A method, performed by a network node, for handling Stream Control Transmission Protocol, SCTP, packets, wherein the network node manages at least one association towards at least one second network node (120, 130, 140, 150), wherein the method comprises: providing a control instance of a control procedure for handling administrative chunks of the SCTP packets, wherein the control instance discards any association specific chunks of the SCTP packets, providing at least one data instance of a data procedure for handling association specific chunks of the SCTP packets, wherein each of said at least one data instance is configured to handle a respective set of said at least one association towards the at least one second network node (120, 130, 140, 150), and wherein the data instance discards any administrative chunks of the SCTP packets, receiving (A030, A040), at the control instance and the at least one data instance, an SCTP packet from said at least one second network node (120, 130, 140, 150), with the control instance: discarding association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, and processing administrative chunks of the received SCTP packet, and with each of said at least one data instance, wherein said each of said at least one data instance is configured to handle the respective set of said at least one association: discarding administrative chunks of the received SCTP packet, discarding a first set of association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, wherein the first set of association specific chunks relates to any one of said at least one association but the respective set of said at least one association, and processing a second set of association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, wherein the second set of association specific chunks relates to the respective set of said at least one association. providing a control instance of a control procedure for handling administrative chunks of the SCTP packets, wherein the control instance discards any association specific chunks of the SCTP packets, providing at least one data instance of a data procedure for handling association specific chunks of the SCTP packets, wherein each of said at least one data instance is configured to handle a respective set of said at least one association towards the at least one second network node (120, 130, 140, 150), and wherein the data instance discards any administrative chunks of the SCTP packets, receiving (A030, A040), at the control instance and the at least one data instance, an SCTP packet from said at least one second network node (120, 130, 140, 150), with the control instance: discarding association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, and processing administrative chunks of the received SCTP packet, and with each of said at least one data instance, wherein said each of said at least one data instance is configured to handle the respective set of said at least one association: discarding administrative chunks of the received SCTP packet, discarding a first set of association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, wherein the first set of association specific chunks relates to any one of said at least one association but the respective set of said at least one association, and processing a second set of association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, wherein the second set of association specific chunks relates to the respective set of said at least one association. discarding association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, and processing administrative chunks of the received SCTP packet, and with each of said at least one data instance, wherein said each of said at least one data instance is configured to handle the respective set of said at least one association: discarding administrative chunks of the received SCTP packet, discarding a first set of association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, wherein the first set of association specific chunks relates to any one of said at least one association but the respective set of said at least one association, and processing a second set of association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, wherein the second set of association specific chunks relates to the respective set of said at least one association. discarding administrative chunks of the received SCTP packet, discarding a first set of association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, wherein the first set of association specific chunks relates to any one of said at least one association but the respective set of said at least one association, and processing a second set of association specific chunks of the received SCTP packet, wherein the second set of association specific chunks relates to the respective set of said at least one association.