Rachel C. F. Sun – författare

This book documents the findings of a 3-year longitudinal study on the quality of family life, personal well-being and risk behavior in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. It presents the profiles of quality of family life (family functioning, parental behavioral control, parental psychological control and parent-child relational qualities); personal well-being (positive youth development and life satisfaction measures) and adolescent risk behavior (substance abuse, delinquency, self-harm and suicidal behavior and behavioral intentions to engage in risk behavior) in different adolescent populations across time. It also examines theoretical issues concerning the interrelationships between family quality of life, psychological well-being and risk behavior in adolescents. Practically speaking, the findings can help youth workers appreciate the importance of family quality of life and positive youth development in shaping the personal well-being and risk behavior in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

This book reviews the theories regarding commonly occurring developmental issues among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong, the application of Positive Youth Development (PYD) to a large-scale primary prevention program and the impact of PYD on student well-being, indexed according to adolescent developmental issue. Using multiple strategies, it presents the overall constructs and frameworks supporting P.A.T.H.S. in response to the various psychosocial needs of Hong Kong’s youth. Some of the issues covered include substance abuse, sexual behavior, internet addiction, bullying and cyber-bullying. The book argues for the effectiveness of the school-based program in promoting student well-being in modern Hong Kong society and will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students, university instructors, researchers, social workers, pediatricians, youth workers, educators, administrators, psychologists, school principals and allied professionals looking to promote whole-person development in junior form students and especially those with an interest in education in China.

This book outlines the development, implementation and evaluation of a project entitled “P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme," with P.A.T.H.S. denoting Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social programmes.

This pioneer project was conducted in Hong Kong between 2005 and 2012 with more than 210,000 participants. Its goal was to help students meet various challenges in their path to adulthood, with a focus on their psychosocial competencies, developmental assets and the promotion of healthy peer relationships. The project was initiated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in collaboration with the Government’s Social Welfare Department, Education Bureau and five universities in Hong Kong.

Edited by the researchers of the project, Development and Evaluation of Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs explores the nature of positive youth development (PYD), the application of PYD constructs to youth programs and implementation issues.

Using multiple strategies, the book evaluates the overall effectiveness of the P.A.T.H.S. school-based programme and reveals that stakeholders had positive perceptions of the project, its implementers and benefits. Students in the program showed better positive development and displayed lower levels of substance abuse and delinquent behaviour than students in the control schools.

The book also details lessons learned, emergent issues, future directions as well as insights into the development of positive youth development programs particularly in Chinese communities. Development and Evaluation of Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs will appeal to all educators, administrators, psychologists, social workers and allied profeesionals looking to promote whole-person development in their students, especially those with in interest in education in China.