Espousing an interdisciplinary approach, the book contains selected writings, lectures, and speeches concerning clinical work with disturbed children and adolescents in institutional settings. Editorial comment introduces each of the following sections: a survey of the current status of the children's field both clinically and educationally; a challenge to concepts and theories relating to the life-space interview, millieu therapy, improvement expectations, ego disturbances and support, and psychoanalysis and education; and a review of group therapy including group emotion, leadership, contagion, shock effect, resistance to therapy, gang formation, group composition, discipline in classroom practice, and psychoanalysis and group therapy. Also included are advice to staff on relationship to children in observation of a group, interference versus noninterference in different situations, punishment, and handling of sex incidents and anger; and general comments on preadolescent, defiant, hyperaggressive, delinquent, and disadvantaged youth, as well as on camp life and sex education. Examples and recommendations are interspersed throughout the book and a list is provided of the author's publications from 1931 to 1965. (MK)