Rapua te huarahi tika: Searching for solutions: A review of research about effective interventions for reducing offending by indigenous and ethnic minority youth.

Source: (2000) Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Youth Affairs.

Research suggests that indigenous ethnic minority young people in New Zealand are more involved in the justice system than other young people. To find ways for all young people to develop positively in each of four key social environments- family, school, peer group, and community- the Ministry of Youth Affairs in New Zealand commissioned this report by Debbie Singh and Clem White. It consists of a literature review to identify “what worksâ€? to reduce offending by young people from indigenous and minority ethnic groups. The two primary questions addressed in the report are these. Do current interventions actually work for such young people? Are there interventions that could work better? After an introductory overview of their objectives, scope, and methods, Singh and White examine the causes and correlates of youth offending; interventions for indigenous and ethnic minority group youth (assessment of interventions, assessment of research, and various kinds of interventions); and components of effective interventions for indigenous and ethnic minority groups (with emphasis on Maori youth and Pacific youth). In their summary, the authors acknowledge certain limitations in their review, and they also propose directions for ongoing research in this area.