Working with Youth-at-Risk in Hong Kong

According to the statistics from the Hong Kong Police, around 6000 juveniles (aged 7 to 15) were arrested each year in the last ten years. Although not all these young people arrested were convicted as delinquents, the problem of youth-at-risk has drawn attention from the public and the government. Various Western and local theories have been offered to account for the problem. Some commonly recognized categories of at-risk youth are youth gangs, young substance abusers, school bullies, and cautioned juveniles. These young people are usually perceived as having an impulsive nature; they require welfare services rather than punishment as criminals.
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nThis volume is a collection of chapters covering various aspects of the youth problem. Besides examining the causes of the problem and the principles behind the solution, different and effective approaches in working with the various categories of at-risk youths are introduced. The overall aim is to help this group of young people to lead a healthy life and integrate into society as contributing members. The book contains both theory and practice, and is suitable for social work students and professionals.
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nThe editor of the book, Francis Wing-lin Lee, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration in the University of Hong Kong. He teaches courses on understanding and working with young people, which is also his research area.
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n“Working with Youth-at-Risk in Hong Kong highlights the experiences of professionals in the field. This is a book that offers readers a profound insight into the challenges of working with youth-at-risk.” —Dr. Rosanna Wong Yick-ming, DBE, JP, Executive Director, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
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n“This book, by both scholars in the field and front-line practitioners, is an outstanding collective effort that brings theories and practice together in addressing the youth-at-risk problem in Hong Kong.” —Dr. James T. H. Tang, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong