Police believe there would be less crime if more children were taught values such as respect and honesty.
It is with that view that a new programme, developed by police and teachers, has recently been launched in primary schools.
The programme, Do the Right Thing, is similar to the schemethe Ministry of Education wants to add to the school curriculum by 2007.
Senior Sergeant Mike Fulcher, Counties Manukau's Community Services Manager, said there was a definite link between youth offending and a lack of values.
"We had a lot of young people presenting to family group conferences who had no remorse or connection with their behaviour and couldn't see that it was wrong."
Those offenders who had been taught values were more likely to show remorse, he said.
Mr Fulcher, who oversees youth education and youth aid services in Counties Manukau, helped to launch Do the Right Thing in June.
It focuses on five themes: honesty, respect, rules and laws, consequences and right and wrong.
Schools that adopt the voluntary programme spend 10 to 15 hours a year on it. Mr Fulcher said the programme was in high demand.
Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft said most of the 5000 to 6000 young people who went through the court each year lacked the kind of values accepted by most communities.
He said introducing a values programme into schools was an excellent idea. But it would need to be brought in at primary school level as many of the worst offenders were no longer enrolled by the time they reached high school.
Mr Becroft said though the programme was an extra burden for teachers, the reality was many parents were unable to consistently teach children the values they needed nor act as good role models.
