Bermuda is facing an uphill battle in trying to deal with serious attitude problems with some of our youth today, and any attempt to sugarcoat an issue that threatens our future could be dangerous.

If a survey was carried out on how parents view the lifestyle changes in bringing up children today, the result might reveal that a large number are deeply worried about whether their children will slip out of focus, with so many negative distractions in so many forms, capable of derailing promising young minds.

In a country with a relatively small population, one might think that getting a handle on the youth problem situation should not be too difficult. That we know is far from the real picture. Almost every day we hear someone say it all started to fall apart when discipline, as we once knew it, was pushed aside, opening the door to behaviour problems on a scale that has touched the entire community.

In fact, there are parents at work trying to concentrate, while being preoccupied with their offspring, despite every effort to keep them on the right track. Sadly, many of the potentially damaging distractions are adult operated.

Although there is great emphasis being placed on education, which is important, there are grave concerns about how well rounded and solid the current system really is. The Education Minister and his team have an enormous task in trying to create a system that meets many of the challenges of the day, while being aware of the dramatic changes in basic behaviour, especially among young people.

I was in a grocery store last week and overheard a parent telling three young girls "this so called new system you have is breeding rude and disrespectful children". She added she would have received a good hiding for much of what these children get away with today. The girls smiled, as though they considered her outdated.

On the same day while at a stop light in the City of Hamilton, a young man roared up on a cycle and kept gunning his engine as though the light was an interference. The light for pedestrians clicked on, and while the red light was still on, he looked back quickly and then dashed through the red light. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but it did not matter. I even observed another young man texting while riding. He should have been in the circus.

This behaviour is not restricted to youth. If some adults are willing to engage in this practice, and they do, what message is being sent to our youth?

Perhaps the horse has long left the barn when it comes to respect for law and order. The recent Cup Match brawl, no matter how it is described, is troubling because it merely mirrors hostile and anti-social attitudes, that explode without warning, placing innocent people in danger.

The illegal drug situation cannot be left out, because it affects so many aspects of life and families. It may be the biggest hush hush subject on the island. There are children attending school every day, and on the surface they appear normal and steady, but some of them are already victims of negative activity including drug use.

Some children are exposed to crude language, and even physical abuse, at a time when they need strong solid family support. There are countless stories that will never reach the press about children struggling to make the grade, while trying to survive in an unpleasant home environment.

The best education system in the world can never fill the void left by a lack of love and attention during the crucial years of a youngster's life. Damaged young minds are not easy to mend. Unfortunately it is not just a youth problem, but involves adults failing to distinguish between the showering of material items, and providing proper values for good living.

We as a society have a tendency to sugarcoat too much by writing off unacceptable behaviour as part of today's new lifestyles. In fact, many parents take exception to any suggestion their child has a problem when it comes to behaviour. Perhaps we need a giant conversation between education officials and parents along with students, if there is to be a turnaround in what is fast becoming a troubling trend.

One thing is for certain. Sugarcoating will only cover the problem for a while. Without facing up to ugly truths, out of control young people will continue to threaten everything decent Bermudians cherish: Decency, the rule of law and, most of all, safety for all.