PLACE social gatherings further down on your list of priorities and put your phones away.
This was the call to parents by Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu in his address to the 2025 Nadroga Arya College passing-out parade in Sigatoka on Friday.
“You need to be there for them, not only when something is coming up such as this cadet training and passout, but they need your presence, constantly,” said Mr Tudravu.
“We must build significant relationships where they are comfortable enough to come to us with their problems, and we can help them learn from them.
“Building significant relationships with our children during these modern times are ever so important, where technology and the internet is influencing and eroding behaviour, not only our young generation, but older people.
“The world we grew up in is far more different and challenging than the world our children are growing up in.”
Mr Tudravu said crime statistics continue to show more and more young people engaged in criminal activities, and that the absence of proper guidance is a contributing factor.
“And we see that in our crime statistics as more children are becoming offenders of serious crimes.
“Sexual offences, drugs, assaults, robberies, children are no longer not part of the statistics.
“A common reasoning, absence of a trusted adult figure in their lives who can consistently provide guidance and counselling in their lives.
“This is why it is important to build significant relationships with your children, that will prioritise their lives.
“Put your phones down, place social gatherings further down in your list of priorities, and put your children first.”
