Lack of good parenting that contributes to New Zealand youth crime rates: experts

While only a few young people with problems have contributed significantly to the proliferation of crime in New Zealand, some officials have told criminal families more to prevent and help children move away from criminal life. Say you need to pay attention.

The most common method of stealing used by New Zealand youth is ramming, which pushes a car into a store and plunders it.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff told The Epoch Times that more attention needs to be paid to the problematic family environment of children, who are often the source of problems.

“The Ram attack is associated with young criminals with an average age of 14 years,” Goff said. “There is an element of imitation in the problem, and a few are involved in multiple cases.”

“According to police, children in violent families with substance and alcohol abuse are a common factor, and the challenge is to target the cause of the problem.”

Some seven-year-olds were reportedly found to go out late at night to steal toys and candies, while robbers and jewelery during the day in front of many witnesses. Some children have stolen.

Missing from the classroom

The mayor said the recent wave of Ram raids was also associated with COVID-19, which raised concerns about school absenteeism. Many of these children are completely out of school and have not returned.

In response, the government has embarked on an approach to this issue, with Deputy Minister of Education Jan Tinetti announcing his goals for attending schools across the country.

Tinetti said on June 9 that attendance at schools has declined altogether since 2015, with a trend accelerating during COVID-19.

“”[It] Currently, we are sitting in about 60% of the students who appear with a 90% chance, “she said in a statement.

Goff said children committing juvenile delinquency pose risks to both themselves and the community and authorities.

“Police and other agencies need to focus on dealing with the dysfunctional families they were born in, changing their behaviour, and preventing these young criminals from joining the gang and living a criminal life.” He said.

Ian Lambie, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Auckland, agreed that it is important to start with the family when tackling the problem of youth crime.

“These young people obviously come from fairly challenging and difficult families where parents and caregivers really lack or do not have the ability to provide proper supervision. And I think it’s parenting. I think, therefore, it comes down to parenting and supervision, “he told The Epoch Times.

Just a “phase”

According to Lambie, youth crimes are constantly occurring in New Zealand, but a few years ago, young criminals used to drive the other side of the freeway or steal cigarettes and alcohol in stores instead of assaulting. Was.

“Things are a little fad — and this isn’t to minimize it — but this is one of those fads,” he said, adding that social media played a contributing role.

According to a 2021 report released by the Ministry of Justice, crime rates for children (ages 10-13) and adolescents (ages 14-16) decreased by 65% ​​and 63%, respectively, between 2010/11 and 2020/21. Did(pdf).

However, he also noted that the proportion of unpleasant children committing more serious crimes has been constantly increasing from 24% to 36% since 2013/14.

Opposition national parties have called the government “vulnerable to crime,” and there have been some calls for more serious consequences for young criminals.

But Lambie, the chief scientific adviser to the judiciary department at the Prime Minister’s Office, said making a stricter ruling would only make things worse in the long run.

“When you put these kids in jail, it makes them criminals, so in order to survive, they need to join the gang and they need to be harder,” he said. rice field. “And it gets worse, resulting in more casualties and greater costs to society.”

Gang violence is another important part of New Zealand’s current violence and crime.

Lambie suggests that treatment and intervention programs should engage with younger children between the ages of 5 and 12, calling it a gap in the current system.

“I think it’s a solvable problem,” he said. “But I think we can focus on a young cohort, a group of young children coming in.”