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Download AudioThe assistant Māori commissioner for children says only a very small number of tamariki are involved in ram raids.
There have been reports of children as young as seven being involved in the spate of raids through the school holidays.
Glenis Philip-Barbara says in fact youth offending is at record lows.
She says research done for the Office of the Children’s Commissioner shows young offenders have often endured physical, sexual or emotional abuse, inter-generational disconnection from their whānau, whenua and culture, and some form of state intervention.
“For many of these young people, they had unmet health needs from the age of two or three, issues like being unable to hear, issues with their mental well being, things which if treated arguably may well have set those young people and the other members of the whanau on a different path,” Ms Philip-Barbara says.
She says young offenders are likely to only trust a small peer group, which can lead them into trouble.
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