, "Be quiet, be a good boy, or you’ll get this or that."
M: So some children are aggressive simply in order...
W: To gain attention! Aggressiveness usually is that. It’s really the children crying out and saying, "Look at me, please."
M: Umm.
W: I’m not saying it’s the answer in all circumstances but it usually is.
M: What are the advantages of your school, as compared with ordinary school?
W: The classes are smaller for one thing.
M: How small?
W: Er... we only have groups up to five or six.
M: And in a normal school?
W: Oh. That varies of course but it could be thirty to forty.
M: Umm.
W: Here he does have individual attention every day,
M: Do you think the work is important?
W: I do. Without our unit or something similar.
M: The unit is the school?
W: Yes, the whole unit. I think a lot of children would be left and then perhaps at the age of sixteen we would have our juvenile delinquent. I’m not saying we’re curing them all, but I think at least with the unit available to these children, they have had a chance to make good.
M: Umm.
W: I’m not saying it always pays off, but they have had a chance.