(i) There was a substantial increase in juvenile delinquency during the Second World War.
(ii) After the war was over, the rate settled down to something like the pre-war rate.
The following is a fair selection of these figures (alternate years being taken):
| Number of Offences and Complaints of Children Out of Control, etc. | Rate per 10,000 of Juvenile Population | ||
| Year | 7-17 years | 10-17 years | |
| 1934 | 1,653 | 53 | 73 |
| 1936 | 1,786 | 57 | 79 |
| 1938 | 2,447 | 77 | 105 |
| 1940 | 2,464 | 79 | 107 |
| 1942 | 2,421 | 79 | 107 |
| 1944 | 2,493 | 84 | 113 |
| 1946 | 1,786 | 60 | 83 |
| 1948 | 1,589 | 51 | 74 |
| 1950 | 1,464 | 46 | 66 |
| 1952 | 1,883 | 56 | 78 |
| 1954 | 2,105 | 56 | 81 |
In making comparisons it should be noted (as explained later) that during recent years the Department has undertaken much preventive work which may account for a return to the pre-war rate in spite of the existence of other factors leading to an increase in delinquency.
(c) Juvenile Delinquency in Maoris and Non-Maoris
Another illustration of the care required in the use of statistics is afforded by a comparison as between Maori and non-Maori offenders in the 10—17-year-old group. (For the purpose of these figures "Maori" means of the half-blood or more).
For the year ended 31 March 1954 there were 565 Maori delinquents, or 28 per cent of the total number of juvenile delinquents. During this same period there were 1,433 non-Maori offenders, or 72 per cent of those delinquents. But the Maori offenders came from 10 per cent of the juvenile population, whereas the non-Maoris came from 90 per cent of that population. On that basis juvenile delinquency among Maoris was three and a half times that among the rest of the child inhabitants of New Zealand.
The Committee has been unable to arrange for a dissection of the figures to ascertain whether there was a bigger percentage of sexual offenders among young Maoris than among other sections of the people. A considerable portion of offences may come from factors inherent in the culture and traditions of the Maori and their difficulty in conforming to another mode of living.
(d) Children Under Control or Supervision