Social Work with Young People in Hong Kong

In 2018, an estimated population number could be a little over 1,000,000 youth in the country. Due to the significant increase in the population of the youth in Hong Kong, it is evident that social services aimed at the youth ought to be highly effective to enable them deal with issues that affect the youth. Generational change across the world has a larger impact on the youth and it falls within the confines of social service work to positively influence this generational change. The purpose of this essay is to highlight the situations facing the youth in Hong Kong and the interventions being undertaken by the social workers in the country to assist the youth overcome these challenges. There are various factors that face the youth in any country.

As a result, they have set up service centers that specifically deal with challenges the youth face. These centers include shelter services for homeless youth, crisis residential services for the youth at risk, family conferencing services for the youth involved in crime, help desks and call centers for the youth at risk, recovery centers for the youth involved in drugs, child development fund among many more vital services (Social Welfare Department, 2018). In 2002, the social welfare department identified 16 communities in Hong Kong that called for prioritized services. The department set up social work service teams to reach the youth in each of the 16 communities and deliver youth services. Studies have shown a significant positive impact on the youth as a result of this exercise (Lee, 2013).

In other cases, they undertake these acts solely because they feel they have the ability to commit crime without repercussions. These issues are best explained through the social control theory that includes attachment, commitment, involvement and belief (2Lo, n. d). The social contact theory is based on the moral fabric within a society and the influence people within the society have over each other. When inferred to the discussion of youth crime in Hong Kong, various factors stand out. The aspect of commitment as per the social contact theory is significant factor in influencing most criminal attitudes among the youth. Social withdrawal behavior among the youth has been a key cause of clinical and physical concern among the social workers in Hong Kong.

Studies have related social withdrawal to the development of mental disorders among the youth. These studies have shown that the youth in Hong Kong are socially withdrawn at severe rates (Wong et al, 2014). These youths have significant mental issues that lead to actions of self-harm which include their involvement in crime. it is important for social workers to involve themselves with the youth during this period and shape their mental and social understanding of the world. During their involvement, the social workers are expected to listen to the teenagers as opposed to talking to them. This is the second working principle and it is based on the kind of relationship these teenagers are in search of from a social point of view.

Social workers ought to make the youth they deal with a priority in their work. As a working principle, this develops the relationship between the social worker and the youths in any program. However, the present model of social work in Hong Kong has managed to assist the youth in the country identify with the country’s social fabric and avoid the negative social influences that are fast becoming a norm across the world. There is a growing number of youth in Hong Kong. These group of people are the future of Hong Kong’s political, social and economic culture. Theirs is a significant role in the wake of the Chinese integration of the territory. However, before this challenge, the youth are faced with significant social challenges in the modern world.