Rohani: Many kids reported missing are runaways

PUTRAJAYA: The fact that many children who are reported missing actually run away from home of their own accord is alarming, Datuk Seri Rohani Karim (pic) said.

The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said that usually, once they have had their fun and adventure, these children make their way home.

Rohani said that according to records from NUR Alert and Talian Kasih, “these children left their families after being influenced by boyfriends or girlfriends, by their peers or people they meet via social media”.

“While they eventually go home, the issue at hand is that they shouldn’t be running away in the first place,” she said.

Rohani added that while the problem occurs among families in all strata of society, it is more prevalent among the middle and lowincome groups.

“Perhaps this is because of the people they mix with and the environment they live in,” she said.

To help address this issue, the ministry has come up with the Sahabat Bijak: Safe and Protect pro gramme, aimed at promoting safety among students in their daily lives.

The programme aims to educate students on issues such as drugs, sex, bullying and relationships, among others.

“Through the programme, we educate children on the importance of having a good and loving relationship with their parents and families, and also not to succumb to peer pressure,” Rohani said.

Parenting styles should also change, Rohani added, with mothers and fathers serving as friends for their children to turn to when they need someone to listen to them.

“As parents, we want children to come to us for advice or to vent their frustration rather than talking to friends or people they meet through social media.

“When they turn to others there is a possibility that they will get poor advice,” she said.