The Effects of Social and Cultural Factors on Child Poly-victimization in Hong Kong

Abstract

Study Questions Child victimization is a major public health concern across the globe. Many previous studies have focused on separate categories of child victimization and health correlates, paying less attention to children affected by multiple forms of violence. Studies encompassing families’ residential mobility and social support in the context of child poly-victimization are limited. This study examines the prevalence of child poly-victimization in Hong Kong and the associations between family structure, residential mobility, social support, and child poly-victimization. Subjects and Methods The analysis employed data from a cross-sectional, school-based survey in Hong Kong. A two-stage stratified sampling procedure was employed to maximize the representativeness of the sample. All children born in Hong Kong and receiving education in the sampled schools were included as eligible participants. A total of 5,567 children and their caregivers from 107 schools (kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools among 18 districts in Hong Kong) were randomly recruited in the study. Findings A total of 32.2% of the children experienced one-to-three types of victimization and 23.1% reported experiencing four or more types of victimization in the preceding year. Child victimization and its various aspects were negatively associated with family support, positively correlated with the number of times the child had moved house, and the number of siblings at home. The strongest association appeared to be between child maltreatment and family, while a relatively weaker but still significant connection was found between peer and sibling victimization and family support. Major Implications Successful family functioning and social stability are key to protecting children from victimization. This study provides insights into the importance of supporting families as a whole in preventing child poly-victimization. It also highlights family structure and social support in reducing the negative impacts of child victimization.

Shared and unique characteristics of school, cyber and family victimization among school‐aged children in Hong Kong

“…The findings revealed that 1225 (22.0%) of the children had experienced school victimization in their lifetime. This is consistent with the results of recent findings with representative samples in China which suggest that child victimization is not rare in Chinese society (Chen & Chan, 2022; Chen, Guo, & Zhou, 2022). Of the participants, older children were more likely to experience victimization experiences.…”

“…Our findings revealed that frequent family residential mobility was positively related to children school and non‐school victimization. Families that move frequently with limited local networks and resources may fail to respond to their children's needs, potentially contributing to tension within family units and further reinforcing the use of maladaptive and violent behaviour (Chen & Chan, 2022). Children's school and life transitions stemming from residential mobility are likely to place extra pressure on the family system in responding to the children's changing needs and responsibilities (Cross & Barnes, 2014).…”

“…Recent studies have examined the associations between family factors and child victimization, such as family residential mobility, parents' lower education level and unemployment, single parents as major caregivers and low socioeconomic status (Anderson et al, 2014; Le et al, 2018). For example, evidence indicates that residentially mobile families not only have fewer social connections but also have more difficulty in adapting to local norms in new neighbourhoods, which might be plausible mechanisms of potential family conflicts (Chan et al, 2017; Chen & Chan, 2022). In reverse, studies have also shown that family victimization can lead to increased mobility among women offenders (Yetter, 2018).…”

Bystander reaction differences between cyberbullying victims and non‐victims among Chinese adolescents: The roles of online and offline social capitals

“…Meanwhile, residentially mobile families may have less social support but more difficulties in adapting to cultural norms in new communities (Anderson et al, 2021), which could be plausible mechanisms of potential conflicts and violence-related symptoms for family members (Chen & Chan, 2022). The widespread use of technology has revolutionized the forms of communication between migrant parents and children in boarding schools who are geographically apart (Liu & Villa, 2020).…”

Violence exposure across multiple contexts as predictors of reactive and proactive aggression in Chinese preadolescents

“…Studies have found that individuals are easily exposed to violence in multiple microsystems, which is referred to as poly‐victimization (Finkelhor et al, 2007). Studies performed in China reported that 14%–30% of participants were exposed to at least four types of violence, such as child maltreatment, peer victimization, and witnessing violence (Chen & Chan, 2020; Feng et al, 2019). Nevertheless, few studies have simultaneously considered various contexts of violence exposure and the association with the two subtypes of aggression.…”