Abstract
This study explores possible ethnic bias in rates of officially recorded convictions among a birth cohort of New Zealand young people studied to age 21 years. Data were gathered as part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study. In this project a cohort of 1265 children born in Christchurch in 1977 have been studied from birth to age 21 years. The measures collected included: officially recorded convictions (17–21 years), self-reported ethnicity (21 years), self-reported offending (17–21 years), family socioeconomic status, leaving school without qualifications, and gender. Young Maori had rates of conviction that were between 4.1–5.9 times higher than for non-Maori. Much of this association was explained by the fact that Maori also reported higher rates of offending. However, even after statistical control for self-reported offending and individual characteristics (gender, socioeconomic status and educational qualifications) Maori still had rates of conviction that were 1.6–1.8 times higher than non-Maori These results suggest the presence of a small bias in the arrest/conviction process which leads to Maori offenders having higher rates of conviction than non-Maori offenders with similar offending history and socioeconomic background.
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