Northern Territory Police breached United Nations conventions on children's rights by naming and shaming underage young people on their Facebook page, the children's commissioner says.

On Tuesday evening NT Police published the names and photographs of two boys aged 11 and 14 on their official page, calling for information on the children's whereabouts.

"Both are wanted for questioning in relation to recent unlawful entries… they are both actively avoiding police," the post read, adding that the 11-year-old boy was in breach of his bail.

Following queries from the ABC, NT Police removed the post 20 hours after it was published, but by then it had been shared almost 200 times and had attracted more than 400 comments debating whether or not the personal details should have been shared, and discussing the alleged criminality of the boys.

The NT is the only Australian jurisdiction which legally permits the publishing of personal details of children aged under 18.

Children's Commissioner Colleen Gwynne said the practice was often not well thought out by police, was harmful, and had to stop.

"The research is clear that naming and shaming can have the opposite effect with child offenders, and children acting like they need to live up to these kinds of reputations," she said.

"In the past young people have gone on to commit crimes because they've received notoriety out of it and wear it as a badge of honour, and enjoy that kind of status they receive being highlighted in the media.

"There's nothing that says [shaming] works. It's a practice we really need to get rid of."

In a statement to the ABC, NT Police said it considered the publication of names and images of youth on a case-by-case basis.

Deputy Commissioner Kate Vanderlaan said police only published the names and images of minors if there was a concern for their welfare, if there was a concern for public safety, or with parental or guardian consent.

"We acknowledge that in this case, that practice was not followed correctly," she said.

"We are reviewing our procedures to ensure the appropriate practice is followed at all times in the future."

'Young people make poor decisions'

Ms Gwynne said the majority of child offenders grew out of their behaviour.

Children's Commissioner Colleen Gwynne wants naming and shaming of children to stop. ( ABC News )

"[Most] young people who commit crimes don't go on to be adult offenders, it's an adolescent thing where as they mature, they grow out of it," she said.

"Young people tend to make poor decisions and choices [due to] their lack of experience and maturity and guidance around them."

The decision to name and shame children was made by police balancing the need for public safety against the rehabilitation prospects for the young person in question, she said.

"Most kids will offend once, and generally a minor offence," she said.

"You have other kids that will offend more than that, but the research says that naming them doesn't actually stop them reoffending, it has no impact at all."

Ms Gwynne said the practice was in violation of the UN conventions on the rights of the child and the UN standard minimum rules for the administration of juvenile justice, which both recommend that a young person have a right to privacy at all stages of youth justice proceedings.

Children trialled by social media

"The dangers of labelling and branding young people may really negatively impact on any chance they may have for rehabilitation," Ms Gwynne said.

Naming and shaming is more likely to result in more offending by young people, Ms Gwynne said. ( ABC News: Alan Dowler )

"Particularly in the NT, in Darwin or Alice Springs or any centre, it's such a small community, so it's very difficult for young people to rid themselves of that labelling, that bad reputation, irrespective of whether they're trying to turn over a new leaf.

"They can get excluded and [people] make assumptions about how they will behave in the future, and that may have an impact on their job prospects and their ability to engage in their community."

She also said it was very dangerous to create a situation where a child could be trialled by social media.

"The police may well have justification for that [post but] when you look at the ages of these two children it would want to be significant," she said, adding that the community needed to better understand the complex needs and traumas experienced by young children who committed crimes.

"You realise that this sort of response — and this is trial by social media — it doesn't work, it's never worked in any country in the world and that's why jurisdictions have put legislation in place to ensure you just can't name and shame because it actually has the opposite effect," Ms Gwynne said.

"I think it's about time the NT had a look at this and considered falling into line with other jurisdictions."

Ken Davies, CEO of the Department of Territory Families, said he supported Ms Gwynne's concerns.

"[We] will continue to work with police and families to ensure children and young people are supported when they make bad decisions," he said in a statement.

"Territory Families readily awaits the findings of the Royal Commission, which will greatly inform legislative reforms around how the NT's child protection and youth justice system can better support young Territorians, no matter what their situation may be.

"The wellbeing of children, young people and their families across the NT remains at the centre of what we do, with a commitment towards prevention and early intervention; diverting young people away from the youth justice system wherever possible."

The NT Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Natasha Fyles was contacted for comment.