Help Hong Kong's hidden youths come out of their shell
Paul Yip and Melissa Chan say Hong Kong must find better ways to help the growing number of young people who opt out of society, before their isolation and lack of hope lead them to hurt themselves and others
The recent murder cases involving Hong Kong youths have undoubtedly left people shaken and caused many to question just what has gone wrong with our society.
Discussions have primarily been about the "hidden youths" in Hong Kong, that is, those who are neither in education nor employment, and spend most of their time at home playing video games. Typically, they have poor social skills but are very active in the cyber world. Although the murder cases are certainly extreme, the underlying issues must be taken seriously.
The phenomenon of "hidden youths" has drawn attention in Japan and Britain for over a decade. They are called in Japan and "neet" in Britain (a young person not in education, employment or training). In Japan, the government defines as anyone who has completely withdrawn from society for more than six months. Psychiatrists and psychologists are even proposing to add this to the list of recognised medical conditions. In Britain, the focus is on young people aged between 16 and 24 who could become a source of social unrest.
In Hong Kong, there has been no systematic research into the phenomenon, but youth unemployment figures may give us some idea of the problem. Government data shows that our youth unemployment rate of 11.6 per cent, in the third quarter of last year, is no worse than the 10-year same-quarter average of 13.8 per cent. Our 2011 rate of 9.3 per cent was higher than Singapore's (6.7 per cent), comparable with Japan's (8 per cent) and Korea's (9.6 per cent), and lower than those of most Western societies, (typically 15 per cent in the US and Britain).
However, numbers alone do not reveal the mental stresses young people face. Many hidden youths are unable to establish themselves properly in society, even though some may have high academic qualifications. Their strengths are underdeveloped and their interests under-recognised, and they have no one to talk to. Their withdrawal from society is a loss to us all.
How can we mitigate the problem? Given their relatively poor social skills and low self-esteem, many hidden youths choose to stay at home and play video games, which may give them a sense of satisfaction missing elsewhere. Over-protective parents play a part. Some have described the in Japan as a "middle class" phenomenon, as they live under the shelter of their well-off parents.
Schools, too, have a role to play. Bullying, at school or on the internet, hurts self-esteem, and may create isolation and anti-social behaviour.
