Law Awareness and Abidance and Radicalism Prevention Among Hong Kong Youth

Abstract

Social influence through awareness of law abidance and enforcement is uncertain in preventing youth radicalism. Accordingly, the effects of the social norm for law abidance and deterrence on radicalism are unclear or debatable. To clarify these effects, this study randomly surveyed 883 Chinese youth in Hong Kong, where the national security law has recently launched to tackle radicalism. Results show the significant inverse effects of awareness of national security law enforcement, awareness of support for law abidance, and agreement on law abidance on radicalism. Nevertheless, the effect of awareness of the enforcement slightly weakened with education, the agreement, or awareness of the support. This weakening suggests situational deterrence. These results imply the preventability of youth radicalism by law, including its awareness, abidance, and enforcement.