a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups
September 2019
Volume 11 Number 3
Youth HONG KONG
From Physical to Digital
OVERVIEW 4 Against bullying
Contents
INTERVIEWS 7 Know your students: psychology meets technology Jamie Chiu 10 Cybercrime’s fingerprints Mary Aiken University of East London 13 Doxing trends Anne Cheung University of Hong Kong Finding bullies in Hong Kong schools 15 Annis Fung City University of Hong Kong
September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Volume 11 Number 3
4-6 OVERVIEW
YOUTH SPEAK 18 Facing up to it Jane and Amber SERVICES & SUPPORT 20 Understanding complexities School social worker explains 22 HKFYG initiatives and advocacy for bullying prevention and intervention 24 Back to School with HKFYG Emotion management, media literacy & campus bullying PERSPECTIVES 25 Anti-bullying law MWYO 28 Action against cyberbullies Elaine Morgan 30 Not whether but how to legislate Gary Heilbronn
7-17 INTERVIEWS
18-19 Youth Speak
20-24 SERVICES & SUPPORT
25-31
YOUTH WATCH 32 Bullying statistics and trends
PERSPECTIVES
TALKING POINT 34 Letter to parents Clara Lu
32-33
SOCIETY & CULTURE 36 Future menus Hazel Wong HKFYG 40 42 45 46 47 48 50 51
Ten new books Youth IDEAS reports Youth Trends 2018 Organic & hydroponic farms Future skills Youth exchange Wellness Theatre Flag Day
YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups EDITORIAL BOARD Andy Ho (Chair) Elaine Morgan (Contributing Editor) Ada Chau (Managing Editor) Angela Ngai Gary Tang Lakshmi Jacotă Hsu Siu-man Miranda Ho Christa Cheung Hon Adviser Veronica Pearson CIRCULATION (unaudited) 11,000-12,000 in Hong Kong, throughout the region and overseas
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YOUTH WATCH
34-38 Features
40-51 HKFYG
VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors’ and interviewees’, may come from official sources, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher
ARTWORK & DESIGN DG3 & HKFYG
REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written permission from the publisher is prohibited
LAYOUT & PRINTING DG3
OVERVIEW & INTERVIEWS Elaine Morgan, Lakshmi Jacotă & Ada Chau
ISSN 2519-1098 (Online)
TRANSLATION Ada Chau & Angela Ngai
CORRESPONDENCE to The Editor, Youth Hong Kong, 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong
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Editorial September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Bullying in school is not new. What is new is the way it has evolved into what we now call cyberbullying. More insidious and with the anonymity that the internet affords, cyberbullying can have widespread, deeper and more detrimental consequences than conventional bullying. This edition of Youth Hong Kong tries to understand and analyze the problem through interviews with specialists, psychologists, social workers and people who have been bullied. We assess what is being done and what should be done to tackle this critical issue. Please write to us with your own experiences in dealing with cyberbullying. We understand that our readers must be well aware of what is happening in Hong Kong. The protests over the past months have captured the news all over the world. The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups remains committed to the welfare of young people and their future throughout the current challenges. Please keep Hong Kong's healing in your thoughts. Andy Ho Wing-cheong Executive Director, HKFYG September 2019
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Overview September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Against bullying Bullying among youth, an invidious fact of life in schools, seems to have become ever more complex. Subtle, insidious bullying − both online and offline – now includes manipulation, intimidation and social exclusion, as well as spreading harmful rumours. Designed to humiliate, isolate and frighten victims while deterring bystanders from doing anything, cyberbullying’s impact can be swift and catastrophic. Whether it is shaming and harassment, stalking, trolling or online hate speech, the power of a single click or swipe on a smartphone increases the effect exponentially. Since the borderline between young people’s online and offline worlds is often seamless, being aware of peers ganging up against you online may result in feeling as if the entire world knows. Constantly tormented by peers, knowing that people you have never met also see the shameful insults of your so-called online “friends”, it can feel as if there is no escape. The bullies remain anonymous and can contact targets anywhere, 24 hours a day.
How can bullying be defined? The first step is tackling the problem is to try to define it. There is no formally agreed legal definition of bullying, perhaps because so many types of behaviour have been thought conventionally to qualify, from the kind of teasing encountered by many children to the mean-spirited initiation rites known as hazing or ragging, mainly among young males in groups. 4
However, there is general international agreement that real bullying has three elements: aggression, persistent repetition and a real or perceived imbalance of physical or social power.1 Online bullying is more difficult to define than traditional bullying. As one expert points out, “Research on cyberbullying is plagued by inconsistent findings and exaggerated claims about prevalence …To build a useful and coherent body of knowledge, it is essential to achieve some degree of consensus on the definition of the phenomenon as a scientific concept.”2 This must involve the extremity of language used, the age and characteristics of targets and how widely bullying messages have been circulated.
Symptoms and effects Whatever form bullying takes, whether in the playground or school locker room, on the bus or on social media, both those who are bullied and those who bully others may have serious, lasting emotional and psychological problems. A common warning sign of a bullied child is loss of interest in going to school or wanting to drop out. Victims also tend to blame themselves for situations outside their control, sometimes reacting disproportionately to perceived threats. They may become very depressed and respond by harming themselves or having suicidal thoughts. Targets of any form of bullying often lose self-esteem and self-confidence. They feel alone, anxious and excluded. The distressingly common phenomenon of ostracizing and “slut shaming” teenage girls means they
• Statistics and trends in Hong Kong indicate an escalation of bullying and cyberbullying.
• 香港的數據顯示本港欺凌問題及網上欺凌 愈趨嚴重。
• Targets suffer long-lasting emotional and psychological problems.
• 受害人往往承受長時間的情緒及心理問 題。
• Countermeasures include a whole-school approach, close monitoring and reporting as well as legislation.
• 改善方法包括建立關愛校園、密切留意潛 在個案、設立匯報機制，以及立法處理。
begin to doubt their own worth. Young people who are or feel overweight and those who are disabled or belong to minorities are also among the most vulnerable, as are those who do not conform to peer pressure, even if there is no visible sign of their being different.
in order to dominate others and improve their social status and do not see bullying as morally wrong. Some bullies feel a sense of superiority over other students but others show very little emotion and bully others when no one can see or stop them. Popular, high-achieving students can also be bullies.5
Cyberbullying and shaming
Although it is not always easy to differentiate the online bully from the traditional kind, they have a tendency to display complex emotional issues which may include feelings of inadequacy, poor social skills and the wish for power or control over of others. Both offline and online bullies typically want opportunity and attention. The internet offers both and an online bully can get more immediate gratification from “likes”, shares, retweets.
Public shaming is not new but with the rise of social media, it has moved from tabloid newspapers to platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. Because of what is called “algorithmic nudging”, social media users see information that is most likely to keep them engaged with the platform. This nudging contributes to the well-documented “echo chamber” effect, where users are presented with information and opinions in line with their existing beliefs. Over time, this makes it harder for people to see the full context or the effect of their online interaction with others. This process has been common in highly politicized events, such as Brexit in the UK and the local protests in Hong Kong and is equally true of the mass shaming of individuals as it is in deepening the political divisions in society.
How bad is it? Even before the recent civil unrest there was growing concern that bullying may have worsened in Hong Kong and recent Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) statistics revealed a 62% increase in bullying on the previous year.3 Fears were confirmed when Hong Kong ranked first in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study of bullying in 53 countries which showed 32.3% of 15-year-olds in Hong Kong were bullied at least a few times a month.4 Despite the rising trend revealed by statistics, the EDB does not consider it necessary to introduce antibullying laws or a compulsory reporting process in Hong Kong. Individual schools are advised to adopt a zerotolerance approach but in practice, responses vary widely. Young bullies are also often confident and intelligent and know how to deflect blame even if caught victimizing another child. Nevertheless, they tend to lack empathy and social skills. Those who bully persistently are likely to do so
What can be done? An underlying problem in the battle against bullying is that the targets often want to keep it a secret. There is still a stigma attached to being bullied and some children feel they’ve brought it upon themselves. Embarrassed or ashamed, afraid of escalation or reprisals, they don’t report what’s happening to them. They don’t want their parents to worry, may feel they won’t be taken seriously or think that adults don’t keep up with technology and don’t understand their online world. In order to find a solution, online social media platforms are increasingly harnessing the power of software and online tools that reveal potential bullying behaviour. Nevertheless, both monitoring and regulation is difficult and complex. Furthermore, cyberbullying targets are often advised to leave the specific online environment where the bullying is taking place but for many teens this means cutting off their world.6
How is bullying handled overseas? Multipronged approaches have been found to work well and two in particular are recommended. In Finland, the pioneering anti-bullying programme called KiVa™ (from the Finnish words “kiusaamista vastaan,” meaning “against bullying”) has been adopted by 90% of schools. Key 5
Overview September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
What is bullying Bullying is:
Bullying is not:
● Repeated aggression aimed at hurting another person or group of people.
● Single episodes of social rejection or dislike.
● It features a real or perceived imbalance of power. ● It can continue over time and is often hidden from adults.
What is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying, also known as online bullying or cyber harassment, is common, especially among teenagers. It includes sending, posting or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content such as insults and disrespect, shaming, rumours, threats, undesirable sexual remarks, personal information about victims or pejorative labels that cause embarrassment or humiliation. Most cyberbullying takes place on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, as well as messaging such as WhatsApp, WeChat and SMS. Read more ● definitions.uslegal.com/c/cyber-bullying/ ● cyberbullying.org/bullying-beyond-schoolyard-preventingresponding-cyberbullying-2nd-edition
factors are a focus on bystanders and the systematic way in which the programme guides school staff to coordinate and organize anti-bullying activities. It also includes anti-bullying computer games and an online reporting tool which removes some of the embarrassment.7 Elsewhere, the well-recognized programme OBPP, the Norwegian Olweus Bullying Prevention Program has been adopted by thousands of schools. Rather than simply providing books, videos and lesson plans on bullying, this programme helps a school develop an extensive bullying plan with components at the school, teacher, classroom and community levels. For raising young people’s awareness of online risks, the I-SAFE Internet Safety Curriculum in the US and the Cyber Friendly Schools Project in Australia are notable examples. Legislation and other safeguards can underpin wholeschool policies and programmes such as these and better
● One-off acts of nastiness or spite. ● Random acts of aggression or intimidation. Sources • ncab.org.au/bullying-advice/bullying-for-parents/definition-of-bullying/ • stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/index.html
monitoring and reporting can improve awareness. Fundamentally, however, clear communication between those directly involved, as in so many other problematic circumstances, is the key. If children can be encouraged to speak up, the effects of bullying can be mitigated. The hope is that they will realize that the experience of bullying is not to be faced alone.
Read more
● duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/B/Bullying.aspx ● gov.uk/bullying-at-school/bullying-a-definition ● semanticscholar.org/paper/Cyberbullyingperpetration-and-victimisation-among-Rao-Wang/08c 2b8fcb58759c953ae08a406e1c5fc257cf8da ● semanticscholar.org/paper/Cyberbullying%3A-Anarrative-review-Tiffany/2907e1e26deb6dd27dfc1979 463c5bac42426a95 ● understood.org/en/friends-feelings/child-socialsituations/online-activities-social-media/ cyberbullying-what-you-need-to-know ● medicinenet.com/bullying/article.htm ● ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378064/ ● ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5914259/ ● ocali.org/project/bullying_and_individuals_with_ special_needs/page/anti_bullying_program_resources Sources 1. stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/index.html 2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29279213 3. legco.gov.hk/yr18-19/english/fc/fc/w_q/edb-e.pdf EDB 056 p157-160 4. yp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/111059/despite-hk-reporting-most-children-beingbullied-world-many-students 5. psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-14197-002 6. witsprogram.ca/school/respond-to-cyberbullying-intervention/ 7. kivaprogram.net/program
If you need help, call HKFYG: Hotline 2777 8899 WhatsApp 6277 8899 SMS 24x7 9101 2012 6
Interview September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
psychology meets technology Can you tell us about your work? My focus is helping teenagers overcome depression and anxiety. I use an online mental health screening programme with schools. It identifies students who are struggling with issues that they are too scared to tell an adult about faceto-face. The programme is called Know My Students and is used in schools across Hong Kong. It employs a chatbotstyle questionnaire that indicates the risk of depression and suicide and is designed to feel friendly so that students feel safe enough to share what’s on their minds. A consistent finding among thousands of students who have used the programme is a strong link in about 20% of them between being bullied, heightened levels of depression and hopelessness and saying that life isn’t worth living.
• They feel ashamed and so become less likely and less willing to tell an adult about it. • Dr Jamie Chiu founded a company that created an online programme to help schools recognize and support vulnerable teenagers, allowing for early intervention.
• 遭受欺凌的學生一般認為是自己的過錯令自己受到 欺凌。 • 由於他們感到羞愧，因此很少願意跟成年人坦誠說 出受人欺凌的遭遇。 • 趙千媄博士創辦提供網上服務的公司，協助學校辨 識受欺凌的學生，為他們提供支援及介入服務。
Why do schools need another way to connect with struggling students? One of the challenges that adults face is that we’re often the last to know about students’ problems. I can understand this because I also struggled with depression and anxiety as a teenager and I was too scared to let anyone know. It can be intimidating and embarrassing to ask for help about personal issues. How do students react when asked to share how they feel through your programme? Students enjoy using it. One student said, “It really feels like the questions were designed by someone who understands what it’s like to struggle.” Another said, “It makes me feel like someone is there for me and understands me without judging me.”
by ihtatho_httpsflic.krp5HiBmq
Know your students
• Students who get bullied often think it’s their fault for being targeted.
