With young males heavily involved in the violent crime that is wreaking havoc in Jamaica, it is natural that intervention programmes would focus heavily on them.

One of the latest of such that has come to public attention through this newspaper is the Griffin Trust initiative 'From Boyhood to Manhood', adapted from the United Kingdom, which is to be implemented in five correctional institutions, as well as among persons who are on probation.

In Jamaica, as was reported in yesterday's Gleaner, it will be themed 'Hush the Guns', and we certainly need some quiet on that ever-barking front.

We believe, though, that while the frequency and intensity of gun crime in Jamaica, along with the heavy involvement of boys and young men, demand that we institute programmes aimed at reform more so than punishment, that a certain balance is not being struck.

Clearly, not all young males in this country are involved in violent crime. In fact, we dare say that, while a large proportion have access to firearms, it is a tiny percentage which actively pursue a life of plunder and murder.

And there are those who try their best to live exemplary lives and take the very testing path of being 'good guys' in a society where being 'good' is too often associated with being soft, thus potentially exposing themselves to abuse.

Sustaining the positives

We believe that these young (and not so young) men need encouragement on a formal, organised level.

Certainly, there are institutions in the school system and in the wider society, among them choirs, the Inter-Schools' Christian Fellowship, Fathers Inc and various service clubs, whose male members are expected to be orderly and productive. However, as far as we know, there is no organisation dedicated specifically to sustaining positive behaviour in boys who have not, to that point, displayed negative and harmful social characteristics.

Among the consequences of this imbalance is the perception that a higher proportion of young men are involved in criminal and disruptive behaviour than is actually the case, as the intervention programmes grab attention.

Another result is an inadvertent neglect of the 'good' young males, with the potential outcome of some retreating into negative behaviour in order to get coveted attention.

We must reinforce that we are in no way criticising reformation initiatives, such as Hush the Guns or the home-grown 'Students Expressing Truth', which operates in the adult correctional facilities (and which includes women).

We are very enthusiastic about them, knowing that a positive change in one participant's life means a world of less harm to others. And we know that when the 'bad' boys become 'good', they do provide support to ensure permanent behaviour modification.

However, we reiterate that there needs to be a support system for those young males who have not yet slipped from the straight and narrow path.

After all, good boys need support too.