Families really do need fathers

THE wave of street crime – mainly inflicted by knives – that has swept London seems to have no logical explanation. But two common factors stand out and, however regrettable, facts are still facts.

One is that the inflictors are all young, some appallingly so. Over 20 seems to be rare. The other is provable, albeit delicate. The great majority of the victims and inflictors are drawn from the capital’s black community.

Explanations abound, all predictably conventional. First comes gang culture. Not burgling or car-stealing gangs – that needs technical knowhow. Just pavement-roaming gangs, many knife-carrying. There are white gangs and mixed gangs but the figures refuse to be denied. Among those who pull a knife a high proportion are black.

A second explanation is of course drugs – cheap as chips and universally available. But I wonder if there is a third lurking unseen. It would need a serious official enquiry to explore. How many (what percentage) of these feral, knife-toting youths were raised with no live-in father?

An attentive father is crucial to a growing lad. He teaches, demonstrates, warns, shows by example, rebukes, restrains and occasionally steps in to lay down the law. A boy who cannot even recall his father grows up with a huge gap in his life. Might he not try to fill that gap with a gang headed by a dominant older male? And is the black community tragically prone to the no-dad family?