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Interview September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
What forms of bullying do students report? Being singled out, called names, harassed and having hurtful rumours about them spread, both in person and online. For example, a Secondary 3 student shared details of being bullied since primary school by the same classmate. Even though other children knew about the bullying, they were all afraid of becoming a target and so did not stand up for him. What happened? When the bullying first started, the student tried to ignore it, hoping it would eventually stop. But it escalated and became more intense. He began to blame himself, thinking that it was his fault. He didn’t know how to cope and began to harm himself. He says he opened up to me because he could tell I had been through similar problems myself. What did you say to him? This boy, like many who have experienced either bullying or self-harm, felt a lot of shame. For years, he felt he deserved the bad things that happened to him. I helped him see that the bullying wasn’t his fault and worked on ways to help him start feeling better about himself. Was the bully punished? Enforcing consequences is important, but equally important is building a foundation of socially acceptable behaviour. Punishment alone is not a good solution. Children who engage in bullying behaviour need to understand the impact of their actions so I requested counselling for the students on both sides. Would you use the same approach for cyberbullying? At the end of the day, bullying is bullying. Today’s children don’t really experience a separation between the online and offline world. When a child is being bullied in school, it’s very likely that it will include online aspects like sharing screenshots of private conversations or starting a group chat with everyone in the class except the bullied child. No matter what form the bullying takes, by building a culture of acceptance and kindness, children learn to be good to one another even when conflicts arise.
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Can you describe a recent case of online bullying that you have handled? There were two girls at secondary school, best friends, both of whom liked the same boy. One started dating him but didn’t tell the other because she felt guilty and was scared of losing her friend. The friend found out and felt betrayed. She was the more popular of the two and became jealous and vindictive. She started sharing screenshots of her friend’s secrets on Instagram. The secrets spread very quickly and other classmates joined in, effectively ostracizing the girl who had got the boy. Soon, she had no friends left and was labelled the school slut. Online bullying can be so damaging because of the ease and speed at which personal things can get shared and exposed, amplifying the hurtful impact. The distress made her think of suicide and she started self-harming. Luckily, her school was implementing our programme and her responses raised red flags. As I was supporting the school with postscreening assessments, the teachers referred her to me. Couldn’t the problem have been caught earlier? It started off as a friendship problem and then quickly escalated. These are common conflicts, but if the teenagers haven’t yet learned how to effectively communicate and handle conflict with empathy and kindness, especially faceto-face, it’s easy to see why things can get out of hand. We are lucky that we got to intervene in this case, but what if we hadn’t? This shows why parents and schools need to ensure students develop good social-emotional skills. If parents know bullying is taking place, what can they do? Their natural instinct will be to want the bullying to stop as soon as possible but they need to remember that their child is afraid, embarrassed and especially worried that they have just made things worse by telling you. What I have seen work best is when a parent is able to walk the fine line between not overreacting ‒ storming into the school principal’s office or something similar ‒ and handling concerns seriously. The parent could, for example, contact the school and the child’s teachers and work subtly with them to find a way to stop the bullying in the least disruptive manner.
bullied. Even though the situation may appear trivial, it’s likely to be causing a lot of distress in a child. Second, parents should never directly approach the child who is the bully. There was one case of online bullying on a school’s Minecraft server. Some girls were being called nasty names and their parents noticed. Instead of notifying the school, the parents went into the online chat group themselves and bullied the other children back! The school eventually found out and stopped it all, but this serves to show how difficult it is to keep level-headed and not let emotions get the best of you when it is your own child who is being bullied. What are the long-term effects of being bullied? Are there things parents should not do? I believe there are two. The first is to be dismissive and not take a child’s concerns seriously. Minimizing concerns can reinforce the child’s belief that the bullying is their own fault or that something is wrong with them. Parents need to remember that it takes a lot of courage for a child to tell them that they are being
Jamie’s story Born in Hong Kong, Jamie had moved between three Australian cities by the age of five. When she was six, her family relocated to Ghana and when she was 14, her parents separated and her mother took her back to Australia. As a child, she always struggled to fit in. “When I started Primary 1 in Ghana, I was bullied in school. I was already an anxious child but the bullying made me feel as if there was something wrong with me. I didn’t tell my parents because I was embarrassed. My mum only found out about the bullying when I came home one day with scratches and bruises. She told the school but the teachers just thought I was being fussy and should ‘toughen up’.
As a child, when you experience bullying, it hurts your sense of safety and trust in relationships, it impairs your self-esteem and confidence. It makes you feel ashamed and afraid. Students who are bullied are more likely to feel depressed, anxious and even have thoughts of suicide. These effects carry on into adulthood. Children who have been bullied are more likely to become depressed adults. “After my parents separated, my mother and I moved back to Australia and I started school mid-year. I was 14, very insecure and anxious. As the new kid who looked different from everyone else, I got picked on by others. It reinforced the belief that something was wrong with me and that no one would ever like me. I kept all of this from my mum because I didn’t want to disappoint her. With all the other problems at home, I didn’t want to be a burden. “I pretended that everything was fine, but underneath my self-dislike grew. There was always a deep knot in my stomach and a sense of dread that followed me everywhere. I couldn’t cope, I became more depressed and developed an eating disorder. Eventually, I went to university and became a clinical psychologist because I wanted to be able to offer young people the support that I wish I’d had myself.” Since returning to Hong Kong in 2011, Dr Jamie Chiu has focused on helping teens and schools. Her private therapy practice is in Sheung Wan and The Brightly Project which she founded is based in Kwun Tong.
Read more knowmystudents.com/unwire.pro/2018/09/06/know-my-students/news/ [in Chinese] The Brightly Project 10/F, The Wave, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong info@thebrightlyproject.com
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Interview September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Cybercrime’s fingerprints Dr Aiken specializes in the impact of technology on human behaviour, “where humans and technology collide,” as she describes it. She argues that people behave differently online. Interaction becomes amplified and accelerated. As a result, problems can escalate very easily, whether their roots are in outright aggression, overly innocent trust or a combination. “30 to 40% of everyday speech is normally taken up with self-disclosure, private experiences and personal relationships – discussing with others how we feel or what we think about something,” says Dr. Aiken, but when we communicate on social media the amount of self-disclosure doubles to around 80% and consists mainly of announcements about immediate experiences. Why? Because online, people feel less restrained and bolder. They can become less inhibited because they can act anonymously. Given the nature of social media and how easy it is make online “friends” as well as post personal information, messages and photos, it is all too easy for a naïve user to become vulnerable. “Imagine a child who has a Facebook page and an Instagram account, who participates in 10
Snapchat, WhatsApp and Twitter,” Dr Aiken says. “That child could have thousands of contacts and call them all friends. But these are not friends in any realworld sense. They don’t really know or care about the child and their identity is potentially false.” Children who spend much of their time online with these so-called friends, “may not get much real-world experience in handling social groups,” she continues. Online communication lacks many cues such as facial expressions, body language and tone of voice, “…so spending a lot of time on social media may render children less socially competent than they might otherwise have been.” Dr Aiken goes on to apply the “looking-glass theory”. It is a concept in social psychology created by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902, long before the internet. According to this theory, people base their sense of self on how they believe others see them. She notes that individuals ‒ and particularly teenagers who are increasingly involved in updating their online personas ‒ risk damaging the development of their real selves. This is because they largely they see themselves
• Nasty bullying online is a reality and can also be criminal.
• What causes, exacerbates and reinforces cyberbullying and how best can it be detected?
• Dr Mary Aiken, a cyberpsychologist who researches the interface between people and the internet, offers some explanations and proposes a strategy for prevention. • 網上欺凌有時是可接受的現實行為，但亦可能是犯罪行為。 • 值得思考甚麼因素引致或加劇欺凌行為？我們又如何偵測？ • 網絡心理學家瑪麗．愛肯博士（Dr Mary Aiken）分析了人們跟互聯網的介面互動， 為我們提供一些解釋，以及預防的策略。
Every contact leaves a trace and nowhere is this truer than online.
reflected in a mirror held up by online friends who don’t really know them. She warns that those who have several “cyber selves” on different platforms may be most vulnerable to bullying. Her scenario develops like this: “In the real world, if five friends attack you, that is bad enough.” Children, hypersensitive to criticism, tend to focus on cutting remarks rather than compliments and may have an exaggerated self-image. “Now imagine a class of 20 turns on you … then the equivalent of the whole school … then all your social network contacts …” Obviously, the effect can be devastating, particularly for young people. Cyberbullying can also spread because of the “bystander effect” as Dr Aiken calls it. This is the strange phenomenon of a large number of people witnessing a crime or emergency and doing nothing about it. The more there are of them, the less likely that anyone will react. Psychologists says this is because each individual is thinking that someone else will act. Likewise, in cyberbullying hundreds of online “friends” may see what is going on but no one steps forward to defend the victim who is left to fend for him- or herself.
Another well-known psychological phenomenon comes into Dr Aiken’s explanation of cyberbullying. It is called the “theory of planned behavior.” It applies when the more anyone talks about something, the more it becomes normalized. The result is that cyberbullying proliferates because more people expect it and consider it to be “normal.” Fortunately, the volume of data involved in cyberbullying makes it susceptible to digital detection and this is where Dr Aiken’s expertise in digital forensics comes in. “Every contact leaves a trace and nowhere is this truer than online. In the playground, the mean words of a bully disappear instantly. Online, it is just the opposite. Communication leaves a permanent digital record in which both victims and perpetrators can be identified.” Recognizing this, Dr Aiken has been working on an algorithm for use with artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, a mathematical formula which “can predict the prevalence of antisocial behavior online, identify incidences of bullying and detect escalation. It would be an opt-in solution used only with parental consent. It could be formulated not only to warn the young people concerned but also to initiate digital outreach by counsellors and send an alert to teachers and parents. None of the adults would need to see the content so there would be no breach of privacy for the child.” The algorithm could also one day reflect anti-bullying law in the jurisdiction where the data is gathered and be designed to “quantify and provide evidence of a crime. It could send digital deterrent messages to the cyberbully as well, showing him or her that real-life consequences exist.” The question remains as to whether the police would give potentially criminal cyberbullying data sufficient priority for an algorithm to result in court cases. Dr Aiken also 11
Interview September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
While algorithms are being refined, Dr Aiken advocates the use of preventive protocols that involve teaching “netiquette” ‒ good online behaviour that never infringes privacy and reflects sound moral values. She stresses that given the use of smartphones by very young children, the lessons have to start at kindergarten. “Netiquette has to be instilled early in childhood. If you only teach it when a child is eight years old, it will be too late.” That means three- and four-year-olds need to learn how to be good cyber citizens. They must understand the risks and hurts that they are able to inflict on others online. Machines may one day be able to help intervene and stamp out bullying but until AI perfects a way of detecting the most subtle and cunning bullying tactics, the responsibility will still lie with us. As Dr Aiken says, “cyberbullying is a 21st-century problem that requires a 21st-century solution. We need the collective will to address it.”
reminds us, “I think we need to make a clear distinction between cyberbullying as a form of social taunting and cyberbullying as a form of criminal activity. An algorithm that it is useful to social workers, parents, teachers and law enforcement agencies would involve monitoring big data and to be effective it would have to lead to prosecution.” Another difficulty with automated detection of online bullying is that remarks made in chat can be highly nuanced. A bully may use irony to caption a photo posted online, using terms like “beautiful” when they really mean the opposite, as in a photo of a drowsy, dishevelled student who is unaware that the photo is being taken. Sometimes a bully will give the game way by adding a nasty face emoticon to a snide comment but AI that could detect all the possible combinations is yet to be developed. Although an algorithm can be good at monitoring large volumes of traffic, AI is not known to be good at identifying irony or sarcasm. 12
Dr Mary Aiken is an Honorary Professor in Law and Criminology at the University of East London, an academic advisor to Europol’s Cybercrime Centre (EC3) and a former director of the Cyberpsychology Research Centre. Her research interests include cybersecurity, organized cybercrime, cyberstalking, technology-facilitated human trafficking and the rights of the child online. She is a member of the advisory board of the Hague Justice Portal, a foundation for international peace, justice and security.
“The Cyber Effect” by Mary Aiken Publishers: In English, J. Murray, 2016 In Chinese, CITIC Press 2019
Doxing: toxic and dangerous • The rising trend in doxing, known in local Cantonese as 起底 , “hei dai” or cyber manhunt, has been escalated by recent protests in Hong Kong. • Prof Anne Cheung from the University of Hong Kong stresses how important it is to be aware of its power but also how it should be defined. • She says that it is deepening political divisions and the most effective way to tackle the problem is for internet service providers to step in.
