We have first-hand, in-depth knowledge about gangs in Aotearoa New Zealand and care deeply about ensuring the overall learnings from our various programmes are available, discoverable, and can be built upon. To that end, we are developing an evidence base of what works to mobilise and effect positive change. We have also published articles and delivered lectures and presentations in a wide range of settings.
Read through our Resource Centre to learn about our research and expertise on gangs, crime and criminal justice in New Zealand.
Read through our Resource Centre to learn about our research and expertise on gangs, crime and criminal justice in New Zealand.
Published articles and reports
A Critique of the New Zealand Government’s Gang Legislation Amendment Bill’s Banning Gang Patches in Public
This paper, published in Decolonization of Criminology and Justice, summarises the social and economic circumstances leading to the proliferation of gangs in New Zealand. It also examines New Zealand public policies to manage gang behaviours and the outcomes of these policies, which in the main have contributed to the formation of gangs and their violent behaviours. The paper uses this background information to critique the coalition government’s proposed Gang Legislation Amendment Bill that prohibits the display of gang insignia in public places, creating a new criminal offence, currently before Parliament. We contend that the proposed legislation will do nothing to reduce gang membership as it does not address the causes of gang membership.
​Cracks in the Dam: invisible forces destroying families in Aotearoa
|
This independent report funded by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care highlights how the placement of tamariki into care has been strongly influenced by wider social, cultural and economic forces in Aotearoa.
H2R's Co-Director Angie Wilkinson worked on this report alongside author, academic and journalist, Max Rushbrooke. Angie looks specifically at the socio-economic forces and processes that gave rise to ‘hard to reach’ whānau, and their intergenerational experiences of deprivation, trauma and marginalisation. |
|
Gang growth New Zealand
Changing the lens – positive developments from New Zealand was written by Dr Julia Carr and Harry Tam in 2013 and published in the International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates Chronicle.
The article describes social and historical drivers of gang growth in New Zealand, an approach to intervention and examples of successful mediation and pro-social change.
The article describes social and historical drivers of gang growth in New Zealand, an approach to intervention and examples of successful mediation and pro-social change.
Presentations
Covid-19: Facilitating contact tracing and vaccinations for hard to reach groups
|
A range of drivers, including racism, poverty and distrust of authority, mean hard to reach māori communities were at high risk of contracting and transmitting during peak transmission periods of Covid-19, and were less likely to get tested and vaccinated. We worked with the police and public health officials to support these communities during New Zealand's elimination period.
Harry Tam recently spoke about his work during the COVID-19 pandemic at Manakau Nui, which included leaders from across Aotearoa who stepped up to guide our communities through the outbreaks and beyond. |
|
Engaging hard to reach communities to tackle addiction
|
In 2017, Harry Tam spoke at Cutting Edge - Addiction is Everybody's Business about the history of gangs and gang policy.
Harry took the stage to talk about how state violence, marginalisation and the intergenerational transfer of dysfunction have all played a significant role in the evolution of gangs. He discusses what has and hasn't worked when it comes to policy responses and what the implications of these decisions have been. Cutting Edge is the annual conference of Professional Body and Member Organisation dapaanz. |
|
The history of gangs and its implications for violence in prison
Gangs have been evolving in NZ since the 1950’s and have been perceived in stereotypical ways by media and justice agencies that has contributed to ongoing tensions between these groups and social institutions. This presentation, included in the proceedings for Te Taipitopito, discusses the changing gang scene in Aotearoa, the policy responses, and its implications for violence in prisons.
Read the proceedings for: Te Taipitopito: Understanding prison violence in Aotearoa symposium, 2022, below.
Read the proceedings for: Te Taipitopito: Understanding prison violence in Aotearoa symposium, 2022, below.
Guest Lectures
Crime and criminal justice
We work with universities and research organisations so they can better understand the theory behind our work with hard to reach communities.
In 2017, Harry Tam delivered a guest lecture about gangs, specifically the beginning of the Mongrel Mob, for Victoria University of Wellington's course, CRIM 212: Crime and Criminal Justice in New Zealand. This course is compulsory for students majoring in criminology at Victoria.
Professor Sarah Monod de Froideville co-ordinated this course and received overwhelming feedback, asking Harry to continue these lectures in the years following. She wrote up an evaluation, accessible below, and shared some of the students' feedback, inlcuding:
"I feel that having a different perspective on gangs in New Zealand, particularly direct from a lifelong member, is something that is beneficial when looking at topics like this. I hope that you still consider doing something similar to this in future lectures/years, as it has helped me immensely to remember the limitations of criminological research, and research in general, alongside the fact that the lecture itself, whilst structurally differed from an academic lecture, was extremely interesting and I feel has helped my learning a lot.”
In 2017, Harry Tam delivered a guest lecture about gangs, specifically the beginning of the Mongrel Mob, for Victoria University of Wellington's course, CRIM 212: Crime and Criminal Justice in New Zealand. This course is compulsory for students majoring in criminology at Victoria.
Professor Sarah Monod de Froideville co-ordinated this course and received overwhelming feedback, asking Harry to continue these lectures in the years following. She wrote up an evaluation, accessible below, and shared some of the students' feedback, inlcuding:
"I feel that having a different perspective on gangs in New Zealand, particularly direct from a lifelong member, is something that is beneficial when looking at topics like this. I hope that you still consider doing something similar to this in future lectures/years, as it has helped me immensely to remember the limitations of criminological research, and research in general, alongside the fact that the lecture itself, whilst structurally differed from an academic lecture, was extremely interesting and I feel has helped my learning a lot.”
