Use the passage from Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives to answer the question. "With no steady hand to guide him, the boy takes naturally to idle ways. Caught in the street by the truant officer, or by the agents of the Children’s Societies, peddling, perhaps, or begging, to help out the family resources, he runs the risk of being sent to a reformatory, where contact with vicious boys older than himself soon develop the latent possibilities for evil that lie hidden in him. The city has no Truant Home in which to keep him, and all efforts of the children’s friends to enforce school attendance are paralyzed by this want. The risk of the reformatory is too great." – Jacob Riis In a paragraph of 3–5 sentences, interpret the passage in your own words...
In this passage, Jacob Riis is describing the unfortunate situation faced by young boys in the city who lack proper guidance. Without someone to lead them in the right direction, these boys naturally fall into idle and potentially harmful behaviors. Sometimes, they may be caught by truant officers or agents from Children's Societies, as they engage in activities like peddling or begging to support their families. However, if they are sent to a reformatory, where they would come into contact with older and more corrupt boys, their inner tendencies toward wrongdoing could be further developed. Riis points out that the city lacks a Truant Home to address this issue, making it difficult for those trying to enforce school attendance. The potential risks associated with sending these boys to reformatories are seen as too severe.