According to a 2018 survey1, conducted by Prof Cheung and several of her colleagues, just over one in ten secondary school students engages in doxing and over half have personal information and photos about them posted on social media and messaging apps without their consent. In recent weeks, the trend has become even more prevalent. However, she says, “It is important to be clear about what doxing is and, in the present Hong Kong context, to distinguish it from political criticism so that we know who is accountable.” Her preferred definition of doxing is “the intentional public release onto the internet of personal information about an individual by a third party, often with the intent to humiliate, threaten, intimidate or punish the identified individual.” Prof Cheung’s research with Prof Edward Chan Ko-ling of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was published between 2018 and 2019.2 It concludes that, “Because doxing increases the risk of information disclosure, consequently leading to the risk of harassment and attacks in both cyberspace and the physical world, it is important to develop effective approaches for combating the problem.” Doxing intensifies the power imbalance between
• 隨著香港近期增加的示威和群 眾活動，「起底」或「網絡人 肉搜尋」均有上升趨勢。 • 香港大學張善喻教授強調，我 們應小心界定「起底」的定義， 並留心它的傷害程度。 • 她表示，社會政見分歧加深， 要預防「起底」帶來的傷害； 社交網絡供應商亦責無旁貸。
The term “doxing” comes from the abbreviation for documents as “docs”. In Cantonese, it is called 起底 , “hei dai” which is the colloquial Cantonese for cyber manhunt in English. perpetrators and victims. While perpetrators remain anonymous, avoid public scrutiny and escape repercussions, targets become more exposed, both in cyberspace and the physical world. Concern about this form of online bullying has escalated since demonstrations about the extradition bill began in Hong Kong. As Prof Cheung points out, “The rising trend that we reported in 2018 has worsened and has been confirmed by interviews with the Privacy Commissioner.”** Hostile doxing, especially of children, has been widely discussed. Not only does this violate victims’ information privacy but it can also facilitate online harassment and lead to physical bullying in real life. Prof Cheung goes on to say that she would not be surprised by a crossover between real-life bullying and bullying by doxing, a phenomenon that is often reported by researchers. 13
Interview September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
The rising trend that we reported in 2018 has worsened and has been confirmed by interviews with the Privacy Commissioner. Revenge doxing “This form of cyberbullying has been weaponized and used deliberately to intimidate, isolate and cause fear,” she continues, saying that according to the Privacy Commissioner, although doxing against families of members of the police has dropped, revenge doxing against protesters by those who initially were targets is on the rise. This occurs partly because the victims had no recourse to any other form of retaliation, a phenomenon confirmed by Prof Cheung’s research. Indeed, revenge doxing may be the most important reason for the rise in doxing by Hong Kong youth.
It is very important to inform adolescents about the existence of information privacy laws that prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of personal information, the potentially serious consequences of hostile doxing and severe penalties for doxing, Prof Cheung advises. However, there are limitations in existing privacy laws and it is difficult to legislate against cyberbullying, partly because overseas social network providers are used by perpetrators, making prosecution complex, as does the large number of people involved in any incident of doxing. Nonetheless, as a new school year begins, it is expected that the number of cases related to doxing or bullying of children and youngsters will be on a rise** and Prof Cheung places the major burden for prevention on the shoulders of providers of social networking platforms. “It does seem that local platforms such as LIHKG filter out harmful posts,” she points out. They probably also have content moderators whose work is to identify and take down malicious or potentially criminal content on social media. “We hope to see all servers acting more strongly in response to doxing because of the local situation, especially given the safety risks to children that have been witnessed.”
“Awareness has been raised among the Hong Kong community of the effectiveness and power of doxing to do harm,” Prof Cheung points out. This has both good and bad results. Although it can lead to heightened personal security online, it also means that this form of cyberbullying has become more widespread because it has proved to be so effective a form of harassment. “More people use it because they are aware of its power.”
Prof Anne Shann Yue Cheung is a scholar at the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Law. Her research interests include internet privacy, freedom of speech and online censorship. Publications Research on doxing in Hong Kong coauthored by Prof Cheung include the following:
Heightened awareness Used as a means to breed public mistrust and deepen the political divide in the community, doxing has proved itself to be a potent tool. Asked what might be done to prevent or reduce incidences of doxing and other forms of cyberbullying, Prof Cheung stresses the importance of agreed definitions but also of raising awareness. Many adolescents share personally identifiable information such as their full name, sex, birthday, school, relationship status and e-mail address, as well as personal photos and videos, so online self-disclosure has been a long-standing concern for parents and schools.
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1. Doxing: What Adolescents Look for and Their Intentions, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC6352099/ 2. Doxing Victimization and Emotional Problems among Secondary School Students in Hong Kong. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6313484/
Sources * pcpd.org.hk/english/news_events/media_statements/press_20190828.html ** Douglas, DM. “Doxing: A Conceptual Analysis,” Ethics and Information Technology 18 (3), 199, 2016. doi.org/10.1007/s10676-016-9406-0
Interview
Finding bullies in Hong Kong schools • The rise in face-to-face bullying and online aggression among students has led specialists to develop tools that identify the perpetrators and deal with them. • Dr Annis Fung and her team developed Project C.A.R.E. which has set a benchmark for this work. • She recommends cognitive behaviour therapy, the use of martial arts and moral philosophy, omega-3 nutritional supplements, group storytelling and “positive psychoeducation.”
• 不論是面對面或網上欺凌的情況都有增加趨 勢，故此專家特別設計了辨識工具，希望找出 欺凌者，並協助處理他們的問題。 • 馮麗姝博士和她的同事設計了「有教無『戾』－ 校園欺『零』計劃」 （Project C.A.R.E.），甚具參 考價值。 • 她建議使用認知行為治療（cognitive behaviour therapy）、功夫、道德教育、補充奧米加 3 營 養、團體敘事治療，以及「正向」心理教育等 方法處理問題。
The aim of Project C.A.R.E. [Children and Adolescents at Risk Education] was to tackle Hong Kong’s school bullying problem. Devised by Dr Annis Fung, the project took place in 52 secondary and 25 primary schools teachers. It aimed to identify different kinds of bully and victim and offer therapy as well as seminars and therapeutic groups for students. A training package with workshops and seminars for professionals and parents was also part of the project.1
and a purpose and the benefit gained may not be tangible but can often include a sense of power or control.
Could you give us your definition of school bullying?
Pure proactive aggressors are relatively rare and research has shown that they act the way they do as a result of their socialization. At a very young age, they learn from their parents and close relatives that aggressive behaviour brings benefits. Most of them are very smart.
I call bullying any well-planned action intended to harm somebody, including physical violence, verbal threats and discrimination in order to gain a benefit or reward. Violence is not the same as bullying. The latter has a plan
by Jason Sho Green_httpsflic.krprnpTiC
September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Why do some students bully others? There are two subtypes: the cold-blooded, goaloriented proactive aggressor and the impulsive, hotheaded reactive aggressor. The latter subtype is often mistaken for what I call the “real bully.”
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Interview September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Reactive aggression, by contrast, can be triggered by anxiety or momentary anger. It is different from the repeated, intentional and instrumental aggressive behaviour that I call real bullying. In contrast to proactive bullies, reactive aggressors usually lack confidence, are very sensitive to and suspicious of their surroundings and lack social and problemsolving skills. They readily interpret others’ behaviour as hostile and aggressive when they encounter social problems. Even if others’ actions are not harmful, they will retaliate physically and emotionally to protect themselves. What are the identifying characteristics of these two subtypes of aggressors? Proactive aggressors are callously unemotional. They seldom express their feelings. Reactive aggressors easily become angry, anxious and uncomfortable around their peers. They
often argue with others. I used this categorization in my work with Hong Kong schools which revealed five times more reactive aggressors than proactive aggressors and double the number of passive victims to aggressive victims. US statistics show that one in five students have been bullied in school.2How serious is the problem in Hong Kong? According to a survey of 540,000 schoolchildren in 72 countries and regions conducted in 2015,3 frequent school bullying in Hong Kong is higher than anywhere else in the world. 32.3% of approximately 5,000 students surveyed reported that over the period of a month they had suffered various forms of school bullying, 26.1% reporting having been made fun of by other students and 9.5% having been hit or pushed around.4
Typical bullies and victims Mike,* a proactive aggressor, coordinates others and deliberately plans premeditated bullying to achieve status and authority. He often threatens or hits his weaker classmates and likes to linger around the housing estates after school, often going home late at night. Once, he and his gang invited a boy they didn’t like to play basketball at a sports ground well away from home and school. During the game, Mike intentionally kicked the boy’s leg very hard, leaving him in a lot of pain while they all gathered round, jeering and threatening. He was very excited to see how frightened the boy was but his mind was clear, he acted cautiously and made it hard for anyone to discover or punish him. The reward, in Mike’s eyes, was that his peers would not dare to mess with him reinforcing his idea that being aggressive is the best way to control other people. Doreen,* a typical reactive aggressor, is eight years old. She grew up with little sense of security, love or family warmth. Her father slaps her whenever he does badly at work or loses money gambling, and her mother gives limited care. Doreen is often defensive and has developed a hostile attitude to the world. One day, she hurt herself accidentally, scarring her arm. A few days later, she saw some classmates laughing in the corner of the classroom. Believing they were talking about her, she became agitated and lashed out verbally. Due to past experience of being told off and beaten without any reason at home, she thought that she has to attack others before they can do the same to her.
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Keith,* a typical aggressive victim, finds that his classmates are always laughing at him and calling him “doggie”. They slap him hard and draw on his books for no reason. Once, when Keith told his teacher that he was being bullied in class, the teacher claimed not to have noticed. On another occasion, he convinced his friend to join him in beating up a classmate who had bullied them both, believing it was the only way to stop him, even at the risk of getting a demerit. “My teacher took action only when I exaggerated the incident. I didn’t care if I was punished, as long as he was as well,” said Keith. When being bullied, he often struggles between the impulse to act correctly and the wish to take revenge. As a result, he is highly confused and conflicted. Daniel,* a typical passive victim, is an only child in a middle-class family. His parents do not allow him to do household chores. They worry that he will be too tired to go to school or do his homework. He has regularly been bullied by a group of three classmates who call him nicknames, tease him, grab his books and sometimes beat him up. During class, he is constantly anxious and sensitive to his surroundings, checking if his classmates are approaching even when the teacher is present. He is always the first to run out of the classroom at the end of lessons and hides himself in a corner, believing that it is his own fault that he gets bullied. He is so scared that he often skips classes and is afraid of going school. *Note All names used are pseudonyms.
What solutions are there for bullying on campus? My work on Project C.A.R.E. offers reference material and, I hope, a useful scientific assessment tool for all frontline educators, social workers, counsellors and parents working on anti-bullying programmes. It led me to redefine bullying and say that violence is not the same as bullying, which has a plan and a purpose. Those who bully others gain spiritual, material and linguistic benefits via their aggressive behaviour. How can the victims of school bullying be helped? We need the correct approach and I suggest cognitive behavioural therapy to identify any irrational thinking and rebuild positive thinking. A peer-counselling programme would also help to manage school violence. Older students would be trained as student ambassadors to develop active, trustful relationships with younger students and ensure they have support and care.
Is the Project C.A.R.E. manual useful outside Hong Kong? Project C.A.R.E. was a cross-boundary effort involving England, Finland, Japan, Macau, mainland China, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Uruguay and the US, so teachers and social workers in different locations could participate and follow the programme. As far as I know it is the first scientific study to assess the treatment of both proactive and reactive aggressors as well as aggressive and passive victims. It has also shown that proactive and reactive aggression among children in Spanish-speaking countries is higher than in Hong Kong and mainland China.5 We conducted over 200 workshops and talks across Hong Kong and to meet the needs of the students, our materials were distributed to all participating schools. The project advocates harmony and care in the school culture and has organized press releases, public forums, internet forums and interschool drama competitions to promote these values.6
PROJECT C.A.R.E. goals ● reduce aggression and related symptoms of teenage aggressors ● reduce the negative symptoms of victimization ● increase students’ awareness of school bullying ● equip students with skills to handle bullying as either victims or bystanders ● train students in anti-bullying methods who could then educate their peers ● train teachers as anti-bullying experts to effectively intervene or prevent bullying ● train social workers to deal with teenage bullies and victims ● enhance parenting skills to promote family harmony and reduce child aggression ● offer professional training manuals and educational packages for therapy Read more cityu.edu.hk/class/kt/kt_projects/2012-13/kt_201213_DrAnnisFung.pdf Read more 1 cityu.edu.hk/class/kt/kt_projects/2012-13/kt_201213_DrAnnisFung.pdf 2 study.com/teach/bullying-in-schools.html 3 OECD. PISA 2015 Results. Volume III: Students’ well-being, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2017. DOI: 10.1787/9789264273856-en.
