This week's series in on young black men should bring some focus to an issue that is of growing concern to the community.

Much of the concern surrounds the apparent growth of gangs and the associated violent crime, which has resulted in a series of senseless murders of men, often in their teens or early 20s.

The crime wave seems to have its roots in the drugs trade and in turf wars between rival groups, made up primarily of young men from different neighbourhoods, loosely divided between "town and country", although there are plenty of divisions within those broad groupings.

Many of the interviews in the series were conducted last summer when Government launched its own study into the plight of young black males. Some of the stories have been updated since, and the death of Jason Lightbourne last month made publication of the stories both urgent and timely.

Beyond the immediate causes, it is clear that there are deeper issues, some of which are not isolated to young black men, but affect broad swathes of the Bermuda community.

Many of the issues concern alienation, and the feeling among young people that they cannot make their way in an affluent Bermuda society. At the same time, the relatively easy money to be made in the drugs trade is seen as a way of getting the affluence they see around them without having to put in the work that has often ? although not always ? led to wealth.

Race, as ever, plays a part, and the social divide between whites and blacks, and between Bermudians and non-Bermudians, comes through in many of the stories. There is a perception that whites are just as likely to be criminals as blacks, but are less likely to be caught. One might also believe that there are no poor whites and no rich blacks.

The breakdown of the traditional nuclear family plays a part too. In homes where one or both parents are absent, and where parental guidance is equally lacking, children often turn to the street, and find the "role models" they seek there.

The failure of the public education system to deliver graduates who can find a place in the working world which offers genuine opportunities for advancement can take a share of the blame too. In Monday's newspaper, lawyer Charles Richardson said the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate has about as much value as a roll of toilet paper in the eyes of most employers, and that's a statement that contains a good deal of truth, unfortunately.

Then there's the "gangsta" culture as portrayed in music, TV and film, which seems to have a magnetic attraction for young people. It would be easy but wrong to heap all blame on the pervasive influence of popular culture, but it would also be wrong to hold it entirely blameless.

But it would be wrong and dangerous to write off all young black men, or to create a situation in which the dire statements made about them become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The reality is that there are thousands of black men in Bermuda who are achieving mightily, are good family men, and are contributing to the community in many ways. Indeed, the pressure on "the good ones" may be greater than for those who sometimes seem prepared to blame everyone and everything other than themselves for their own shortcomings.

So what can be done? One answer clearly lies in education, and not just of the school book kind. Drugs awareness campaigns can work if they are pervasive and persuasive enough. Bringing more mentors and role models into schools and giving students, especially teenagers, incentives to stay in school and to strive for more is essential.

Parenting is not an innate skill and can be learned, and much more needs to be done to help families, not only when they hit a crisis, but beforehand.

And much more needs to be done to open opportunities for all, but making it clear at the same time that nothing worthwhile comes easily; it requires dedication and work.