It’s not by accident that cricket is often described as the gentleman’s game.

For centuries, in Britain — where the game first came into being — and over time in far-flung regions where the British asserted colonial rule together with their culture and language, cricket has been a metaphor for law and order, discipline, mannerliness, honour. Hence, the expression “It’s not cricket” in response to perceived unseemly behaviour.

That link between cricket and good order, as internalised by Jamaicans over generations, partially explains the consternation at news that hoodlums armed with guns interrupted a two-day Senior Cup match between hosts Hanover and St Elizabeth at Elgin Town, not far from Hanover’s capital Lucea, last Saturday afternoon. The game was eventually abandoned.

We empathise with Mr Dwayne Clayton, Hanover Cricket Association president and team manager, who lamented that, “We know it [crime] exists in the country, and in the parish, but never before have we seen something like that [men armed with guns interrupting a cricket match].”

Yet, such is the situation in Jamaica — with approximately 1,500 murders last year, and even places of worship being violated by criminals — all of us everywhere must be on our guard.

As we have long argued, there is need for Jamaicans to not just suppress criminals, using police and soldiers, but also address those factors which cause young people to turn to crime.

For example, why do so many of our young people believe it’s okay to turn to scamming rather than seek legitimate employment?

Surely, if they were properly socialised with ingrained appreciation for right and wrong it would not be so easy to succumb to what they may perceive as easy money.

Poor parenting is a huge factor, as we have often said in this space, and as trade unionist Mr Colin Virgo was reported as saying.

But what’s good parenting? From this newspaper’s perspective, it can’t be about corporal punishment — which, sometimes, gets to the level of ‘batter bruising’ children. That approach, in our view, simply perpetuates a culture of violence.

We agree with Prime Minister Andrew Holness who argues that a modern society should have no place for corporal punishment as a means of “correction, discipline, or righting wrongs”.

Rather, as child psychologists will testify, when parents/guardians set good examples, consistently show love and appreciation, and maintain strong two-way communication, they are well on the way to keeping their children on the right road.

In our view, comprehensive parental training, which involves getting adults — many of whom were themselves badly brought up as children — to be good parents has to be a priority if we are to sustainably deal with crime and antisocial behaviour.

We repeat what we have often said, that such a strategy should be central to basic community organisation and a revitalised values and attitudes programme, which sadly died on the altar of political opportunism in the 1990s.

It’s not too late, though the task gets harder with time. As we keep saying, we believe a movement involving State organisations working in partnership with political representatives holding hands across party lines, so-called civil society, schools, churches, business interests, trade unions, et al can achieve this desired change.

We need to get started.