No type of task force anywhere will ever be able to halt the deteriorating standards of behaviour affecting cultures and the lives of people around the world.

This is not to throw cold water on an initiative announced by our Government to tackle negative attitudes displayed on our roads, and even at times in the sporting arena.

This subject has been bounced around for decades in Bermuda, and indeed in many large countries, as almost everything under the sun has been discussed as potential reasons for antisocial and hostile conduct by young and old, with a disturbing impact on those who strive for a society where respect and civil order are the foundations for stability and peace.

Somehow we keep looking for that unbreakable barn door after the horse has bolted.

A wide range of solutions have poured from politicians and community leaders for years, yet the pattern of falling standards in behaviour continues to disrupt lives on a global scale.

Most countries are gravely concerned about what appears to be a fast-moving world of dazzling technology, along with an anything goes attitude in constantly changing lifestyles.

Traditional values such as dignity, honesty, respect and truth are being challenged.

Most humans begin their lives in a home environment. It is usually within those walls, where young minds are either developed and provided with the essential values for living, or negative experiences are set in motion; the wrong outlook about life can be difficult to reverse.

A great deal has changed over the past 40 or 50 years and this has also created new problems for parents in the so-called modern world where some values such as discipline and respect have taken second place to getting ahead at any cost, and the dollar becomes the real reason for living.

During this critical time of our economy, when many families are struggling on a daily basis, it is understandable that parents or guardians can be pushed to the limit in trying to keep young minds positive, while keeping food on the table is a task in itself.

In some cases, parents themselves drift away from key principles, and when this happens a child could be vulnerable to negative elements that are always lurking in the shadows of society.

There are many programmes designed to assist in this area, and such efforts have yielded positive results, which is encouraging.

However, the behavioural problem is quite extensive and when any child falls beneath the radar and is not detected in time, another problem is in the making.

What this also seems to boil down to is this: when the ball of discipline was dropped in the home and in schools years ago, a new chapter in behavioural problems began to escalate.

In too many homes today, the children are dictating to parents what they want in no uncertain terms, and some parents concede to avoid a clash.

In an age where almost everyone is texting or tweeting about this or that, with few face-to-face conversations, personal one-on-one communication has become almost a thing of the past.

The home should be the place where a family should have conversations without being interrupted by modern communication technology, at least during quality time. It is too common at many homes to see a child texting at the meal table, which should be regarded as poor manners.

Sadly some parents are guilty of this practice. Perhaps this is just a part of modern living and it is considered out of step to question it.

Authorities are aware that without a change in how we treat one another as citizens, the Bermuda we all wish for will remain out of reach.

Good values should start in the home. One might have the best barn door with the strongest lock, but that is useless if the horse has left.

The struggle to rebuild respect and values throughout Bermuda must begin with the family.

We have drifted from this over the years, and that could very well be the root cause of behavioural problems we face today.