Title: New Zealand Today: Future Directions From the perspective of the Youth Court of New Zealand
1New Zealand Today Future Directions From the
perspective of the Youth Court of New Zealand
- Philanthropy New Zealand Conference
- Wellington - 28March 2007
- Andrew Becroft
- Principal Youth Court Judge
- Te Kaiwhakawa Matua o Te Kooti Taiohi
2Some of the great all time lies ...
- At home
- This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you
- You look great in that
- I only read it for the articles
- The camera doesnt lie
- Sorry Im late, the traffic was really busy
tonight
3Some great lies .
- At work
- The cheque is in the post
- Actually, I just dictated a letter to you before
you rang - Im sorry, he/she is in a meeting
- I only had half a glass of wine over lunch
4Some great lies .
- In sport
- Ive always been drug free
- Ben Johnson, 1988, after winning Olympic 100
meters final - I have always been faithful to Victoria
- David Beckham
- I didnt add anything to the tea, Mr Mains
- Susie the Waitress
- I dont own a mobile phone
- Shane Warne
5Some great lies .
- In World Affairs
- That wooden horse is just a gift, honest
- I have brought peace in our time
- 1938,
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain - The Beatles? They are a passing phase
- 1965,
Billy Graham - There can be no whitewash in the White House
- 1971,
President Richard Milhouse Nixon - I did not have sexual relations with that woman
- 1998,
President William Jefferson Clinton
63 big misunderstandings about Youth Justice ...
- 1. Youth offending is sky rocketing out of
control - 2. Youth offenders are all the same
- 3. Concerned individuals and the community cant
do much to stop youth offendingnow or in the
future
7Outline
- 1. What I see now
- the real picture about youth offending and
youth offenders - fact or fiction? (See handout
sheet) - 2. Philanthropic priorities now
- 3. The Future?
8What is the real picture about youth offending?
- There are a number of children running about the
streets of Dunedin . . . without the control of
parents. If the government does not take them in
hand . . . they will become . . . members of a
criminal class.
9What is the real picture about youth offending?
(contd)
- There is a definite relationship between the
increase in the number of children on the streets
and the increase in juvenile crime. - First headline from The Otago Daily Times 1884
second in 1886
10Capital Coast Youth Forensic Services
Statistics 2000-2004n 276
- 83 Male
- Maori over-represented (48)
- 70 faced cannabis and alcohol issues
- 16 drug dependent 14 alcohol dependent
- 18 attending school 28 attending
course/training 45 unemployed - 45 excluded/expelled from school
- 55 attended more than one school/transient
- 60 in CYFS care at some stage
- 12 living with both parents 28 with one parent
112. Philanthropic priorities The Four Legs
- A helpful framework
- Vital is understanding a young persons life
- All here are directly or indirectly involved in
one of these 4 legs - The four areas
- Home
- School
- Friends/Peers
- Community
12Home
- Very few serious youth offenders from stable,
two-parent, homes - not saying every solo mother breeds a criminal
- not making judgement about separation
- Most serious young offenders lack a positive,
male, role model - Family disadvantage - dysfunction usually of
fundamental importance
13School
- Increasing attendance and participation in
school by young people a key factor in reducing
anti-social behaviour and offending - Not all truants/non-enrolled young people offend
but overwhelming majority of offenders are
truants or not enrolled - May not be causative but a clear link exists
- Every young person kept at school is one less
potential career criminal
14Friends/Peers
- Young people seek out role models like heat
seeking missile - Only issue who is it that they associate with?
15Community Connectedness
- A kid in sport stays out of Court
- sign outside Blenheim airport
- A young person involved in sport, or any
organised, positive community activity, stays out
of Youth Court - A very protective factor - builds resilience
good friends, good role models, good discipline,
fulfilment and success
16Some suggested priorities...
- I am no expert
- Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
- Not here to preach or lecture
- My aim to provoke and encourage reflection
17Some suggested priorities...
- 1. Encouraging family stability
- 2. Parenting programmes - especially those
working with at risk mothers, particularly
single, young parents - 3. Family based early intervention programmes
eg Early Start and the
Family Help Trust - 4. The battle is won and lost by age 5.
Saint Ignatius Loyola
was right! - 5. Targetted, focused, early intervention
programmes that work
18Some suggested priorities
- 1. Mentoring programmes, especially for boys
- 2. Programmes designed to keep young people
involved in education or a meaningful alternative - 3. Programmes that workfor young people and
which build connectedness - Drug and alcohol
- Mental Health
- Serious young offenders
- Note Youth Offending Services Effectiveness
Checklist Kaye McLaren - MSD.
193. Future Directions
- Government Statistician says.
20The Changing Face of New Zealand
- Brian Pink
- Government Statistician
21THE AGEING OF OUR POPULATION
- A Phenomena In Many OECD Countries
222001 Census Usually Resident Population Count
23Population age structure 2004 and 2051
24Ageing Population, New Zealand, 1966-2051
25Population aged 65 years
5-yearly change
Population
26POPULATION AND THE CHANGING ETHNIC COMPOSITION
27Projected Share of 5-17 Year Age Group in Ethnic
Groups, Series 6
28EDUCATION AND WORK
- Implications of Population Dynamics
29Educational age groups
30GROWING REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
- The Rate and Composition of Change
31North-South population distribution
32Projected regional population change20012026
33SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS
34Human Capital
- 35 of Mäori students and 27 of Pacific students
left school with no qualifications in 2002,
compared with 12 of all other students - Little change between 1991-2002
35Projected age of retirementto maintain the
2001 aged dependency ratio1
1. Number of people aged 65 years per 100 people
aged 1564 years.
36 Projected Dependency Ratio, 2004, 2016 2026
37The real solution???
38Conclusion
- To nourish children and raise them against the
odds is in any time, any place more valuable than
to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons - Marilyn French
- There is always one moment in childhood when the
door opens and lets the future in - The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene
39Hemis song
Im sorry for all the pain that I caused Putting
your family through something I could never have
stopped And now Im staring at the stars thinking
of what i have done Something stupid of course
what was I thinking of Looking for my mentality
but that was lost Back in the days BC id be
pinned to a cross But instead Im writing this
rhyme because you gave me a chance So in the
words that I write You should know that they came
from my heart You opened my eyes despising what I
had done Look above and find the strength to
carry on.
40Hemis song verse 2
The stupid things Ive done in my life Creating
enemies that want to bring a lot of strife Wed
fight On the streets Is probably where you would
see me Drugged out struggling to breath But now
im down on my knees With a million
apologies Please time freeze wish I could turn
back the time Rewind but its all over and done A
new era begun The sun has risen And its shining
through This song I compose is dedicated to you.