Desistance from Drug Abuse Among Youth in Hong Kong: The Role of Family, Social Capital, and Personal Growth in Chinese Communities

• In Event: EDLC: desistance

Abstract

Drug abuse among youth in Hong Kong is an excessively concerning problem. Recently more attention has been focused on studying desistance in specific groups of populations, research that examined the concepts of desistance for drug addicts within Chinese communities is relatively scarce. The aim of the study is to focus on how young people can successfully overcome drug use and begin a drug-free life while developing throughout their life course. To explore opportunities for fostering desistance among young drug abusers, the study adopted a qualitative approach and conducted in-depth interviews with 25 young ex-drug abusers who have abstained from drug use for at least one year and who began using drugs before the age of 21. Family, intimate partners, and four personal dynamic factors—growth, positive changes, self-concepts, and social roles—are more significant than other factors identified in both local and international literature. In Chinese communities, bonding between family and the importance of social capital have been emphasized, which aligned with the dynamic factors in the life course being identified in this study.

Author

• Grace Au, Hong Kong Metropolitan University