Recent reports of attacks by teenagers on other children were this week linked to the disintegration of the family unit.

According to Margaret Giloth of Phenomenal Women Inc., the island will see an increase in the random violence and theft parents are now complaining about unless fathers take a more active role in raising their children.

Her comments were in response to a Mid-Ocean News article last week, detailing parents' concerns that a group of "hooligans" was preying on younger children ¿ in the most serious case, a 13 year old was assailed with punches and scarred with a glass bottle.

Police downplayed their fears, describing lesser allegations of racist remarks and theft as bullying. However, Mrs. Giloth highlighted them as social ills and a direct consequence of children being raised without a father figure. The issue is one her charity hopes to tackle with a string of initiatives including a National Men's Day on September 13.

"After reading (the) article about the attack on the 13-year-old boy, I felt compelled to (highlight) the National Men's Day in Bermuda presentation because the intent of the event is to engage the community in a reality check about the perils of children raising children and fatherless homes," she said.

"These two issues, among others, of course, contribute to the social decline being witnessed in Bermuda today and are characterised by the following statement (in Iron John, A Book About Men by British author Robert Bly): 'When people identify themselves with their wounded child, or remain children, the whole culture goes to pieces. We learn from teenage pregnancies that children cannot mother or father their own children. People lead lives that radiate destruction to the immediate family as well as to the neighbourhood. Everyone is in the emergency ward'."

The Mid-Ocean News article described two e-mails circulated separately by mothers concerned for their children. One explained how a group of kids demanded $1 from a white girl at a fast-food restaurant. When she refused to hand it over, they made racist comments, uttered threats and stole her bag.

That police would describe any incident where children use threats and intimidation as "bullying", is evidence that Bermuda falls into that category, Mrs. Giloth said.

"Bullying? I'm not so sure. I don't believe that we as a community are fully grasping the fact that violence and crime are escalating among young people. What was really thought provoking was the police officer's comments. Obviously police officers have probably become desensitised somewhat to the level of violence that they deal with and that's sad in and of itself because that was not, to me, bullying.

"How it started out maybe could be defined as bullying but the intent is to get what you want regardless. And that to me is where we're slacking. We're not seeing the potential and the escalation of the violence."

Statistics on young people in Bermuda compiled by Julie Dunstan for Atlantic Philanthropies in 2006 supported that theory, Mrs. Giloth insisted.

"Thirty four per cent of (young people in Bermuda) feel angry, frustrated or impatient. Seventeen per cent feel worthless or unimportant. Eight per cent (had) seriously considered suicide in the prior year. The Bermuda Youth Counselling Services reported that the majority of referrals were male, 'of African descent' and presented with both alcohol and marijuana use.

"Approximately 39 per cent of milled and senior students reported having been in at least one physical fight over a one-year period. Roughly 17 per cent reported having attacked someone with intent to harm in the past year. From 2001 to 2005, the proportion of those incarcerated who were minors ¿ under 21 years ¿ rose from 2.4 per cent to 6.4 per cent. The vast majority of incarcerated minors were male."

Phenomenal Women planned the National Men's Day on September 13 as a direct response to the "crisis" Bermuda is now in, the president explained.

"It is in response to a lot of what has been seen in the papers ¿ the decline in our social behaviour, the social activities. And that really got to me. Some of the things I'm dealing with as I go out fundraising and meeting people to partner with us in this initiative is that level of denial, fatalism, 'Well, you know, what can we do?' There are so many articles that appear in the paper, and still the public says, 'What can we do?' Where is this all taking us?

"This project is in response to the crisis in Bermuda. It answers that in a tangible way. It wants to bring people together. It wants to collaborate with other agencies here. We could have called it a men's one-day event but it's made to be a long-term initiative. The day at the National Sports Centre is to bring us all together, to start the awareness."

The event will address several community needs, Mrs. Giloth believes.

"It brings awareness to the community of the condition of men, it requests participation of individuals, families and groups in the healing process for the sake of men, families and the community, it demands accountability of all adults for the sake of the children, it proposes the implementation of programmes for sustainability of the vision and it invites participation of all groups, clubs, organisations and social agencies to partner with us to showcase their services. Lastly, it offers hope and celebration for the men of Bermuda whom we love and encourage to be all they can be for themselves, their families and their country, and especially their children.

"If a child is connected to his father or a male figure, he's less likely to go out there and partner with gangs and street thugs ¿ evidence shows it everywhere in the world. And with the prevalence of fatherless children, we're going to see a continued downslide in our social behaviour. So it's critical that people perceive this vision, and step up to it."

Describing the initiative as "an exciting start", Mrs. Giloth said its success depends on community involvement.

"People tend to wake up to the sad realities of life (and the reality of Bermuda today) when something significant happens to them. Whites can no longer sit back and think Bermuda's problems are not theirs because (as the circulated e-mails show) crime and violence can touch anyone at anytime. That's why National Men's Day in Bermuda calls on all members of the public to support the initiative. It's geared to be an informative, fun, family day for all."

Social agencies wishing to participate in the National Men's Day or persons willing to assist in sponsoring the event may contact Mrs. Giloth on 734-4034 or via e-mail, nmidbnorthrock.bm.