Dr Annis Lai Chu Fung is an Associate Professor and Programme Leader, Master of Social Sciences in Counselling Programme, Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the City University of HK. More about Project C.A.R.E. cityu.edu.hk/projectcare
4 Adolesc Health. 2019 Jun;64 (6S):S65-S72. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31122552 5 Fung, Annis. Project CARE. Practical Manual. 6 deptss01.cityuhk.acsitefactory.com/research-impact/pioneering-anti-aggressioninterventions-evidence-based-effective-outcomes
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Youth speak September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Facing up to it • Two long-term targets of bullies talk about the experience, its effects and the outcome which was to lead to their work with targets of bullying. • Their sad stories reveal how mean people can be to outsiders and want them to suffer. • Both faced up to their experience and having acknowledged what happened they say always tell on a bully, never stay silent. • 兩位長期遭受欺凌的受訪者跟我們分享經驗，闡述欺凌事件如何影響她們，以及讓她們下定決 心將工作重心放在協助受欺凌的青年身上。 • 她們的的經歷，讓大家了解到旁觀者如何進一步使她們受到傷害。 • 兩位受害者都勇於面對自己的經歷，並希望讓更多人知道欺凌的情況。她們亦認為，受害人不 應啞忍欺凌行為。
Jane: in the minority, in denial I’ve had to deal with bullies many, many times. I remember taking the school bus and saying something that upset an older boy. I think he was in Primary 5. He seemed huge. He grabbed my hair and pulled, forcing me to say sorry for whatever it was I’d said. I was so scared and the nanny on the bus tried to help but he still wouldn’t let go till I apologized. I never told my parents and must have blamed myself for saying something stupid enough to antagonize him. Although I managed to make myself forget it at the time I remember it clearly enough now. I didn’t think of it as being bullied then, perhaps I didn’t want to face up to my fears. Now I realize it had something to do with being from a mixed background. I’m part-Indian and part-Chinese. The real nightmare began when I changed from an international to an all-girls local school. In the English class, the teacher asked a question and I was so eager to answer. I raised my hand as I always had in my old school but it was the wrong thing to do. The teacher praised me and accused the other students of being unresponsive. That was the trigger. They started picking on me for being clever and trying to get all the teacher’s attention. Next, they messed up my seat and desk with chocolate biscuits. When the teacher came into classroom, she blamed me for making the place dirty. I told her it wasn’t my fault but the others all said I was lying. When I told my parents they said I wasn’t self-reflective enough. I think I went into denial then. Later, although I became part of a group of girls and tried hard to fit in, they still made fun of me, saying I was not really one of them because I am part-Indian. They used to hide my lunch box time after time and if I ever dared to report them I got the feeling that the teachers didn’t believe me or thought I was just making a fuss about nothing. If anything, it made it worse so I stopped telling anyone, even the social worker who didn’t help at all. In fact, she blamed me for being bullied and I hated her. The longer term effects have been to make me over-eager to please other people and always to think that I am the one who is no good at anything. Even after all these years, the effect is still the same. It depresses me and makes me deeply unsociable. I often find it difficult to trust other people or make friends. Now, as a social work student, I want to help other people like myself and prove that social workers can be very different from the one in my primary school. I tell young targets of bullies to try to be strong, that it will pass eventually. If parents or other social workers ask me what to do if children get bullied, I tell them to take it very seriously, tell them they are not alone and never put the blame on them. 18
Amber: left out and mocked My first experience of being bullied – although I didn’t think of it as bullying at the time − was at primary school. All the other children used to laugh at me for being fat. I used to go to school with my older sister and when we got on the bus, older children threw rubbish at me or hid my school bag. In fact, that same group of students kept on laughing at me all the time till we left that school. When I was in Secondary 4 and 5, I made friends with another group but one of them was always mocking me. In class, nobody stood up for me. I didn’t ask them why and told nobody how miserable I felt. I thought it was my problem. In Secondary 6, a classmate started getting at me on Facebook. She called me arrogant because I didn’t ask her to a gathering. All the other students saw her messages but no one seemed to care. For the rest of my time at school I had no friends. Every day I ate my lunch alone. There was one girl who was different but she couldn’t always keep me company. She had her own friends so almost always I felt lonely. It didn’t stop when I went to university. I remember being so upset one night about not being anyone’s friend that I ripped up all my notes. I was very emotional at that time and thought maybe I was just too different from everyone else and that was why I was always being targeted. I think I am just an outsider. This sense of being isolated has affected me for a very long time, even though I wanted very, very much to make friends. Perhaps I am too sensitive, always thinking I am a misfit even though I always tried so hard to fit in. Actually, I didn’t think of any of these problems as bullying until I went to a workshop on school bullying last year and finally realized I was a victim. The memory of that moment is still very traumatic and I am still trying to accept it. I suppose I don’t want to admit I’ve been targeted and have been for a long time. Now, the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are beginning to fit together. People ask me why I never told anyone before and I think the answer is that it would have been very difficult for anyone to help the kind of child I was. That’s because when you are confronted with bullying you never think of it as that. You don’t want to acknowledge it I suppose. I think it is very difficult for schools to do much by way of stopping bullying, even if they try to build a caring culture. Somehow, bullying is inevitable. It has been that way for generations. So now that I am a teacher, I think listening to and understanding children is more important than trying to resolve conflict. All we can do is stand by them, let them talk about their feelings and try to help them face it all.
Read more
● cyberbullying.org/standing-up-tocyberbullying-tips-for-teens.pdf
Jane, a social work student, is in her 20s. Amber is around 30 and has become a teacher. While Jane says she wants to be a school social worker because she understands how important they can be to children in need, Amber says her wish to become a teacher comes from opportunities to help young targets of bullies.
● ditchthelabel.org
Note Names have been changed.
● tacklebullying.ie/victim-advice/
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Services and support September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Understanding the complexities • Karli*, a social worker, talks about her work with targets and perpetrators of bullying.
• 駐校社工 Karli（化名）跟我們分享她在學 校處理校園欺凌個案的經驗。
• She says it is common for students to refuse labelling even when they have been badly hurt.
• 她表示，受害學生一般不希望自己被視為 校園欺凌受害人。
• Her work with whole classes has been the most successful approach for raising awareness but mediation can also be effective.
• 她認為最理想的處理手法是整體提升全港 對問題的認知；但有時候調解亦能有效處 理個案。
At my school, there are many borderline cases of bullying. It seems as if students often prefer not to think of themselves as targets and refuse labelling. When we open a file about the students, the situation is often complicated and they are usually facing multiple problems. They might dismiss what looks like bullying to us adults, saying it was just a joke and that they can cope and don’t want to make a fuss. In fact, the students who have been seriously targeted often think the problem starts with themselves, maybe believing they took an incident too seriously. But social media like Facebook reminds you of things that happened years ago and if a student has been bullied it can come back to haunt them. Cases of serious bullying lead to depression, so we social workers must try our best to understand.
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Approaches that work Awareness of bullying has been raised in recent years. Many schools have done more preventive education and in the all-boys school that I serve a big effort has been made. I don’t think physical bullying has become worse. In fact, the incidence may have decreased since a few cases were reported to the police. They involved fighting and taking photos of other boys’ private parts and then posting them online. This summer, the school’s worries about cyberbullying became much greater. There have been so many brutal attacks online. Most of us have a natural tendency to identify with a particular group and see everyone else
as the “out group”. This us-vs-them mentality can be seen in many aspects of our lives. Although it may not lead to violence or victimization, when it coexists with other factors, bullying is probably more likely. Young people at school use Instagram and instant messaging a lot. They sometimes make fun of each other, taking an ugly photo and then uploading it with a comment like “super beautiful!” when it is obviously not true. Where boys tend to get into physical aggression, girls in general tend to have more internal conflict about social life. According to social workers I know in all-girls schools and mixed schools, they talk more about their feelings and feel worse about slights and insults from other girls.
Dealing with bullies When it comes to dealing with the bullies, we need to respond quickly but the response has to fit the individual concerned. A Secondary 1 boy told me he accepted being bullied. He said he knew that it would happen one day because he had a habit of saying mean things and he didn’t intend to change so he expected revenge. He said he felt superior to his classmates because he had rich parents and usually got good exam results and thought it was perfectly OK to bully others into feeling inferior. Then one day his own marks were poor and the ones he had bullied took the chance to settle the score. He thought that was quite natural and reflected reality in society at all levels. This was quite a surprise. I realized that his values must have been learned at home. This was not a simple question of bullying. With overconfident perpetrators like him, I suggest an alternative outlet for aggression like taking the lead role in organizing
voluntary work. I think this might provide a way of finding recognition from others while avoiding meanness. Mediation is another form of intervention but you have to do a lot of groundwork before you ask both sides to meet each other. Nevertheless, it can sometimes be very effective. Once, a perpetrator’s parent was very defensive before meeting a victim’s parent. She was very moved to see how bitterly upset the victim’s parent was when describing her daughter’s misery and panic after being bullied by her son. It meant that she understood clearly how badly her son had hurt the girl and she apologized profusely.
Thinking twice Usually, the approach that works best is with an entire class rather than one-to-one. That way, we avoid labelling the victims and perpetrators. If there is a labelling effect, it will only get more complicated. I use soft skills and encourage students to talk about how they feel, maybe suggesting painting, drama or another form of art therapy. Being able to find release in self-expression usually helps. For example, when there had been a spate of bullying at the school, I asked all the students in the class to draw a face with a mask. One of them drew two lines of tears behind the mask and later talked about the need to hide the sadness when people where insulting. I think this kind of approach works best because it gets the message across while removing the risk of stigma for both targets and bullies. Many students tell me how surprised they are to see how hurtful classmates can be. They had never imagined what sadness and damage bullying could cause. This makes them reflect on their own behaviour, understand themselves better and think twice before making hurtful remarks about others in future.
*Karli's name has been changed to protect anonymity
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Services and support September 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Advocating prevention and intervention for bullying Bullying takes place frequently in Hong Kong. Ranging from physical violence to cyberbullying with malicious teasing, labelling classmates with insulting names and launching smear campaigns as well as intimidating or humiliating others repetitively. The problem has grown significantly1 and cyberbullying in particular has attracted widespread attention in the community and the media. HKFYG’s professional counselling and support services for victims, perpetrators and schools have grown in response. As well as offering individual counselling, Federation school social workers develop school-based antibullying strategies to help provide a safer environment.
Awareness projects Several Federation initiatives relate specifically to the rise in cyberbullying. A territory-wide awareness project for the general public called the BeNetwise Internet Education Campaign was launched first and parent education programmes have been organized regularly. The aim was to encourage safe, appropriate behaviour on the internet and a cybersafety portal grew into a comprehensive media literacy portal by 2016.
HKFYG cyberbullying survey recommendations
Continuous collection of data to raise awareness
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Strengthened training in media literacy
Rules for online posts, photos and videos by platform providers
Guidelines for parents
• School bullying is not new but the rapid rise in cyberbullying prompts timely prevention and support.
• 校園欺凌問題一直存在，但隨著網上欺凌個案 增加，我們要提供預防及適時的支援。
• HKFYG projects address the issues and offer effective, appropriate responses.
• 香港青年協會的計劃包括針對問題，提供有效 服務及作出回應。
• An anti-cyberbullying charter will soon be sent and schools invited to sign up.
• 我們即將推出反網絡欺凌約章，並邀請學校加 入及簽署。
Cyberbullying surveys A survey2 on youth cyberbullying was conducted with government support. Nearly 3,000 secondary students, case studies and the views of experts revealed the nature and extent of cyberbullying in Hong Kong secondary schools. It also showed young people’s emotional and behavioural reactions and possible preventive measures. The need for careful, respectful use of the internet was the main lesson learned.
More details of HKFYG anti-bullying services ● Youthline 27778899 (hotline) and 62778899 (whatsapp) ● OpenUp 24x7 Online Counselling 91012012 (SMS) ● Media Literacy Portal medialiteracy.hk ● uTouch Cyber Youth Outreach and Counselling Service utouch.hk ● Project NET medialiteracy.hk
Since then, the rising trend in bullying on the internet, especially in social media, has been confirmed by other surveys and its continued exponential growth is the reason for much current concern.
Media literacy The current BeNetwise Media Literacy Education project emphasizes the value of ethical use of online media and critical assessment of posts and shared messages. It contains a curriculum for use in schools on topics related to cyberbullying. It also includes educational videos that focus on the importance of respect, empathy and fairness and uses interactive drama to reinforce the message. To tackle the problem further, the HKFYG uTouch Cyber Youth Outreaching Service is drafting an anticyberbullying charter and will invite schools to sign up in the coming quarter. A “Support and Report” system will also soon be launched. It will encourage young people to report bullying to a trusted adult, including Federation social workers, who can support them with mediation or counselling with the goal of reconciliation.
Sources 1. oecd.org/pisa/PISA-2015-Results-Students-Well-being-Volume-III-Overview.pdf 2. HKFYG Youth Study Series 44: A Study on Cyber-bullying among Hong Kong Secondary Students benetwise.hk/download/cyberbully_research.pdf Other surveys ● polyu.edu.hk/apss/news-and-events/873-cyberbullying-among-secondary-students-in-hong-kong ● sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886917304592 ● yp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/109419/one-three-hk-studentshas-experienced-bullying-past-six-months-survey
If you need help, call HKFYG: Hotline 2777 8899 Whatsapp 6277 8899 SMS 24x7 9101 2012 23
Services and support September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Back to School Wellness Mind Centre Support Services The beginning of this school year brought many new challenges for Hong Kong youngsters after a long summer of social unrest. The emotional upheaval triggered by the turmoil prompted the HKFYG Wellness Mind Centre to launch a series of lectures, workshops and other supportive programmes for schools, parents and the community.
New initiatives Youth Wellness Psychiatric Service
For students Emotion management skills training for recognizing and controlling emotions Media literacy training for verifying the authenticity of online information Campus bullying series to enhance resilience and empathy Peer counselling skills training for ways to identify and cope with emotional distress
Plus ● Healing kits With popular counselling books: “Stress Relief”, and “Emotionary”, caring cards and self-help exercises for schools Available For schools via the Wellness Mind Centre in late September
Scheme extended to include all 10-29 year-olds Aim To shorten waiting time for professional consultations and treatment More details wmc.hkfyg.org. hk/2018/09/27/psychiatricservice/
Chinese Medicine Service Scheme
● Healing spaces Encouraging schools to create places where emotionally distressed students can go on campus ● Contemplation experience for parents Enhancing understanding and support for emotional distressed students
Full details Web wmc.hkfyg.org.hk/2019/08/28/backtoschool/ Registration for all programmes wmc.hkfyg.org.hk/wp-content/uploads/sites/77/2019/08/ Back-to-School-Support-Service.pdf Enquiries Hsu Siu-man tel 3422 3161
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For 10-29 year-olds with early psychosomatic symptoms such as insomnia, tiredness, poor appetite, stomach ache Aim To enhance motivation to seek help and make it easier to respond well to stress More details wmc.hkfyg.org.hk/ chinesemedicineservices/
Perspectives September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Anti-bullying law proposal • Discussions about the need for a formal mechanism to control bullying in Hong Kong have increased with the rise of cyberbullying. • The Education Bureau and other authorities have not so far considered anti-bullying laws or a mandatory reporting mechanism necessary. • MWYO, a Hong Kong think tank, puts forward a proposal for new legislation.
“Making a Case for an Anti-Bullying Law in Hong Kong” is the title of the study recently published by the Ming Wai Youth Organization (MWYO), a youth-oriented think tank. Its purpose is to “review the current status of laws and policies addressing bullying and cyberbullying in Hong Kong with a view to providing recommendations to the government from a public policy perspective and filling the gap in local studies in Hong Kong.”
