Published August 2022

This brief summary research follows on from a more comprehensive report published in March 2022 (#7609). This research looks at risk and protective factors for children (under age 14 years) who offend in order to improve early identification and intervention efforts and protect such children from potentially lifelong criminality.

Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) data on 48,989 children (from their birth in 2000 until June 2019) showed factors associated with starting to offend as a child. Case files on all 108 children nationwide who had offended (under section 14(1)e) in one year (mid-2019 to mid-2020) cast light on these children’s lives. Key stakeholder interviews with whānau, lawyers and other professionals (n = 33) explored how the child welfare and Family Court systems could be improved.

This research clearly showed that, in the vast majority of cases, child offending was preceded by significant child welfare concerns. IDI data showed high levels of adversity and abuse, reports of concern to Oranga Tamariki, out-of-home placements and state care, stand-downs and suspensions from school, and indicators of cultural and social deprivation that were significantly worse relative to their non-offending peers. (From the website). Record #7852