What did the child savers in the nineteenth century aim to achieve?

The child savers in the nineteenth century primarily aimed to influence juvenile legislation and control troubled youth. This movement emerged in response to rising concerns about the welfare of children, particularly those living in urban areas amidst industrialization. Child savers advocated for a judicial system that addressed the needs of young offenders differently than that of adults, aiming to reform rather than punish.

They believed that children were inherently good but could be corrupted by their environment. As a result, they pushed for the establishment of institutions like juvenile courts and reform schools, which were designed to rehabilitate troubled youth rather than simply incarcerate them. The child savers' efforts focused on shaping laws and systems that recognized the unique developmental needs of children and offered them the chance for a better future.

In contrast, while the promotion of child labor laws and the establishment of adult rehabilitation centers were also significant social movements, they do not encapsulate the primary focus of the child savers during this specific period. Similarly, family planning was not within the scope of the child savers' objectives, as their emphasis was on intervention and rehabilitation for children in trouble rather than broader societal issues such as family structures or planning.