Why are young Aborigines who offend against the law four times more likely to end up in detention centres than their white counterparts who transgress the same laws? pp. 200 reprint #1119R/0920 In 1991 Patrick Dodson called upon the Department for Community Services in Western Australia ‘to examine why Aboriginal children are more susceptible to offending behaviour than their non-Aboriginal counterparts and to properly consider the socioeconomic and cultural matters in addressing the problem.’ We have taken up this challenge.