Explaining the night drifting among Hong Kong teens

Abstract

It is a recent study on the night drifting phenomenon among Hong Kong teens. The phenomenon has been an alarming youth challenge in Hong Kong for decades. In this research, it is aimed at explaining the young night drifting behaviors by identifying the effects of social bonding on young night drifters, including attachment, involvement, commitment and belief. Besides, it illustrates the linkage between boredom in ordinary life and young night drifting in Hong Kong. The social bond theory and the idea of boredom are applied to analyze the factors leading to the phenomenon of young night drifting. It is resulted that the teens who night drifted in Hong Kong usually has a weak bonding with family but strong bonding with peers. The level of involvement and commitment on conventional activities are low. Their belief towards night drifting is presented. Being bored and thus seeking for excitement is another factor in regard to young night drifting. In this study, it is expected to gain the better understanding of why Hong Kong teens desire to stay in the street at night. It could be meaningful to carry on this topic and conduct more in-depth research in the coming future. Thus, resource could be allocated to relevant services more efficiently and effectively. It is very likely to create a platform for stakeholders to join hands to improve the situation.