Current situation Recognizing that the burden of establishing and promoting anti-bullying schemes has been borne mostly by schools, MWYO says that legislation is needed to help address deficiencies in measures taken to counteract bullying. First, the proposal points out that there is no statutory definition of bullying or cyberbullying in Hong Kong which would allow unified detection or the collection and reporting of statistics. The absence of a definition makes it diifficult to offer effective guidelines to schools or to raise awareness among the public. In its argument, MWYO adopts the academic definition of bullying which specifies three essential characteristics: unwanted aggressive behaviour, observed or perceived power imbalance and repetition of bullying behaviour. Second, the study emphasizes the lack of awareness of what constitutes bullying or cyberbullying among Hong Kong’s general public. It reports that most people don’t recognize bullying’s harmful effects, especially on the mental wellbeing and long-term development of young people. Instead, there is a tendency to treat school bullying and cyberbullying as forms of minor conflict between peers
• 數碼欺凌情況愈趨嚴重，社會 亦有更多聲音討論應否為欺凌 問題設立常設機制。 • 教育局和當局暫時未有考慮就 欺凌問題立法或設立強制報告 機制。 • 本地智庫團體 MWYO 就立法措 施提交了意見書。
while expecting youth and adolescents to deal with it themselves. [See Case Study 1, below.] Again, a clear definition would help. To illustrate its point, MWYO offers case studies and explains that common types of school bullying include physical aggression and verbal victimization as well as social exclusion and extortion. [See Case Study 2.] Cyberbullying, as reported in the study, includes repeated behaviour on electronic or digital media that is intended to inflict harm or discomfort to others. Harassment, cyberstalking, doxing, impersonation, denigration and sexting all fall into this category and it is not uncommon for school bullying and cyberbullying to form a vicious cycle. [See Case Study 3.] Third, there is no legal requirement for the city’s schools to report incidents of bullying or to set up prevention programmes. Instead, the Education Bureau (EDB) provides a “School Administration Guide” which gives advice and directions on matters that include bullying, together with guidelines and suggestions for handling problems. The EDB offers resource packages for educators and a reminder that schools should maintain a clear zero tolerance stance on bullying. Nonetheless, with no obligatory requirement for schools to report bullying, MWYO notes that there is passivity among schools; and without a formal reporting mechanism, this is likely to lead to under-reporting. Fourth, the study points out “the lack of transparency in official bullying statistics.” The various government departments and bureaus responsible for tackling bullying include education, social welfare, law enforcement and prosecution. The overlapping roles of different authorities require a high level of coordination if they are to work 25
Perpectives September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
together effectively and efficiently. However, the report says that “a ‘silo’ mentality and the lack of coordination has led to a rather ineffective and fragmented approach that is not victim-friendly.”
Recommendations The proposal’s key recommendation is a new anti-bullying law with reference to overseas examples and three essential elements. First, a statutory definition of bullying and cyberbullying behaviours. Second, a statement covering the obligations/responsibilities of educational institutions. Third, redress mechanisms with remedies for victims. MWYO also makes a short-term recommendation for setting up an Anti-Bullying Working Group as soon as possible. Its goals would be to raise public awareness of bullying, encourage anti-bullying research, collect and analyze data, and review current legislation and policy. Medium-term action would include a public consultation. The study goes on to recommend preventive methods using a standard set of tools for regular assessment purposes
designed to facilitate an evidence-based and up-to-date antibullying policy. For intervention purposes, it recommends that statutory law states clearly the responsibility of schools to report and track any bullying incidents and imposes administrative punishment on schools that handle bullying cases improperly. Independent redress mechanisms for victims are also recommended, including the power of parents or guardians to apply for an administrative review regarding measures taken by personnel in educational institutions. A statutory body/agency would hear such cases, mediate and follow up appropriately.
Conclusion Bullying has potential long-term negative physical and psychological outcomes for victims, bystanders and perpetrators. Current legislation and policies have regulatory, awareness and enforcement shortcomings, and the lack of a statutory definition contributes to low awareness of the meaning and occurrence of bullying. An Anti-Bullying Working Group can synchronize efforts to rectify such limitations.
Case studies: lack of action 1: Low awareness, no clear definition and varying interpretations Two bullying incidents took place in university halls of residence. Both featured the three key elements of bullying: unwanted aggressive behaviour, observed or perceived power imbalance and repetition of bullying behaviour. First, a male student claimed that he was being harassed and intimidated by more than 20 other students who on one occasion had poured wax over his genitals. Second, a male bully slapped the face of another male student with his genitals while several other students held him down. Disciplinary action was taken by the halls in question but a spokesperson said the incidents constituted “ragging”, also known as “hazing”, rather than bullying.
2: Extortion bullying: no school follow-up or prosecution A Secondary 3 student, Wong, demanded HK$680 as a birthday gift from a classmate who had offered HK$500. A WhatsApp chat record showed Wong had also threatened to beat Chu up with his gang. Chu then complied without informing either the school or his parents. Another schoolmate, outraged by the bullies, posted details of the incident and the perpetrator’s identity in an online forum, revealing Wong’s Facebook account, details of his family 26
members and personal photos without his consent. Wong then asked Chu to forgive him, saying he would return the money. When the school and parents learnt about the incident, the school said it would notify the police but in response to inquiries from a local newspaper, the police, said they had received no such report.
3: Vicious cycle of traditional and cyberbullying Heung’s Secondary 1 classmates slammed a door deliberately on his fingers as he entered a classroom. Even though his hand was quite badly injured, a video clip showed that a teacher who entered the classroom immediately after Heung took no action and neither did the other students present. Chan, one of the perpetrators, then created a group on Facebook and posted hurtful photos of Heung, thus exposing him to both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The school principal denied it, insisting that it was just an accident and refusing to report the matter to the police. Details then spread rapidly in an online forum where comments showed general dissatisfaction about the school’s lack of action. Personal information about Chan and another perpetrator was then posted, thereby making the bullies into victims as well. Although the matter received widespread coverage in local media, no further action was taken by the authorities.
Lack of coordination among government agencies that deal with cases of bullying makes it harder for victims or bullies to seek redress efficiently. To tackle this issue, MWYO considers a supportive legal and policy framework to be essential. Without it, the study concludes, the effectiveness of any anti-bullying work will be undermined.
Learning from overseas countries Many developed countries have an anti-bullying law and the United Nations emphasizes the importance of specific legislation to protect children against violence, stating that it is an “essential building block of a strong national child protection system.” MWYO’s study refers to strategies adopted in several overseas countries including the US, Denmark, South Korea and New Zealand to support its arguments. For example: The US has a federal statutory definition of bullying which includes cyberbullying.
MWYO is an independent think tank that studies youth issues in Hong Kong. Its work includes research studies and surveys, advocacy and education, and training and capacity building. mwyo.org/index.php/english/about_us# The full text of the study can be found at: mwyo.org/index.php/english/analyses/bullying *Note Ragging and hazing both refer to the practice of rituals, challenges and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group.
South Korea has rules enforced by an administrative body to tackle bullying problems as well as legislation that leads to prosecution. New Zealand demonstrates how legislation can fill loopholes by ordering the removal of harmful cyberbullying content and introducing penalties for failure to do so.
Sources US: Facts about bullying. https://www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html Republic of Korea: Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures against Violence in Schools, No. 7119 of 2004. elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_mobile/viewer.do?hseq=24031&type=new&key= New Zealand The Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015. legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2015/0063/latest/whole.html
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On the Agenda September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Action against cyberbullies • How can cyberbullying be combatted, given its potential for subtlety and anonymity? • Moderators hired by internet platform providers screen content of posts, enforce internal policies and train AI systems.
• 由於網上欺凌較為隱閉及難以察覺， 我們可以如何應付？ • 網絡平台供應商聘用專家檢查發布 內容、制定內部政策，並開發人工 智能系統。
• An innovative form of shield for potential victims is now also offered by social media which reminds users about offensive material before they post online.
• 社交媒體現已提供創新的方法保護 潛在受害者，提醒用戶處理涉及攻 擊的內容。
by Elaine Morgan Social media can be a nightmarish place for targets of bullies. Many teens discover that embarrassing photos or videos of themselves have been shared without their consent. A girl might tag an ex-boyfriend in posts that show her with other boys. A group of friends might gang up and deliberately exclude someone. Others will take a screenshot of a photo, alter it and reshare it, or just mock it in a group chat. Creating artificial intelligence (AI) to combat bullying such as this means teaching machines to master a continuously evolving problem with complex nuances. The subtlety of language makes this very difficult. Furthermore, social media posts often use slang and local idiom which change often, especially in languages such as Cantonese. A further complication is the identification of bullying without words. Is anything being done about this?
With the dramatic increase in manipulative and malicious content, there’s been an explosion in the market for content moderation services. Provided as the primary shield against hateful language, violent videos and online cruelty uploaded by users, these services are not provided by AI or an algorithm. They are offered by people. Mostly invisible, hundreds of thousands of commercial content moderators evaluate posts from maybe three billion social media users on mainstream platforms every day. They enforce internal policies, train AI systems and actively screen and remove offensive material — sometimes thousands of items per day per person. Facebook and other platforms use contracted content moderators working around the clock, evaluating posts in more than 50 languages at more than 20 sites around the world. Tech giants including Microsoft and Google have been investing in scalable AI content solutions as a possible substitute, but the judgment-intensive nature of content moderation work requires the human touch. Other ways in which online platform operators have begun to stand up for victims of bullying include Instagram’s new software. It has been using a “bullying filter” since 2017 to hide toxic comments and more recently it began using machine learning to detect attacks on users’ appearance or character, or threats against individuals that appear in photographs and captions. It allows action to be taken against those who repeatedly post offensive content. Instagram’s latest tool is an AI-powered comment filter called Rethink that detects potentially offensive comments and then asks the commenter if they are sure they want to post them. The company hopes that by means of such
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timely reminders, potential bullies might think again about what they are about to do. Its other new product is called Restrict. It works by playing on teenagers’ dislike of blocking a bully who is a peer because not only will that betray their hurt feelings but also stop them from observing what the bully does next. Will it work? The jury is out, but until AI can detect and warn about the most ingenious and insidious bullying tactics, the ultimate responsibility will lie with human beings to offer both prevention and intervention.
Anti-bullying news roundup Hong Kong The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data in Hong Kong acts as official watchdog for cyberbullying. In a recent press statement responding to complaints, he urged internet users to respect others’ privacy, reminding that online disclosure of personal data and bullying acts may break the law by contravening the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. It may also incur civil and criminal liabilities. The Commissioner is not empowered to issue directives but he also requested social media platforms and online discussion forum operators to ask users to delete offensive posts and stop posting harmful content. Canada Abusive or hate speech is notoriously difficult to detect because people use offensive language for all sorts of reasons and some of the nastiest comments do not use offensive words. Researchers at McGill University in Montreal are training algorithms to detect hate speech by teaching them how specific communities such as ethnic minorities and those who are overweight use specific words. Belgium Researchers at Ghent University trained a machine learning algorithm to identify words and phrases associated with bullying on the social media site AskFM. It managed to detect and block almost two-thirds of insults within almost 114,000 posts in English and was more accurate than a simple keyword search, despite struggling with sarcasm. Japan Elementary, junior and senior high schools in Japan reported more than 410,000 cases of bullying in 2017. One school now feeds information to AI software about thousands of suspected bullying cases in elementary and junior high schools, including details of students’ ages, genders, absenteeism records and academic achievements, as well as when and where any bullying incidents took place. Japan also has legislation that obliges schools to set guidelines to prevent bullying. Saudi Arabia Cyberbullying detection on Twitter is using deep learning called OCDD developed by researchers at King Saud University. In contrast with other deeplearning approaches which extract features from tweets and feed them to a classifier, their method represents a tweet as a set of word vectors which capture their semantic meaning. The researchers are now planning to adapt their approach so that it can also analyze text in Arabic.
Read more • Roberts, ST. Behind the Screen.Yale, 2019. • everestgrp.com/2019-05-four-keytrends-in-social-media-contentmoderation-blog-50195.html/ • theverge.com/2019/2/25/18229714/ cognizant-facebook-contentmoderator-interviews-traumaworking-conditions-arizona • pcpd.org.hk/english/news_events/ media_statements/press_20190719. htmlphys.org/news/2019-06-aitechnology-cyberbullying.html • pcpd.org.hk/english/news_events/ speech/files/HKU_Cyberbullying_ Conference_4Sept2018.pdf • bbc.com/future/story/20190207how-artificial-intelligencecan-help-stop-bullying • time.com/5619999/instagram-mosseribullying-artificial-intelligence/ • techxplore.com/news/2019-01deep-learning-based-methodcyberbullying-twitter.html • researchgate.net/ publication/327983467_Deep_Learning_ Algorithm_for_Cyberbullying_Detection • japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/02/08/ national/city-otsu-use-ai-analyze-pastschool-bullying-cases-eye-futureprevention/#.XTRDUegzY2x • arxiv.org/abs/1905.03403
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Perspectives September 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Not whether to legislate but how What parameters might restrict the scope of new legislation against bullying? First, many laws already exist that create criminal offences for various forms of bullying behaviour. For example, face-to-face bullying may involve physical assault or the aggression may be in the form of exhibitionism, sex-trafficking or attempts to extort money or favours. It may also be about making others do the bully’s bidding, be it helping a gang sell drugs, participating in gang fights or thefts, or mere servitude. Most of these activities are already covered by one or more provisions that already exist in the criminal law. If this is the case, not only is it unnecessary to create another offence, but to do so may cause unnecessary complexity. There could, furthermore, arise the possibility of a bully being charged for the wrong offence and escaping with no punishment.
