Considering all factors Richers age the family's financial situation the community etc. evaluate Richard's mother's decision to send him back out into the street to face the gang of boys

Mother is aware of the harsh world Richard is living in. She knows it is just going to get worse. She wants Richard to learn to stand up for himself. Richard has already been through violence, inflicted by his father, as well as hunger. Richard's mother seems to want Richard to stand his ground.