Speaking to more than 150 people at the Victoria Hotel in Dunedin, Judge Andrew Becroft said violence and families were two of the top 10 most serious and common issues affecting youth justice in New Zealand.
He started his talk at the Victoria Hotel, in Dunedin, by clarifying what he said were a few myths concerning youth offending.
Secondly, all youth offenders were not the same. They were a varied group of people, some of whom were more serious offenders and who had often gone through some pretty dramatic times.
Also, young offenders were not simply junior adults.
There was scientific evidence that parts of the brain relating to maturity and reasoning went through a second growth stage at age 14 to 16.
Studies also showed children were physically maturing younger, but mentally maturing at an older age, and that the gap between the two was increasing.
Finally, youth justice policy and legislation did not match the brain science.
In fact, it was his opinion that New Zealand's laws tended to lag behind in that area, he said.
"If we knew [the brain science] before, the drinking and driving age would not be where they are set now."
The science was also evidence that the age at which young offenders transfer from the Youth Court to adult courts should be lifted from 17 to 18.
New Zealand was "way out of step" with most of the rest of the world in that regard, he said.
When it came to the matters underlying youth offending, issues within the family unit were the most common problem encountered in youth court.
Now, he was regularly seeing third generation endemic violence in families. Very few of the worst offenders came from two-parent homes, and most seemed to lack a positive male role model.
Parental passivity and helplessness was a significant issue among families of children who end up in the justice system.
Parents at times lacked the confidence to set boundaries, for example around drinking, for their children.
The income gap was also a serious issue in New Zealand.
Research showed the wellbeing of children in more equally rich countries was much better. Having a low-income background was a high risk factor for youth offending, and until the income gap could be reduced, the problem would remain the same.
Violence, substance abuse (he was disturbed recently to see 8% alcohol RTDs, that by their colours and flavours appeared to be being marketed to people under the age of 18, for sale for $1 each), overrepresentation of Maori and children's disengagement with school as other issues that, if addressed, could impact significantly on youth crime.
Gangs, a lack of positive male role models and the need for community connectedness were also common problems affecting young people. Values appeared to be lacking or obscure.
"I think there is a huge duty on us to model consistent values that speak to young people."
Youth, community and social work was in good heart in Dunedin, he said, and he encouraged those gathered to contact Social Development Minister Paula Bennett and let her know what issues they were seeing among the youth they were working with.
