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Children as young as 12 are being used by organised gangs to commit crimes on their behalf such as drug dealing and theft, a law and order campaigner has claimed.
New Zealand First MP Ron Mark said the gangs used the youngsters believing their age would protect them from prosecution.
It was clear that 11, 12 and 13-year-olds who had been used by gangs to burgle to order were now just as likely to be working in tinny houses.
"It is not uncommon for them to be dragging in kids who actually do come from good families, who do come from good homes," Mr Mark said.
"These kids are drawn in because they see the attraction of having discretionary money to be able to buy the right shoes, the right clothes, the right caps, the right jackets, so they can be in the right crowd."
Children of these ages were now well aware of their rights, and many learned the criminal trade from parents in gangs.
"They will commit crimes and offences in the absolute belief they can't be touched. This is how we allow young people to become embedded in lifestyles of crime."
Criminologist Greg Newbold said some young people started "prospecting" for gangs at an early age, and were expected to nod their heads, or confess, to crimes committed by older gang members.
"And if they are under the age of criminal responsibility, all the better. Nowadays there is evidence of kids becoming more and more sophisticated in their activities and committing more and more serious crimes."
Mr Mark said parents who allowed their children to be drawn into a life of crime from an early age should lose their rights.
"There are some people out there who simply don't have a right to have children, because they simply abuse them."
Mr Mark is also promoting his own party's bill to have the age of criminal responsibility lowered to 12, but admits he faces an "army of opposition" to push it through.
"People say ... children can be charged if they are 14. Well, children can only be charged if they have murdered. They can't be charged if they raped ... or have beaten a grandmother up to within an inch of her life and left her paralysed."
Dr Newbold agreed with lowering the age of criminal responsibility.
"By the time kids turn 16 many of them have been offending seriously for six years. It's naive to think they are inexperienced and don't know what they are doing."
