Social and Cultural Factors on Child Poly-Victimization in Hong Kong

Background and Purpose:

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. We aim to contribute to the understanding of child poly-victimization among families with children born in Hong Kong and explore a complete profile of the associations between family structure and social support in predicting different forms of child victimization.

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 at the sampled schools were included as eligible participants. If the selected children were aged 10 years or older and were mentally and intellectually suitable for the survey, they were asked to respond to the survey. Otherwise, the primary respondents were the parents or major caregivers most familiar with the children’s experiences. 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. Multiple-stage regression analyses was used to measure the effects of family structure and social support on predicting child poly-victimization.

Results:

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. The regression analysis results showed that children receiving the lowest level of family support (25%) reported the most significant associations with one-to-three types of victimization (B = 1.268; p < .05) and poly-victimization (B = 1.851; p < .0). The strongest association appeared to be between child maltreatment and family support (B = –.109; p < .001). Child victimization and its various aspects were found to be positively correlated with the number of times the children had moved house (Bs range from .034 to .065; all p < .05) and the number of siblings at home (Bs range from .029 to .061; all p < .05).

Conclusions and Implications:

Our study is among the first to take into account social and cultural factors and their relationships with child poly-victimization among cross-border families in Hong Kong. It also highlights the associations among family structure, social support, and the negative impacts of child victimization. Interventions on family support may mitigate the risks of child victimization for families with residential mobilities, as well as families with multiple generations living together. 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.