New Zealand cannot arrest its way out of the gang problem.

That's according to a report by the Chief Science Advisory - requested to inform policy for reducing gang harm.

It instead calls for improvements in addressing related factors such as family harm, youth offending and drug use.

Co-author Tracey McIntosh says legal action over simply being associated with gangs causes collateral damage.

"That's largely with children and with women. And it means you have much more distrust in a community and those young people who you actually don't want to enter into a pathway of gangs actually feel that they have no other opportunity."

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