Gladys L. T. Lam

A Preliminary Validation of the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER) in Hong Kong

The present study attempted a preliminary validation of the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER) in Hong Kong. In-depth assessment was conducted on 43 identified batterers and 46 control male subjects. Results suggested that the B-SAFER could correctly classify 95% of the cases. Scores relating to the current situation were found to be particularly important in predicting intimate partner violence. The concurrent validity of the B-SAFER was demonstrated by its correlation with the Conflict Tactics Scale scores. Findings were discussed in the context of developing screening tool in the community setting with the guided clinical approach.

Children's views on child abuse and neglect: Findings from an exploratory study with Chinese children in Hong Kong

OBJECTIVES This research study explored childrens views on issues about child abuse in Hong Kong and examined their implications on child protection work and research in Chinese societies. METHOD Six primary schools were recruited from different districts of Hong Kong. Five vignettes of child maltreatment in the form of flash movies were presented to 87 children in 12 focus groups for discussion. The process was video-taped and the data were transcribed verbatim for data analysis by NUDIST. RESULTS (1) Children do not have a homogeneous view on issues about child abuse and neglect, and their awareness and sensitivity to different kinds of child abuse are also different; (2) some of their views on child abuse and neglect are uniquely their own and are markedly different from those of adults; (3) some of the views expressed by children, however, are very much akin to those of adults, such as the factors they would consider in deciding whether a case is child abuse or not; (4) childrens disclosure of abuse in Hong Kong is often affected by the Chinese culture in which they live, like filial piety and loyalty to parents. CONCLUSION Childrens views on issues of child abuse and neglect, no matter they are the same or different from those of adults, serve to inform and improve child protection work. Children are not only victims in need of protection. They are also valuable partners with whom adult practitioners should closely work. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Children have, and are able to give, views on child abuse. They should be listened to in any child protection work no matter their views are same with or different from those of adults. As this study suggests, the relatively low sensitivity of the children to child neglect and sexual abuse, and their reluctance to disclose abuse and neglect due to their loyalty to parents are areas to focus on in preventive child protection work in a Chinese society like Hong Kong.

Community Capacity Building as a Strategy of Family Violence Prevention in a Problem-Stricken Community: a Theoretical Formulation

This article examines problems confronting the families in a multi-problem community in Hong Kong, from an ecological perspective, and the features and limitations of the existing approach taken by the Government to combat the family violence problem in that community. It suggests the use of the community capacity building model as a strategy of family violence prevention, discusses the rationale, and explores the parameters of the community capacity building model that can be used to fight the family violence problem.

The Development of Family Mediation Services in Hong Kong: Review of an Evaluation Study

This article evaluates a three‐year Family Mediation Pilot Scheme introduced in Hong Kong in the year 2000. The findings of that scheme showed that users of the service generally considered that their time and money were saved and that mediation was effective in helping them to reach solutions on matters of dispute. On the basis of these findings, a framework covering the major parameters of family mediation services was developed. This noted that a service model which best suits Hong Kong is one whereby court‐based and community‐based services coexist, allowing couples to join the relevant service at any point during the divorce process. It should also be a service that is pluralistic and diverse in terms of the service and professional backgrounds of the mediators, thereby meeting the needs of a diverse clientele. Finally, it should offer an approach in which couples proceed to litigation only when mediation has been unsuccessfully attempted.

Evaluation study on a home visiting program in Hong Kong

This article reports on the findings of two studies on the outcomes of a pioneer home visiting program in Hong Kong. The first study measures the indirect effects of the program in the first three years of its operation while the second study measures its effect on directly reducing child abuse potentials among service recipients in the last two years. The two studies consistently show that the program had ameliorated feelings of distress and loneliness of mothers. Nevertheless, the program cannot solve problems in parental attitude and, marital and family relationships. The second study farther shows that the child abuse potential of mothers was significantly reduced after the program. Possible usefulness of the home visitation program is discussed, in the light of the findings of these two studies.

A Review of Child Abuse and Its Management in Hong Kong

ONG Kong is an industrial society with a total population of over five ― &dquo;*&dquo; million people living together in a small area of little more than 400 square miles. Environmental stress, arising from congested housing conditions, rapid social changes, and economic insecurity, is a major factor which has contributed to many problems of family dysfunction. Because of the strain that families are under, they place a great demand on supporting services from both the Social Welfare Department of the ‘