Daniel T L Shek

This book focuses on the issue of holistic development of university students. It takes a specific focus on the developmental needs of the students and the importance of the development of twenty-first-century skills, as well as well-being, leadership, and civic engagement in university students.

Young people are regarded as future assets of the society. Hence, adolescent prevention programs are commonly developed to tackle adolescent risk behaviour and positive youth development programs are designed to promote holistic development in adolescents. However, a survey of the literature shows that research on adolescents is mainly confined to the Western societies. For Chinese psychologists, paediatricians, psychiatrists, and allied human service workers, knowledge about adolescent development is largely developed in the Western culture. To what extent is Western knowledge on adolescent development applicable to Chinese young people? Are Chinese adolescent risk behaviours similar to those in Western societies? To what extent are intervention programs, such as adolescent prevention programs, applicable to Chinese people? These are important questions to be addressed by human service professionals working with Chinese adolescents and their families.

Adolescent substance abuse is a growing concern in Hong Kong and there has been several peaks in adolescent substance abuse in the past two decades. In fact, these peaks mirrored the global trend of abusing non-opiate psychotropic substances and the growing belief among young people that psychotropic substance abuse is non-addictive and it is a trendy choice of life. Evidence-based practice is still very primitive in the fields of youth work and adolescent prevention in Hong Kong and there are many obstacles involved. This book examines how adolescent prevention and positive youth development programs can be developed in different Chinese contexts.