Crime has increased significantly in New Zealand over the past 20 years. New Zealand now has one of the highest burglary rates in the developed world, higher than the United States, Great Britain or Australia.

Many influential criminologists attribute increases in crime to poverty, employment, genetic defects, psychological problems and dysfunctional families. Recent criminological theories acknowledge that criminals have some control over their behaviour, but these theories acknowledge that criminals have some control over their behaviour, but these theories persist in the search for biological, psychological, and sociological factors that make certain children destined to become criminals.