The Ministry of Women, and Children is aware of a recent video circulating on social media depicting an incident of violence against very young children.

Minister, Sashi Kiran says the Director Children is looking into the matter with the help of law enforcement agencies.

In the video, the man who is believed to be the father of the two children is seen venting his anger on his young children for failing to study, while they are crying in distress.

The man was taken in for questioning by police today.

Kiran says unfortunately this type of parenting is very common in Fiji.

She says parents in their zeal for educating children are known to use extreme methods.

However, she adds once traumatised this could have detrimental effect on children and their learning.

“More than 70 percent of our children have gone through violent parenting and many people think that this is the norm and there is obviously a lot of education and awareness needed on what is good parenting.”

Kiran stresses that there is a need for education and awareness on good parenting methods especially for younger parents who may not have the support of their extended families in learning these methods.

The Minister says her Ministry is looking at mounting education and awareness on good parenting as well as what constitutes violence against children and how to prevent these from happening.

“In the olden days, there was family support network. There were many people who would look after the child, there were grandparents, and other members of the family who were the mediators and that’s no longer the case.”

Kiran says they are intensifying efforts by strengthening reporting mechanisms as well.

The Ministry is expanding counseling services, providing safe shelters, and working with NGOs to offer rehabilitation programs for child victims and their families.

She is also urging all Fijians to act responsibly when sharing sensitive content on social media.

Kiran stresses that instead of spreading such videos, which can further traumatize victims, individuals should report incidents directly to the authorities or the Ministry for immediate intervention.