Many laws already exist that create criminal offences for various forms of bullying. On the other hand, bullying may be about being nasty in an Instagram post or humiliating someone on social media. In other words, inflicting psychological pain. Bullying behaviour can also be somewhere in between these two alternatives, such as exercising control over someone in a romantic relationship or workplace or between otherwise consenting partners, even within marriages. It is much more difficult to draw the latter two facets of bullying within the ambit of existing criminal offence provisions. Clearly, they can create significant social problems and cause equal suffering as bullying in person, and make targets equally suicidal. At the other end of the spectrum, bullying, including acts of intimidation, stalking and violence, may be engaged in by people suffering what psychiatry recognizes as genuine mental or psychiatric illnesses such as psychosis or schizophrenia. In such cases, the laws relating to committal of such persons to psychiatric hospitals may need to be modified and, ideally, the law needs to ensure that such persons also come to the attention of an anti-bullying infrastructure agency, as well as the police, the judicial system and the mental health authorities. 30
• In the context of the recent anti-bullying law proposal [see pages 25-27], Dr Gary Heilbronn asks how legislation can be effective. • He says we need to ask what evils new legislation could remedy and how effective legal remedies might be. • He strongly recommends a specialist antibullying infrastructure agency with effective response, counselling and referral functions. • 就 25 至 27 頁提及的立法問題，Gary Heilbronn 博 士關注如何能定立有實際作用的法案。 • 他認為，我們要了解新法例能如何協助解決問題， 又如何可有效修補受害人所受到的創傷。 • 他強烈建議設立由專家組成的反欺凌機構，以進行 回應、諮詢及協調。
Bullies with psycho-sociological issues such as narcissists and sociopaths are perhaps less likely to be genuinely suffering from mental illness. Although they are easily recognizable to the trained eye, they are more or less untreatable. They may respond to sanctions being imposed by the law enforcement community, but because of their conviction of their own superiority and lack of both empathy and remorse, only rarely would they voluntarily alter their antisocial and bullying behaviour. They are untouchable until they commit an offence. Although the law alone cannot be expected to remedy all such problems, it may have a role to play, if not in criminalizing the activities, then in providing an “antibullying infrastructure.” This would include police and social services helplines, obligatory reporting by schools, counselling and dispute resolution services. As mentioned, it is not desirable to duplicate or even create new offences unless absolutely necessary to fill identified gaps in the existing criminal law. The existing law can deal with most bullying by criminals and by potential criminals seeking money, sex or servitude, though of course criminal offence definitions need to be examined closely to detect gaps and weaknesses. In the bulk of serious bullying situations, the primary concern should be protecting and finding a remedy for the victims. Therefore, the creation of a specialist anti-bullying
It is not desirable to duplicate or even create new offences unless absolutely necessary. infrastructure agency with response, counselling and referral functions that are effective, especially with regard to troubled schoolchildren, should be a high priority. Effective legal action is especially problematic in cases of cyberbullying. As pointed out in past articles in this magazine,* loopholes in current civil and criminal sanctions allow cases to slip through the gaps. Therefore, an overall, multifold approach is recommended, involving an effective interdisciplinary agency, a clear definition of bullying behaviours and an exhaustive list of prohibited acts.
Dr Gary Heilbronn, a former teacher at the University of Hong Kong and a past contributor to Youth Hong Kong, has had a long career as a practising lawyer and a law professor, specializing in criminal procedure, police powers, sentencing responses and the psychiatric aspects of crime. * Stephanie Hung and Andrew Lau, pages 18-20, Youth Hong Kong September 2016.
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Youth watch September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Bullying statistics and trends I
nternational surveys of school and online bullying reveal that almost a third of all students have been bullied by peers at school and cyberbullying affects about 10%. Variations in country and regional survey methods make comparisons difficult so indicative snapshots are offered.
AT SCHOOL
HONG KONG 5
u Of 7,025 primary students asked about their experience: ● 70% had experienced physical aggression or bullying
GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SURVEYS
● 87% had witnessed verbal bullying
The latest global findings on school bullying are in 1 UNESCO’s June 2019 report which brings together data from a wide range of surveys including the 2 Global School-based Student Health Survey , the HBSC Health Behaviour in School-aged 3 4 Children study and the OECD PISA survey.
● 52% had verbally bullied others ● 62% had been verbally abused by peers. 6
u Among 5,000 secondary school students in the PISA survey , 7 about a third had been bullied. A more recent local NGO survey confirmed the PISA figure and found that:
These show that almost one in three students around the world has been bullied by their peers at school at least once and cyberbullying affects about one in ten. In all regions except Europe and North America, physical bullying is the most common and sexual bullying is second most common. In Europe and North America, psychological bullying is the most common.
● 35%+ had been bullied by peers ● 26.1% had been made fun of
● 9.5% reported being hit or pushed
MAINLAND CHINA Data were collected from 3,675 students’ self-reports in seven provinces, (Liaoning, Beijing, Jiangsu, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Gansu) and included primary, middle, high and vocational 8 schools.
Figure 1 Bullying roles according to US statistics
u 26.10% of students reported having been bullied u 9% admitted to bullying others u 28.9% had witnessed bullying
18%
Any involvement Victim Perpetrator Both roles No involvement
41%
10% 8% 23%
Note The researchers say the term “bullying” was not appropriate in the Chinese context due to “translation challenges” so they described behavioural phenomena instead. Questions were mainly adopted from the School Crime Supplement developed by the US National Center for Education Statistics. 10
US
u 20% of students aged 12-18 experienced bullying u 30% of young people admited to bullying others u 70.6% of young people said they saw bullying in their schools u 70.4% of school staff saw bullying
Figure 2 Types of bullying in the US
u 62% observed bullying two or more times a month
Bullying Type Social media remarks Sexual comments Stealing belongings Threats Hitting/ kicking Pushing/ shoving Being left out Spreading rumours Teasing Name calling
10%
UK
23% 27%
9
In an annual national survey of 12-20 year-olds:
u 22% said they had been bullied in the past year
27% 29%
● 49% of these had experienced physical assault
u 22% had witnessed bullying
32% 28% 36%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
u 2% said they had bullied someone 43% 44% 45 50
Source study.com/academy/lesson/bullying-in-america-facts-statistics.html
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Of those who admitted to having been a bully: u 54% said they used verbal bullying u 44% said they felt guilty afterwards u 34% said they felt numb or indifferent
Figure 3 Doxed Hong Kong secondary students Types of information exposed Boy
ONLINE Reports about cyberbullies, victims and bystanders over the past 10 years have shown large variations depending on age group, gender, country, data gathering techniques 11 and research methodology. Nevertheless, 2018 figures already revealed alarming facts about online harassment.
Girls
Average
Personal photos or videos
27.7%
35.5%
31.4%
Name
24.4%
36%
29.9%
Birthday
18.8%
30%
24.4% 50.7%
Who shared the information Classmates
46.5%
54.3%
Parents/ family members
20.8%
28%
24.6%
I don't know
32.5%
17.8%
24.7%
Instant Messenger
53.7%
67.8%
61.3%
Social networking site
44.7%
63.7%
54.9%
Chat room
9.7%
8.8%
9.2%
Platform used
HONG KONG 12
u 25% of school students have experienced cyberbullying ● 26.7% of the incidents involved arguments
US
● 25.8% involved harassment
u 70% of students say someone has spread rumours about them online
● 23.2% involved the spreading of rumours ● 29.5% seek help from their peers
u 59% of students say they have been bullied or harassed online
● 12.6% seek help from parents ● 40% deal with the problem alone
u 83% of students who have been cyberbullied had also been recently bullied at school
u 58% of university students admit to cyberbullying others
u 69% of students who admitted to bullying others at 21 school also bullied online
● 68% of these perpetrators had been cyber-victimized 13 themselves
u 50%+ of a sample group of over 2,000 secondary school students 14 have been doxed* ● 12.5% of the victims felt severely depressed ● 66.4% did nothing about it * Doxing is where personal information and photos are searched for and published on social media and instant messaging apps without consent.]
Sources 1. unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000366483 2. cdc.gov/gshs/index.htm 3. hbsc.org/publications/datavisualisations/ 4. PISA.oecd.org/pisa/PISA-2015-Results-Students-Well-being-Volume-III-Overview.pdf (2015) 5. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0044118X07310134 (2008) 6. PISA op cit
MAINLAND CHINA
7. yp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/109419/one-three-hk-students-has-experienced-bullyingpast-six-months-survey (2018) 8. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664617/ (2016)
u 57% of parents say online messaging is the most common 15 platform for cyberbullying
9. ditchthelabel.org 10. nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/ind_10.asp (2017)
u 23% say that it also happens on social networks
11. researchgate.net/publication/327554372_Cyberbullying_A_narrative_review
● 75% of youth reported being targets of online insults or 16 sarcasm ● 50% approximately had been sent malicious or threatening messages online
12. yp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/109419/one-three-hk-students-has-experienced-bullyingpast-six-months-survey (2018) 13. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886917304592 14. polyu.edu.hk/apss/news-and-events/873-cyberbullying-among-secondary-students-in-hong-kong 15. ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2018-06/cyberbullying_june2018.pdf
● 60%> ignored abuse received online
16. china.org.cn/china/2018-12/26/content_74313683.htm
● <10% told parents or friends about it
17. injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2017/04/06/injuryprev-2016-042210 18. ditchthelabel.org
u Among middle school, junior high and high school students in 17 Guangzhou: ● 28% of participants reported being a cyberbully
19. ibid 20. dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying 21. sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170221102036.htm
● 45% reported being a cyber-victim
Read more about cyberbullying in Hong Kong and mainland China ● Chan, H C & Wong, DS. Coping with cyberbullying victimization: An exploratory study of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. 2017. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756061616302026
UK
● Chan, H C & Wong, DS. Traditional School Bullying and Cyberbullying Perpetration. 2016. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0044118X16658053
u 60% of young people have witnessed online bullying but most don’t intervene
● Chan, HC & Wong, DS. Traditional school bullying and cyberbullying in Chinese societies. 2015 ● sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178915000725
18
u 54% have been a target of cyberbullying
● Cyberbullying Research Center. Cyberbullying Research in China. 2018. cyberbullying.org/research/map/china
19
u 49% who have been bullied say it happened online
20
u 42% say most often cyberbullying is experienced on Instagram
u 20% those who admitted to bullying say they did so online
● Han, Z., Zhang, G., & Zhang, H. School bullying in urban China. 2017 ● mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/10/1116/htm ● KFYG. A study on cyber bullying of secondary school students. 2010. ● yrc. hkfyg.org.hk/chi/ys44.html
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Talking point September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
A letter to parents from Clara Lu
Whenever I talk to my friends and describe the relationship I have with my mother, I am always asked the same question: “How come you two are so close?” At first, I struggled to find an answer because it had never occurred to me that my relationship with my mother was in any way different from that between all daughters and mothers. However, after talking to my friends, it became apparent that most children have distant relationships with their parents. This discovery surprised me and made me wonder about the reason. Eventually, I reached the following conclusion: many parents fail to realize that at every stage of a child’s life she or he has different needs and each stage is just as important as the next. The first ten years of a child’s life is crucial. It is the time when parents do their best to help children establish good habits for the future. They should also give their children as many chances as possible to explore their interests. However, it is important never to pressure them. Nobody, especially children, likes to be told what he or she can or cannot do. Instead of using force, guide them or lead by example. Surround your children with the things you hope will interest them. If you want them to enjoy reading, read them a picture book each night. If you want them to play an instrument, take them to a concert once in a while or buy them toy instruments. Children have an innate interest in the world around them so let them discover their interests naturally. 34
It had never occurred to me that my relationship with my mother was in any way different. The same goes for daily life. When I was young, my parents filled the dinner table with healthy food but they never placed restrictions on me. Instead, they simply never had unhealthy snacks in the house so I naturally developed a liking for fruit and vegetables and a distaste for anything too sweet. When communicating with children during the early years of their childhood, parents should never shy away from expressing their love. All people enjoy feeling special and that includes children. By expressing love, you are constantly reminding them of their importance in your life. By the time they are adults, this will have helped them to gain self-esteem and face difficulties more easily. The affection they felt in childhood will give them the strength to overcome hardships.
Nobody in this world is perfect and children know this so they do not expect their parents to be flawless.
When your child becomes a teenager, you should begin sharing your life experiences with them. This will help to develop one of the most important characteristics of a good relationship: trust. Nobody in this world is perfect and children know this, so they do not expect their parents to be flawless. Displaying vulnerabilities is a way to give other people an opportunity to empathize and connect and this can ultimately kindle a more intimate relationship. Nevertheless, being vulnerable is always a challenge. It requires showing weaknesses and relinquishing ego, two prominent traits in human nature. However, when it comes to children, letting go of any selfish characteristic is always worth it if it means establishing a closer relationship. Mutual respect between parents and children also begins to develop in the early teenage years. It is important to keep in mind that respect is something that cannot be forced. You do not need to be a well-established, venerated member of society to gain a child’s respect. Instead, you need to make rational decisions and understand when to be strict and when to be lenient. Remember that children have feelings and needs. Placing numerous restrictions on them will only result in them wanting to rebel. If you want their respect, treat them as if they were your equals. Belittling and controlling them can only damage your relationship. Once you give both your trust and your respect, you will find that they are reciprocated. Do not doubt yourself or your children.
I must emphasize how important it is to have a strong parent-child relationship. Family is crucial. It is the one entity that will be by your side no matter what. If you don’t have a good fundamental relationship with your children, the obstacles in life will be much harder to face. Parents have to give up a lot for their children. I know this because I’ve seen my mother do it every day, but in the long run, I think you will find that it is worth it. So, dear parents, while you may think that communicating with your children when they are under ten is not as important as when they become teenagers, that’s false. Communicating with your children at every stage of their lives is essential but each stage requires a different way of communicating.
