Young people in Bermuda do not realise the consequences of their actions and are desensitised to violence, Police Chief Inspector Stuart Crockwell said last night at a forum on youth violence in Bermuda.

As one of the panel members of the forum held at the Bermuda Industrial Union, Ch. Insp. Crockwell said the young people who are violent think that violence is the norm.

Ch. Insp. Crockwell, who is the officer-in-charge of the Serious Crime Unit said: ?Young people either don?t care about the consequences or they don?t know about the consequences.?

He added that when young people are questioned by the Police about incidents they often seem like they are not fully aware of their actions.

?A guy will say ?I only chopped him Crockwell, he?s still alive?.

?And they don?t realise, until we tell him, that we?re taking him to Supreme Court, that he hangs his head,? he said.

Meanwhile, he added, the greater community aids and maintains the cycle of violence because they don?t want to ?prick? on anyone.

Ch. Insp. Crockwell said that in order for the Police to combat violence there needs to be ?full cooperation from Bermuda?.

?Eighty percent of the guys involved go home and tell their parents. But, no one wants to pick up the phone and call the Police,? he said.

Former coordinator of Addiction Services Bryant Richards also served as a panel member last night.

He said that most people in the community refuse to take responsibility for the violence.

?Everyone wants to pass the buck,? he said.

?Instead of supporting our sons we need to say, ?Is this acceptable behaviour??.?

He said until the community starts working with the issues instead of trying to hide their existence nothing will be done and nothing will improve.

He said that the small crowd in attendance at the forum was an indication that the community was not truly willing to find out what the issues are.

?You want it to come to the surface and then we can deal with it,? added Martha Dismont, the executive director of the Family Learning Centre.

?It looks horrible... It?s hard to look at. But that is necessary for action.?

And Berkeley teacher David Chapman said students he encountered have told him flat out that they don?t want to be in school.

?School is not designed for black males,? he said. ?For those students on the border of turning to violence they don?t have anywhere to turn.?

Part of the problem is that black males don?t have positive role models, he added.

?It is up to the black makes in the community to step up to the plate.?

Other panel members last night included Reverend Lloyd Duncan of the Greater Smith?s Hill New Testament Church of God and moderator Calvin Smith.