A victims' advocate is calling for consistency in the Youth Aid system amid a spate of crimes being committed by young people.
It comes after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday rejected claims there were no consequences for young people committing crimes.
Ardern's comments came as Auckland continued to face an increased amount of crime from ram raids with no sign of them slowing down.
According to figures released by police under the Official Information Act, there were 283 ram raids in the year to November.
The figures showed only 37 percent of the offenders were identified by the police and faced enforcement action and, of those, just 61 percent were prosecuted - with the remainder referred to Youth Aid.
Victims' advocate Ruth Money was asked whether the Youth Aid system worked and prevented young people from reoffending.
"I have seen it work but, in my experience, it's really inconsistent throughout the country," Money told AM on Tuesday.
"In the same district, I have some rapes, for example, being dealt with in the youth justice system - which is just insane, to me (and their survivors)."
Money said victims needed to be at the forefront of youth crime.
"If we don't look after the victims of these crimes, what's going to happen with them? Some of them may turn to retribution or unhealthy behaviours," she said. "I think, in this country, we need to do a lot more to privilege a victim's experience to deliver them the manaakitanga that they need over and above - or at least to balance - what's happening with the people who are harming."
New Zealand wasn't helping the people causing harm or their victims, Money said.
"It really does need a concerted effort," she said.
"At the moment, we're not even giving victims a justice response - particularly when an offender is a young person."
National Party Justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith last month said youth offenders needed to be identified, caught and held to account.
"Labour must stop the culture of excuses they have used for too long. They can start by ensuring youth offenders face consequences for their actions and give police the tools they need to enforce the law."
