Our communities are blighted by antisocial youths, habitual offenders, who seem to be beyond the control of adult authority, and we seem to have yet another report, this time commissioned by the Conservative Party, which has subsequently found that it is the breakdown of marriage being a major factor in the increase in antisocial behaviour in the community. Janet Daley, quite rightly questions the necessity to compile all of the data again, only to come to the same conclusion many reports have told us before - marriage provides the best conditions for raising children properly. Marriage is more sustainable than cohabitation, and therefore more stable. She quotes "One in two cohabiting couples split up before their child's fifth birthday, compared with only one in 12 married couples. Seventy per cent of young offenders come from lone-parent families".

None of this is news. We've heard it all before. The question is, why oh why does it persist? Janet Daley suggests that Governments have made it beneficial financially for mothers to remain single, and that restoring the married couple's transferable tax allowance so that a couple can benefit from a double personal allowance would help to make marriage more attractive to couples. But is it really about money? I am willing to suggest, no.

The family has been neglected, it's essential qualities, it's purpose, buried under what we believe to be 'progress'. The commitment of marriage diluted by the idea of free love, independence, freedom, individual rights. Morals eroded by the everyday, 24/7 broadcast and print of stories of unmarried sex, gay sex, murder, separation, divorce, sexual deviancy and youth rebellion - and that's just the Soaps! It may not be apparent, because we are drip-fed this type of content, but television programmes are now showing scenes of this nature everyday, in programmes that children watch on a daily basis. Continued exposure gradually means these scenes are accepted as the norm. The Channel war for top ratings is giving our children an unreal picture of the world - one of instability, uncertainty, powerlessness and fear.

The other result of 'progress' is the assumption that we must have that shiny new car, the holiday to Florida, the latest games console - of course we must - it's on the telly! Everybody's having it! And of course we CAN have what we want - it is available to us through credit or getting a second job. The result of this 'progress' is that we work harder, we commute further, we are in fear of redundancy, we're stressed - and those who we love the most get the brunt of it - those we go to at the end of the day. The family unit is under strain too. All children want is our time, and our love in the bosom of their family.

Because we get caught up in the hectic requirements of modern life we do not step back and see. 'We cannot see the wood for the trees', as the term goes. What we don't see is that it is futile looking to our Political Leaders and their many ever-changing policies for guidance. What we don't see is the external influences that affect family life, and the future of our children. What we don't see is the gradual erosion of morals in our society to the point where it seems a welcome surprise when we meet a friendly, polite, well-mannered person. If we want our child to be such a person, we as parents, must do what it takes to instil that in them, and not leave it up to others. Parents are the biggest and most influential force in their children's lives. We know it, let's live it.