COUNSELLORS who spoke to The New Paper on Sunday said that engaging private investigators to spy on their children could strain parent-child relations.

Ms Sheena Jebal, a psychologist from Nulife Care & Counselling, said that parents who hire PIs to follow their children are usually busy with work and financially well-off.

'These parents also know that because they aren't close to their children, they have no control over the situation.

'They ought to have considered counselling first. You can't keep getting PIs to 'wipe out' the other person.'

Mr Harry Low, a senior counsellor from the National University of Singapore's Counselling Centre, said that hiring PIs only injects mistrust into parent-children ties.

While Mr Low agreed that a PI's surveillance would help in finding evidence of wrongdoing as in the private tutor's case, it does not solve the main problem.

He said: 'Parents miss the point when they go to PIs.

'The main issue is that their children need love and attention and they should address this.

'Otherwise, these girls would just meet other men and the problem will repeat itself.'