More than five hundred calls have been received by Lifeline Fiji in the first seven months of this year – half of these were reports about relationship and behavioral problems.

Lifeline Officer-in-charge Jeremaia Merekula believes lack of commitments shown by parents to their children is one of the main contributing factors to social issues that many youths are challenged with.

Merekula says parents need to spend more time with their children.

”Family time is something that we have to drag back cause that is the first support network before any individual goes out and i think the first person or individual that has to recognize that is that your family support network.”

National Substance Abuse Advisory Council Chief Executive Manoa Senikarawa says everything starts from home.

He says there needs to be constant communication between parents and their children as well as between parents.

“We’ve got to come away from that because we need to have that open line of communication with our children because when they have difficulties the should feel free to share with us.”

Meanwhile, Lifeline Fiji is working to support Fijians in times of crisis and equip individuals and communities to be more resilient.