Picking babies likely to slide into crime

It is possible to identify babies at high risk of becoming future criminals and help them, says Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft.

He told a Wellington symposium on child and youth offenders yesterday that although "you could not spot a crim at the age of three," you could spot high-risk children from birth to the age of five and provide help.

"Almost all serious offenders come from the high-risk group."

The focus for decreasing youth offending in future should be on early intervention, he said.

Lesley Max, chief executive of the youth lobby group Great Potentials, agreed with Judge Becroft.

She said a major factor in early intervention was parenting, and funding was needed so more help could be given to teach good parenting skills.

The steps to stop children becoming the victims of abuse were the same as the steps to stop them becoming perpetrators of crime.

New Zealand had a shameful record of child abuse, she said.

A baby crying around a young male could spark a crime with fatal repercussions.

But people did not hear about the children who survived the beatings and the neglect, she said, and they "too often" sat by while a child was moulded into a criminal.

Judge Becroft also discussed the profound impact of the introduction of restorative justice based on family group conferences.

- NZPA