Child deprivation affects life satisfaction of children in Hong Kong, joint university research finds

According to the results of the research entitled Poverty, Disadvantages and Children’s Well-Being in Hong Kong jointly conducted by Lingnan University, City University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of New South Wales, University of Bristol and University of York on child poverty and children’s well-being, child deprivation has a strong negative effect on the overall life satisfaction of children in Hong Kong. While perceived strong relationships with family members and teachers can raise overall life satisfaction of children, they are not strong enough to halt the overall downward trend in children’s life satisfaction with age.

 

The research findings were released by Prof Joshua Mok Ka-ho, Vice-President and Chair Professor of Comparative Policy of Lingnan University and Dr Maggie Lau Ka-wai, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy, City University of Hong Kong in a press conference organised by Lingnan University on 7 December.

 

At the press conference, Prof John Hudson, Professor of Social Policy, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York, and Prof Stefan Kühner, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Lingnan University also shared their views from an international comparative perspective, and suggested that although alleviation of child poverty in Hong Kong has been observed, child poverty rate in Hong Kong, as a modern globalised city, remains high in international comparison with other developed economies.

 

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