Child poly-victimization in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study is to examine the prevalence and correlates of child poly-victimization in a cohort of Chinese families in Hong Kong. The study is collecting epidemiological data through representative school and household surveys. From the school survey, a cohort of about 6,000 secondary students aged 15-17 will be interviewed in schools. From the household survey, a cohort of about 2,500 parents or guardians of children aged 0 – 17 and about 1,000 young persons aged 15 – 17 drawn from large representative samples from households in Hong Kong will be interviewed at home. The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) is employed as the major tool for measuring child victimization. The data collection is still in progress and will be completed in June 2010.The prevalence rate of and the risk factors for child poly-victimization collected through the school and household surveys will be analyzed and compared. The findings will also be compared with data collected in US and UK. Universal and culture-specific factors will be identified. The findings will implicate that identification of child victims using JVQ in different cultures.