Fifty-one cases of beyond controlled children were recorded by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Child Services last year.

Assistant Director, Ela Tukutukulevu says the department dealt with these cases after receiving referrals from parents as they couldn’t deal with their children.

Tukutukulevu says some of these cases include children being violent at home, refusing to go to school while others were involved in bullying.

“ When we intervene, we try to talk to the child, we try to make him/her understand their position in the family and also we like to talk about or share with the child the laws that can implicate him and so sometimes when they don’t want to go to school, that is when we categorize them as Beyond Control. When they are not listening and parents cannot control them.”

She says they also worked closely with parents to come up with solutions to this issue adding that parents are also included in counseling sessions.

Meanwhile, the ministry says it will continue to raise awareness on ways to tackle this issue in various communities.