A visiting social worker told Hamilton Rotarians last week that life skills classes could help reverse the rising tide of lawlessness.

Kinaya Sokoya, of the Washington, D.C. branch of support group Parents Anonymous, said her group has developed a curriculum covering identity and bonding, gender roles, parenting and other skills.

She said youths copy violence from adults.

The Washington programme starts with eight-year-olds, she said.

?Approximately 90 percent of learning occurs through real life experiences,? she said. ?We are telling our youth one thing and nullifying all that we have said through our behaviour. ?Youth need and deserve nurturing guidance from adults and messages that are consistent with our behaviour.?

She said children have strong affiliation needs. ?If we do not provide the nurturing family unit youth deserve, they will create their own families ? and, in this case, gangs,? she said.

Mrs. Sokoya said Parents Anonymous, which has a Bermuda branch, offers comradeship to parents and a programme for children.

?The groups help parents address their own unresolved issues, enhance their parenting skills, enhance their ability to give and receive support and empower them to better advocate for themselves and their children to effect community change.?

The Bermuda branch has been open ten years.

?Generally speaking parents, do the best they can with the resources they have,? Ms Sokoya said. Let us move from assigning blame to parents for every misstep of their children and provide the necessary support for the healthy development of their children.?