Clara Lu is a third-year student at St Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, US. She aspires to be a writer and enjoys spending her free time practising the piano and reading.
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Society & culture September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Future menus
This article is the first in a series on sustainable living.
maximizing the potential of vegetarian food by Hazel Wong You may wonder how food emits carbon dioxide. The answer lies in the process of growing, farming or rearing produce, then processing, packing and transporting it before storing and cooking it. It also includes the disposal of waste food products. During each stage, until the food reaches your mouth and eventually leaves your body, carbon dioxide is emitted through fuel consumption or the simple respiration of living organisms. Therefore, by quantifying the carbon intensity of various foods and comparing them, as in the chart, we can see the relative environmental harm they cause. When I saw the numbers, I was shocked. The consumption of red meat in general results in the emission of more than 30 times the amount of carbon dioxide than vegetables.
A few years ago, a lecturer introduced us in class to the environmental impact of food from different animals. He also spoke of “full-time vegans” and “flexitarians”, the latter meaning people who only partially adopt a vegetarian diet. At that moment, my ambition to become an environmental heroine was born and with it a strong motivation to stay “green” and save the Earth. My first thought was, “Let’s go vegan for a week!” I went straight to the university canteen and found that among a hundred food items on the menu, only two were vegan: veggie fried rice and tofu soup with rice, both of which were extremely bland. Disappointed, I didn’t even manage a week. After three days, I had already given up my idea of becoming a vegan.
Food production alone is responsible for a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions, also called greenhouse gases, which scientists tell us are the cause of environmental damage, global warming and the resulting climate change. Carbon intensity is also commonly referred to as “carbon footprint”, and environmental scientists at Oxford University1 found that of all the food products they analyzed, beef and lamb had by far the largest footprint and caused the most damage to the environment.2
What are the top reasons people have for pursuing vegan or vegetarian diets? Environmental considerations and carbon footprint, also known as carbon intensity, are always among them. For readers who haven’t heard of carbon intensity, it is used to measure the amount of carbon dioxide emitted as a result of the production and consumption of certain products, including food.
Carbon Intensity (kgCO2e/kg) 0.6
Vegetables Snacks, sugar
1.5
Cereals, breads
1.8 3.7
Chicken, fish, pork Oils, spreads
4
Dairy
4.2
Beef, lamb
19.5 0
5
10
15
20
Carbon Intensity (kgCO2e/kg)
Source foodpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/food_miles_climate_impacts.pdf
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25
Five-Colour Health Principle in Chinese Medicine Colour
Food examples
Traditionally considered beneficial for
Red
Carrots, tomatoes, red pepper, red beans
heart
Green
Broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, lettuces
liver
Yellow
Soy beans, corn, pumpkins
spleen and stomach
White
Lotus root, potato, yam, radish, white fungus
lungs
Black
Seaweed, kelp, black beans, mushrooms
kidneys
Source imperialtcm.com/index.php/articles/item/11-the-five-colors-of-tcm
Other factors behind veganism and vegetarianism are health and religion. For example, Catholic Christians abstain from red meat on Fridays. Hindus do not eat eggs, fish, meat or poultry but do eat dairy. Buddhists maintain stringent rules about limiting meat consumption. People also cut down or eliminate their meat intake to stay healthy, believing it can lower blood cholesterol or avoid chronic diseases. Being vegan seems to be the perfect lifestyle: environmentally-friendly and healthy while satisfying a variety of religious requirements. Nevertheless, a local survey3 conducted by Green Monday, a social enterprise that promotes green eating habits, reveals that Hongkongers are not supportive of any vegetarian diets. Only 3.7% of the respondents are full-time vegan and 24% are “flexitarian”. This made me curious about any factors that might be hindering the trend towards veganism in Hong Kong. I concluded that Cantonese people are dubious about the nutritional value of vegan food and have a strong appetite for meat. For generations, vegetarian food in Cantonese cuisine was thought to be “unhealthy”. However, traditional Chinese medicine does recommend a vegetarian diet in a five-colour combination. Personally, my view is that you don’t need to adhere fully to their recommendations but certainly colourful food helps to boost the appetite. One of the most iconic vegetarian items on a traditional Cantonese menu is “Marinated Dough” ( 齋滷味 ) which is soaked wheat gluten in sweet and sour sauce. This dish is usually oily and fatty which makes me feel guilty about eating it. Besides, some people in Hong Kong may struggle
to maintain adequate protein intake on a purely vegan diet. Apart from gluten, tofu seems to be the only regular substitute form of protein on offer, at least where my university canteen’s menu is concerned. What is the answer? According to HKU research4, the city has one of the world’s highest levels of meat consumption per capita, at least four times higher than the UK. Why? Perhaps people here are emotionally attached to meat and the pleasure of tasting it. Another study from Nielsen5 reveals that more than half of Hongkongers eat at a fast-food restaurant at least once a week. This may be due to the fast-paced lifestyle of the city, or simply a delight in junk food. Hongkongers eat an astonishing amount of meat However, Hong Kong is now stepping into a new era – the era of vegan junk food. I wasn’t aware of this trend until I noticed that one of my senior university classmates had opened a vegetarian restaurant. Out of curiosity, I went to her shop in Tsim Sha Tsui and noticed a surprisingly long queue. Inside the restaurant, many young ladies were sitting and enjoying “meat” burgers. Interestingly, all the food looked much more appetising than the two vegan dishes in my university canteen. I ordered a “meat burger” to try. Once served, I investigated it in some detail before eating it. It looked exactly like meat, but I noticed a little flag [see photo]. It told me that I was about to eat a piece of “Impossible Meat.” What shocked me more was the taste. If nobody had told me otherwise I would certainly have believed it was real meat. In fact it was vegan.
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Society & culture September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Although some people may think the price of such products is higher than that of traditional meat, there is evidence to suggest that its higher nutritional value compensates for the higher cost. The “meat” from the two above-mentioned companies has been found to have lower fat content, to be lower in saturated fats and to have zero cholesterol while maintaining a high level of protein when compared to real meat. Maybe this will give more incentive to give it a try, just to stay healthy.
pp Vegan meat burger + Vegan drum stick
Impossible Meat is made by a company called Impossible Food, one of several companies that have developed plantbased “meat” that is known for a realistic texture and a taste that mimics real meat. In fact, there has been rapid growth recently in the development of this new category of “meat,” which is now available on the menus of some of Hong Kong’s well-known fast-food restaurants and café chains.
Vegan: some of the options Beyond Meat ground “beef” burgers, crumbles and sausages Field Roast “cheese” sausages, slices, roasts, burgers, and meatloaf Gardein fishless fish, crab-less cakes, meatless “meatballs” Impossible Foods ground “beef”, sausages, [steaks in the pipeline] Tofurky roasts, sausages and slices Yves Veggie Cuisine grain strips, jumbo hot dogs, and Canadian “bacon” Zhen meat Vegetable protein designed for Chinese cuisine
1. ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b0b53649-5e93-4415-bf076b0b1227172f 2. bbc.com/news/science-environment-46459714 3. greenmonday.org/post/greenmonday-2018-survey-result/ 4. scifac.hku.hk/f/news/4061/20180530_Eng_press_release__ greenhouse.pdf 5. nielsen.com/hk/en/insights/article/2018/hong-kong-consumershealth-conscious-enjoyment-in-a-practical-way/ 6. scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3016885/ patty-facts-whats-plant-based-meat-burger-and-it-better
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It is never too late to start out on a vegan lifestyle. It’s a personal choice but asking advice from a nutritionist could be useful if you decide to be a full-time vegan. Even as a student of environmental science, I wouldn’t push anyone into giving up meat completely because animal-based products have a few nutrients that can’t yet be compensated fully by vegan food. However, the technology of artificial meat is advancing quickly and the trend for veganism will become more common in Hong Kong. So next time, don’t be surprised if you find that the “meat” you just ate wasn’t real meat at all. Stay healthy and combine ancient wisdom and modern vegan food!
Vegetarian or vegan? The difference between a vegetarian and a vegan lies in beliefs regarding the use of animals by humans: some vegetarians consume animal-derived products where vegans do not. Most vegetarians do not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or byproducts of animal slaughter. A vegan diet can be viewed as the strictest form of vegetarianism. It excludes animal flesh and animal-derived ingredients, dairy products and eggs.
pp My vegan lunch: sweet and sour “pork” − looks like meat and tastes like mushrooms. More work is needed on the texture but probably healthier than the real thing.
Hazel Wong, a past contributor to Youth Hong Kong, graduated in Environmental Management & Technology at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is currently a sustainability intern with Fossil Group and will go on to do a master’s degree in Environmental Systems Engineering at University College London.
New in Print professional titles and talented writers Eleven books were published by the Federation this summer: eight in our professional series and three from talented young writers. Let’s find out more!
Good Morning, Island Cherry, a young Hong Kong reporter, chose to live in Taiwan for three and-a-half years, taking freelance jobs to support her lifestyle. Her Taiwan experiences are an inspiration for other young people in Hong Kong. “There’s always a choice” is the message she most wants to share.
HKFYG books 2019 Youth and the Law II – Cases Analyzed by Lawyers and Social Workers 青年與法律 II ISBN: 978-988-77134-8-7 Price: HK$90 ● Around 50 real legal cases in five new areas, including gambling, fraud and violence ● Second volume of analysis by lawyers and social workers
Turning Point IV
Storypicks 好家伙．繪本閱讀之道 ISBN: 978-988-77134-7-0 Price: HK$90 ● Kindergarten principals and experts provide tips for parents who want to encourage children to read ● Sharing ideas about eight storybooks and using them wisely
Youth Trends in Hong Kong 2018
重新出發 IV
香港青年趨勢分析 2018
ISBN: 978-988-77134-7-0 Price: HK$90
ISBN: 978-988-79950-7-4 Price: HK$120
● Real stories of eight young people
● Latest statistics about Hong
who did wrong and then started new
Kong youth with analysis
lives helped by supportive people
Stress Relief
Good Morning, Island
解憂手冊
早安．島嶼
ISBN: 978-988-77134-9-4 Price: HK$100
ISBN: 978-988-79950-0-5 Price: HK$100
● 40 practical stress-release suggestions
● Young Hong Kong reporter
for everyone, including understanding and expressing emotions and finding ways out ● Helping readers to be more self-aware and good company for others
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chooses to live in Taiwan ● Tips on experimenting with different lifestyles
Funny Days Talented sisters, one good with words and the other with illustrations, offer readers their passion for life revealed by memories of funny moments and sunny days. Youngsters will recognize familiar stories and find something to laugh at when they feel stressed out.
Shutter Clicks Famous photographer Jess is keen to teach camera tips to young people. She is also keen on travelling the world. Through her lens and her writing, readers will understand more about appreciating life as Jess does.
Shutter Clicks 咔嚓！遊攝女生 ISBN: 978-988-79950-2-9 Price: HK$90 ● Young female photographer travelling the world shares thoughts and images ● With tips for taking photos ● Special dual-cover design .
Parenting Knot-Nots 生嚿叉燒好過生你──家長失言錄 ISBN: 978-988-79950-4-3 Price: HK$100
● More than 30 things that parents might
From Local to Global Leading Changes 向世界學習
say when angry or emotional, damaging communication with their children ● Social workers give practical suggestions
ISBN: 978-988-79950-5-0 Price: HK$100 ● How to be a leader? How to train a leader? This book gives concrete examples and describes global leaders at all levels.
Funny Days 廢青姊妹日常 ISBN: 978-988-79950-1-2 Price: HK$100 ● Talented sisters share illustrated tales about funny days
GBA: Not Far Away 粵港澳大灣區──通識必讀手冊 ISBN: 978-988-79950-3-6 Price: HK$90 ● Introducing 11 Greater Bay Area cities, including two SARs, to Hong Kong students ● Young people share their thoughts after a short GBA trip
Visit our online book store to find out more: books.hkfyg.org.hk Contact Ada Chau tel 3755 7108 with enquiries
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A Diversity of Talent
A
rich pool of talent gives a region a significant economic advantage, especially when, like Hong Kong, it lacks natural resources. Given the city’s low birth rate and ageing population, talented people are particularly important. Hong Kong has six schemes to attract talented* people. Two of them, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) and the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS), target talent* of high quality to make up for shortages. In 2018, 66,176 people from overseas with a good educational background or a strong professional qualification were approved under all six schemes. However, the percentage of the total workforce represented by these admissions was only 1.67%. Although direct comparisons with other countries are difficult given variations in metrics used, 1.67% is a low figure compared to that for immigrant labour in Singapore, which has talent admission schemes similar to Hong Kong, and where the percentage of talented immigrant workers is 5.1%. It is very low when compared to Switzerland, which ranks first in the world for overall talent environment and where 31.1% of the workforce comes from overseas.** Hong Kong, Singapore and Switzerland all welcome talented people from overseas but Hong Kong appears to be much less attractive and has no proactive strategy or incentives. At the time of this study, possible reasons were given a perceived lower quality of life in Hong Kong, an extremely relaxed immigration and residency policy in Switzerland and a specialized agency for attracting talent in Singapore.
