Youth justice: police take actions against fewer children, young people

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have taken action against fewer children and young people, including fewer cases involving young people and serious offending, but more involving children and serious offending, new figures show.

The Youth Justice Indicators report, published on Friday, said in the year to June 2025 the rate of police action against children decreased by 22 percent, and against young people by nine percent.

The report, published by the Ministry of Justice, defines those aged 10 to 13 years old as children, and 14 to 17-year-olds as young people.

When measured relative to population size, the rate of offending decreased from 75 to 58 per 10,000 children, and from 252 to 220 per 10,000 young people.

The report only counts youth offending in cases where police proceed to take action against a child or young person, including in the form of warnings, youth justice family group conferences (FGCs), and prosecution in the Youth Court.

There were eight percent fewer cases in which police action was taken against young people for the most serious offences – carrying a maximum penalty of 14 or more years.

But for children, that number increased by 17 percent, leading to a higher rate of police action for serious offending.

This reflected increased action against youth with previous justice system involvement, who were more likely to seriously offend, the report said.

The report also found the rate at which police action was taken and rates of reoffending amongst children and young people remained relatively stable.

Of those who had police action taken against them, one in 10 children and three in 10 young people were proceeded against with an FGC or court hearing – roughly the same proportion as last year, it said.

For young people found guilty in court in 2022, 54 percent reoffended within two years.

For 16-year-olds found guilty in court in 2022, 42 percent reoffended and entered the adult system within two years.

However, for youth managed outside of the formal justice system, the reoffending rate decreased, the report found.

For children who received “alternative actions” or warnings for their first proceeding, the reoffending rate decreased from 27 percent to 24 percent.

For young people who received alternative actions or warnings for their first proceeding, the reoffending rate decreased from 22 percent to 20 percent.

The report also considered the type of offending for which children and young people faced police action.

Theft remained the most common offence, making up 37 percent, followed by assault at 14 percent, it said.

The report also acknowledged that “the vast majority of children (98 percent) and young people (88 percent) referred for a youth justice FGC had a previous care and protection report of concern”.

It pointed to a new inter-agency initiative that was last month introduced by Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston aimed at supporting youth whose sole parent was in custody.

“This initiative aims to ensure an immediate focus on the safety, wellbeing and adequacy of care arrangements for these children, which could also address the cycle of intergenerational justice involvement.”

The report outlined that Māori and Pasifika children and young people continued to be significantly disproportionally likely to face police proceedings as a result of offending.

Māori youth were more than twice as likely to be involved in the youth justice system compared with the total population, it said.

“Tamariki and rangatahi Māori are disproportionately represented in all stages of the youth justice system, suggesting that the system inadequately responds to their needs.”

• Of children proceeded against, 63 percent were tamariki Māori, and of young people, 53 percent were rangatahi Māori.
• Of young people appearing in court, 68 percent were rangatahi Māori.
• Of youth remanded into custody, 72 percent were tamariki and rangatahi Māori.
• 32 percent of Pasifika young people proceeded against had an FGC or court action, compared with 30 percent for the total population.
• 29 percent of Pasifika young people proceeded against appeared in court, compared with 26 percent for the total population.
• 38 percent of Pasifika children and young people who appeared in the Youth Court were remanded into custody, compared with 32 percent for the total population.

“While a part of disproportionality in the justice system may be explained by factors such as seriousness of offending or offending history, recent work completed by the Ministry shows that some of it remains unexplained”, the report said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand