ABSTRACT
The general pattern in Ship Street is for the boy or girl to leave school as soon as he possibly can and to get a job. Therefore, for the adolescent, this is a time of external as well as internal conflict and change. There are plenty of blind-alley type jobs available and it is not surprising that the Ship Street adolescent usually takes them. This is yet another example of his inability to take a long-term view or to plan for the future. Both the boys and girls, as a rule, do not stay long in any one job but move around. For instance, Shirley, aged 15, who hasn't been out of school a year, is now in her third job. She left her second after four months work. Both Ted and Sam, aged 16, have been out of school and at work just on a year. Ted is now in his fourth job since leaving school, Sam has just left his ninth.