Key findings ● Only 555 and 40 overseas employees respectively were approved in 2018 under QMAS and TechTAS, figures far below the annual quota of 1,000 for both schemes. ● According to the in-depth interviews, the city’s high housing costs are the main obstacle to inward migration of talent. ● Other discouraging factors mentioned include concerns about the city’s declining international image, its political environment and the language barrier between Cantonese- and nonCantonese speakers.***
Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members Ernest Chan, group convener “Attracting overseas talent is controversial in Hong Kong. The present schemes which target shortages can sometimes affect opportunities for local youth. Hong Kong should use a multipronged approach including strategies for maximizing the potential of its existing workforce and enhancing the number of well-qualified local people.” William Du, group member “The government should set up an agency responsible for the overall coordination and publicity of talent recruitment schemes. Hong Kong private companies should also be helped to seek talent proactively and those with shortages could launch international internship programmes to build connections.” Issac Poon, group member “Tertiary educational institutions should diversify methods for recruiting international students and attracting overseas exchange students. The government should also consider providing a time-limited housing subsidy for talented people admitted under QMAS and TechTAS.”
Report No. 43 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Employment and Economic Development group Published title Attracting Diverse Young Talents to Hong Kong Participants/respondents In-depth interviews with 21 talented 18-39-year-olds from overseas. Five experts and scholars were also interviewed. More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2019/06/27/yi043/ Enquiries Amy Yuen 3755 7037
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1. 2. 3. 4.
Notes
* The term “talented” people” as used in this study means people with a good educational background and professional or technical qualifications/professional experience. ** This figure does not differentiate between qualifications or talent and is used indicatively only. According to the IMD World Talent Ranking 3 4 2018 and The Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2019 , Switzerland ranks first in the world for overall talent environment while Singapore ranks first in Asia. *** For instance, an interviewee from mainland China with a master’s degree in Hong Kong said that she had tried to find a job after graduating but potential employers had reservations when faced with her inability to speak Cantonese.
Singapore Ministry of Manpower, 2019. mom.gov.sg/documents-and-publications/foreign-workforce-numbers Swiss Federal Statistical Office. 2019. bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/news/whats-new.assetdetail.7767426.html IMD World talent ranking 2018. imd.org/wcc/world-competitiveness-center-rankings/talent-rankings-2018/ Lanvin, B. & Monteiro, F. (eds.) The global talent competitiveness index. France: INSEAD, the Adecco Group, and Tata Communications, 2019.
The Co-living Alternative
S
oaring property prices have made Hong Kong the world’s least affordable housing market. This study explored co-living as an affordable alternative. 1
According to Demographia, Hong Kong’s median property price was 20.9 times the median household income in 2018. Furthermore, public housing meets few of the needs of young people because of the large number of applicants and the Quota and Points System. This is why the co-living concept has gained traction in recent years and more young people are opting for it. It combines private living space with shared facilities and expenses while encouraging residents to build personal networks and join social events.
Key findings 25.6% of respondents would consider co-living but 68.3% would not. Main reasons: ● 61.0%: savings on rent ● 41.1%: larger living space ● 60.6% have major concerns about lack of privacy Main barriers to developing co-living space in Hong Kong:
Figure 1: Would you consider living in co-living space?
● lack of suitable buildings ● lack of awareness about co-living
I don’t know/ it’s hard to say
● strict legal regulations for building renovation
My home now is in a co-living space
YES
● difficulty in encouraging interpersonal communication/ networking
No
Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members
Figure 2: Reasons for co-living
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
61.0%
Savings on rent
41.1% 35.5%
Larger personal living space More convenient location More ways to socialize
28.4%
Building a support network with other residents
15.6%
Ronald Chan & Jewel Ho, group members “The supply of housing in Hong Kong falls short of young people’s needs so the government should adopt multipronged measures to increase the range of alternatives. Co-living is a short-term housing solution because it can use vacant buildings. We also hope that co-living in Hong Kong will serve as a more affordable housing option for youth.” Darcy Fung & David Li, group member “The Housing Authority is considering the reuse of renovated flatted factory estates as residential units. We recommend that it reserves parts of such units for youth co-living spaces. Furthermore, the government should encourage social responsibility among privately owned enterprises through suitable reuse of vacant school premises for a trial co-living scheme.”
Figure 3 : Reasons for not choosing co-living 0%
20%
40%
Lack of privacy Possibility of not liking another resident Different habits of other residents
60%
80%
60.6% 36.1% 30.7%
More expenses than when living with parents
22.3%
Limited autonomy in daily life decisions
21.7%
Report No. 44 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Society and Livelihood group Published title Co-Living: An Alternative Hong Kong Housing Solution for Youth? Respondents 520 youth aged 18-30 More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2019/08/21/yi044/ Enquiries Beji Ho 3755 7042 1. demographia.com/dhi.pdf
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Enhancing District Councils' Effectiveness
T
his study asks how District Councils might respond more effectively to society’s changing demands and expectations in the approach of elections in November. by Moddlyg commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31210932
The Hong Kong’s District Administration Scheme established District Councils (DCs) in 1982. The aims were to promote community development while nurturing civic responsibility and a sense of 1 belonging but the DCs performance has always been criticized. Worse, the number of consultations on both district and territory-wide issues referred to the DCs by government dropped from 15,500 to 14,700 between the third term of the DC offices (2008 – 2011) and the fifth term (2016-2019). Nevertheless, DCs have had growing significance in Hong Kong’s political landscape and currently there are six DC members of the Legislative Council, and 117 members of the current 1,200-member Election Committee for Chief Executive are DC members.
Key points from respondents ● 75.0% think they have a responsibility to monitor DCs. ● 74.1% think that transparency of information from DCs is low.
Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members
● 74.0% do not trust DCs.
Ray Poon, group convener “The DCs have been in operation for more than 37 years during which Hong Kong society has experienced many changes, yet their role and function has not been assessed for over a decade. We therefore recommend a comprehensive government review, particularly concerning their effectiveness in reflecting public opinion. We also recommend enlarging constituencies to broaden the scope and perspective of DC members.”
● 72.5% think there are few talented people in DCs. ● 62.5% say they would like to be more involved in DCs' decisionmaking. ● 34.4% say that DCs’ major function is to reflect residents' views to the government. ● 33.3% believe that DCs’ greatest potential value is as a symbol of the representation of public opinion. Nevertheless, the DCs’ performance was in fact considered poor in: ● advising the government on community matters [averaging 4.72 on a 0-10 scale] ● promoting residents’ participation in district affairs [averaging 4.64 on a 0-10 scale]
Ansel Lam, deputy convener “The civic awareness of citizens has increased and the ability of DC members to take part in public policy discussions has become more important. We therefore recommend that the government sets up a research team for each DC to assist members in the use of evidence-based methods to tackle community problems and improve the quality of their work in future.”
Report No. 45 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Governance and Constitutional Development group Published title Strengthening the Role and Functions of District Councils Participants/respondents 520 18-35 year-olds and 19 scholars, experts or current DC members More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2019/09/05/yi045/ Enquiries Sharon Cheung 3755 7039 1. hab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/District_Community_and_Public_Relations/district.htm
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Youth Trends in Hong Kong 2018
T
his recently published compilation represents an overall picture of Hong Kong’s younger generation up to 2017 and serves as a useful resource for those who are concerned about their wellbeing. Statistics about change in youth demographics, education, employment, health, innovation and information technology, risk behaviour and social participation are included. Taking mental health as just one example, there has been significant change, reflected in a marked increase in outpatient attendance at psychiatric clinics, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 Young males: Hospital Authority specialist psychiatric clinic^ outpatient attendance 30000
Figure 2 Young females: Hospital Authority specialist psychiatric clinic^ outpatient attendance 10-14
10-14 200000
15-19
20-24
18000
20-24
25-29
Number of attendances
Number of attendances
25000
15-19
20000
15000
10000
5000
16000
25-29
14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000
0
2001
2006
2011
2014
2015^
2016
2000
2017#
Year
0
2001
2005
2011
2014
2015^
2016
2017#
Year
The second part of the book focuses on a survey of young people’s values in various areas of individual and social life, including family, sex, education and individual ability, employment, politics, environmental protection, and social responsibility and social capital. The survey, based on a random sample of 522 people aged 15-39, was conducted in November 2017.
Source of data in Figures 1 & 2 Census and Statistics Department. Women and Men in Hong Kong. Key Statistics 2017, p305. ^ From April 2015, attendance at nurse-led clinics in specialist outpatient settings have been included in this figure. # Provisional figures
Figure 3 Changing family values I will have children I think the idea that children should support parents financially is outdated
100 90 80 Support rate (%)
Figure 3, for example, shows the continuous decrease from 2007-2015 in the number of young people who wanted to have children. Since then there has been a rising trend. In traditional Chinese society, “rearing sons for help in old age” ( 養兒防老 ) is an important family function. Furthermore, the majority of young people believe that supporting their parents financially is not an outdated concept, the highest figure recorded since these studies began.
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2009 2012 2014 2015 2016 2017
Hard copy available from Youth Research Centre, 4/F, HKFYG Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, HK Price per copy HK$120 Online order form yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/en/order-form/ Enquiries Tel: 3755 7022 or email: yr@hkfyg.org.hk
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HKFYG’s two farms are social enterprises that promote a healthy lifestyle while encouraging social innovation and the habit of sustainable living in Hong Kong youth.
Ho Pui Reservoir Visits Freshly Picked Vegetables Special Autumn Crops: Hok Tau Pak Choi, Cauliflower, Kale, Choi Sum, Salad Lettuce Mix, Beetroot, Cabbage, Cactus (All year)
door-to-door deliveries for orders over HK$250. Contact us for details of areas included.
Farm address: No. 1 Family Walk, Ho Pui Reservoir, Pat Heung, Yuen Long, NT, HK
Tours and Upcycling Craft Hands-on Activities Special Autumn Crops:
VISIT US SOON!
Farm address: DD7 Lot1 RP1, Tai Hang Sha Lay Yuen, Tai Po, NT, HK
AI Future Tense Artificial Intelligence (AI) will change the meaning of future work so young people need to know about developments and associated technologies. This 3-part programme has been designed for them.
A.I. Future Tense
Regardless of subject being studied at university, undergraduates doing this 3-part programme strengthen their skills for employability while learning about AI. They also get opportunities to devise new applications and interact with AI professionals.
Features ● AI Skills-up Workshops and self-directed online learning followed by AI-related online self-selected courses such as blockchain, fintech and other data science-related topics. 加強
● InnoTech Experience involves a day or two of job shadowing with an up-close look at提升他們未來就業能力 startups and companies in the innovation and technology sector giving inspiration for future careers. ● InnoTech Solutions Pitching allows all students to show videos and offer ideas before finalists pitch innovative ideas to judges.
Sponsorship available ● For All full-time students at Hong Kong tertiary institutions ● Free of charge Artificial Intelligence Skills-up Workshops and InnoTech Experience ● Reimbursement Up to HK$800 for online self-directed learning ● Quota 500 First-come-first-served ● Cash prizes HK$160,000 For InnoTech Solutions Pitching
Schedule Part-time workshops at afternoon and evening classes Locations and times Announced monthly on website Web hkfyg.org.hk/futureskills Until December 2019 Organizer HKFYG Creativity Education Unit Enquiries Kevin Chong or Sarah Huang Tel 2561 6149 Email fs_innotech@hkfyg.org.hk
HKFYG September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
On the road and in the hills
with HKFYG Youth Exchange
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earning about the world and other cultures on exchange trips can encourage students to understand different perspectives. HKFYG organizes tours like those below with this in mind. They can enhance interest in global issues and broaden general knowledge. One Belt One Road One Friendship: Kazakhstan, Central Asia
Target participants 30
Target participants 40
Age 18-35 year-olds
Age 15-25
Dates Christmas 2019
Dates Easter 2020
Duration 8 days
Duration 10 days
Registration applications ye.hkfyg.org.hk
Registration applications ye.hkfyg.org.hk
Destination Almaty, Kazakhstan
Destination Wudang Mountain, China
Programme
Programme
● Visits KIMEP University
● Learning marital arts
● Lectures on the Belt and Road
● Experiencing the simple life
● Visits to financial corporations, institutes and startup companies to learn about trade relationships with China
● Morning run around Wudangshan
● Visits to the Central State Museum and Green Bazaar to learn more about the local lifestyle More details ye.hkfyg.org.hk Enquiries Joanne Lam tel 3586 8448
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10th Season Marital Arts Challenge in Wudong
● Learning Taoism and traditional Chinese culture Sponsor Youth Development Commission under the Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland More details ye.hkfyg.org.hk Enquiries Diana Lee tel 3586 8448
HKFYG September 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
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Wellness Theatre Wellness is all about finding the right balance to cope with the challenges of life and developing a positive attitude to forge ahead. An educational interactive drama initiative called Wellness Theatre has been developed at HKFYG to help young people discover wellness. For the 2019-2020 school year, it offers a new exciting interactive drama called “Click on your Choice” for secondary schools. The drama tells the story of a secondary student who gets a “mystery remote.” The device allows him to fast-forward to the future or rewind to past events in his life. He learns about the interpersonal skills he needs and the ways in which he can control his emotional reactions in order to get along with his family and friends. All students taking part in the drama learn how to face challenges, cope with change and handle the stress of daily life through self-awareness and emotion-management skills.
Director Gigi Cheng Cast Boat Chan Dennis Lau Ben Mok Mak Pui Tung Au Tsz Fei Pink Yung Goal A tour of 50 Hong Kong secondary schools in the coming academic year Supported by HSBC's 150th Anniversary Charity Programme Produced in partnership with iStage Part of HKFYG’s Project STEP, the Wellness Theatre uses engaging, innovative platforms to support an intervention programme that encourages youth to cultivate a sense of wellbeing by building self-awareness and knowing how to manage their emotions. For more details Call Fion Chau 2788 3433
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Publisher : The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
香港青年協會
hkfyg.org.hk．m21.hk
Youth Hong Kong: 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel : 3755 7097．3755 7108．Fax : 3755 7155．Email : youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk．Website : youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk The title of this journal in Chinese is Xiang Gang Qing Nian 香 港 青 年
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