Story: City children and youth

Bodgie behaviours

Bodgie behaviours

In 1958 psychologist A. E. Manning published The bodgie: a study in abnormal psychology. It fed a moral panic about adolescent behaviour by seemingly confirming that 1950s teenagers were more promiscuous and anti-social than previous generations. In fact historians have since shown that juvenile offending at this time was no worse than the previous two decades, and better than during the Second World War.

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Penguin Random House
Reference: A. E. Manning, The Bodgie. Wellington: Reed, 1958

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How to cite this page:

Ben Schrader, 'City children and youth - Bad behaviour', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/21966/bodgie-behaviours (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Ben Schrader, published 11 Mar 2010