Keeping children in school is the best weapon against youth offending, the top Youth Court judge says.
Schools and teachers were "first-line crime fighters" against a cycle of offending committed by young people, Judge Andrew Becroft told school trustees at their annual conference yesterday.
He said there were 10 key issues affecting young people, from income equality to violence, drug use and a lack of community connectedness, Fairfax Media reported.
"The more time a young person spends at school, the less time there is to be out taking risks," Judge Becroft said.
Expelling children merely shifted the problem.
"A problem pupil removed is a problem solved for that school, but not for our communities. It's simply relocated."
He said that a dependable family unit was the best way for young people to feel supported.
"Very few serious youth offenders come from stable, two-parent homes," he said.
Most youth offenders he saw had experienced regular upheaval in their family lives.
He also identified problems such as learning disabilities, foetal alcohol disorder and the lack of male role models as contributing to youth crime.
NZN