NCJ Number
144451
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 26 Issue: 2 Dated: (July 1993) Pages: 155-170
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The relationship between ethnicity and rates of violent, property, and other juvenile offenses was studied for a birth cohort of 1,265 children born in Christchurch, New Zealand and followed through age 14.
Abstract
The data were collected by means of self-reports and parental reports. Results revealed that the children of Maori ethnicity had significantly higher rates of offending than children of Pakeha (European) ethnicity. The Maori rates were 1.45 to 2.25 times higher than the Pakeha rates. However, after adjustment for a series of social and environmental factors, including maternal age, maternal educational levels, family socioeconomic status, family living standards, and early childhood environment, these associations declined, so that children of Maori or Pacific Island ethnicity had risks of offending ranging from 1.08 to 1.55 times higher than children of Pakeha ethnicity. In four of the five comparisons, no significant relationship was found between ethnicity and offending after adjusting for social and contextual factors. Tables and 38 references