Niue's chief justice Patrick Savage has lectured residents of the island's small village of Hikutavake where there have been ongoing outbreaks of violence since May last year.
Before sentencing two youths to jail - one for arson the other for gun offences - he told residents that as a judge in Polynesia and Aotearoa he had never seen such hatred and anomosity within a Christian community.
He said if the violence continues families would leave a legacy of fear and shame for their children and the village would die.
Judge Savage says the problems had to be solved quickly and the village revert to love and peace.
Hikutavake has been wracked with house fires and assaults since the last general election and at the end of last year three homes were burned down.
One man is facing two charges of arson and is on bail to appear in the High Court in July.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
