Steven Ngai

The Chinese University of Hong Kong | CUHK · Department of Social Work

The study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Generative Motives Scale (GMS) among mid-older grandparent caregivers in urban China. Multistage cluster random sampling yielded a total of 618 grandparent caregivers (mean age = 60.46 years, 74.9% female) of children from nine kindergartens. We used EFA and CFA to determine the factor struc...

Although it has been widely acknowledged that hope, career competency, and outcomes of social well-being (i.e., social integration, social contribution, and civic engagement) are key components of youth’s career and life development (CLD), those interrelationships, their predictive relationships, and the relative importance of the variables in the...

While social support is generally beneficial, it remains unclear how it directly and indirectly affects subjective well-being among grandparents via generative acts. Multi-stage cluster random sampling was employed in a city in Eastern China, reaching 1013 noncustodial grandparent caregivers of kindergarten children (mean age = 58.3, range: 40-93,...

In our study, aimed at examining the effectiveness and impact of the Hong Kong Benchmarks (Community) Pilot Program, a career and life development (CLD) intervention program targeting non-engaged youth (NEY) in Hong Kong, we employed a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design to compare changes in career-related competencies between a pilot group...

The emergence of migrant grandparent caregivers in urban China calls for research attention to the impact on their well-being. Given the stressful nature of grandparent caregiving and changes to social support under migration, in this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of grandparental stress and social support on migrant grandparent caregiv...

The growing emphasis on demonstrating the effectiveness of social services through evaluation has heightened demand for nongovernmental organization (NGO) practitioners to enhance evaluation capacity. However, a lack of validated instruments in the NGO context has hampered efforts to assess NGO practitioners’ current evaluation capacity and underst...

Increasing career and life development hope (CLDH) is critical for the career and life pursuits of non-engaged youths (NEY) who face various disadvantages in the school-to-work transition, especially considering current challenging labor market conditions and the impacts of the pandemic. Nevertheless, research that explores the assessment of CLDH a...

Purpose: Despite the growing interest in program evaluation capacity building (PECB), its impacts have been rarely studied in the existing literature. This study aims to evaluate a PECB initiative in Hong Kong called the Jockey Club MEL Institute Project. Methods: A pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was adopted to compare the changes betwe...

Although discrimination is widely acknowledged to impair developmental outcomes among ethnic minority adolescents, literature differentiating discrimination based on personal characteristics and group membership is lacking, especially in Chinese contexts, and the mechanisms of those relationships remain unclear. In response, the study presented her...

The challenging labor market conditions concomitant with economic globalization and advanced technology have made youth career development competency (YCDC)—young people’s ability to navigate transitions through education into productive and meaningful employment—especially important. The present study aims to develop a holistic instrument to measu...

While it is well-established that mutual aid groups are effective in the psychological rehabilitation of vulnerable individuals, few studies have thoroughly investigated the dynamic mechanism of how psychological well-being improves through mutual aid groups of young patients with chronic health conditions. In connection with several existing theor...

Urban China is witnessing a growth of migrant grandparents apart from the prevalent local grandparent caregiving. However, the health consequences and influencing factors of grandparent caregiving remain largely unknown among migrant and local grandparent caregivers. This study examined informal and formal social support’s mediation roles between d...

The current study examined the psychometric properties of the 20-item Generative Acts Scale-Chinese version (GAS-C) among middle-aged and older adults as grandparents in mainland China. A total of 1013 grandparents (mean age = 58.32 years; 71.9% female) of children from 12 kindergartens were recruited using multistage cluster random sampling. A fou...

While trust has been widely identified as a vital protective factor for individuals’ well-being, less attention has been paid to the particularized trust of mutual aid group members and its impact on the self-management and well-being of young patients with chronic illness (PWCIs). The present study aims to explore the effect of trust in mutual aid...

Social exclusion is a widely accepted risk factor for child well‐being, but relatively little is known about its dynamics and effect on multiple well‐being domains. This study aims to extend prior research by examining the influencing mechanisms of structural‐economic and socio‐relational exclusion on the physical, psychological, behavioural and ed...

This study aims to examine the mechanism of how supportive interaction and facilitator input variety in mutual aid groups impact treatment adherence of young people with chronic health conditions, with consideration of time effects, which have been rarely studied in the existing literature. A stratified random sample of 391 individuals aged 12–45 y...

Self-help organizations (SHOs) enable patients with chronic health conditions (PCHCs) to overcome common difficulties through the exchange of knowledge and mutual assistance, which serves as the basis for promoting the self-reliance and well-being of PCHCs. Nevertheless, practical challenges persist because little is known about what and how to eva...

This study analyzed the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between social capital and healthy identity development. In addition, it examined differences between adolescents from families with and without economic disadvantages regarding the role of family, school and peer social capital, and self-efficacy on identity development. A...

The increasing prevalence of early-onset chronic illnesses is a major global health challenge. Effective chronic illness self-management (CISM) is crucial in improving the quality of life of patients. This study aims to develop a holistic instrument to measure CISM among the young patient population in Hong Kong, which has rarely been investigated...

This study focused on the mechanism in which family capital—human capital, financial capital, and social capital—could be mobilized in the creation of the identity capital of young people during their transition to adulthood. A total of 1153 participants in Shanghai, China, (mean age = 20.90, SD = 1.44) completed a standardized questionnaire. The s...

There is a dearth of empirical evidence in Chinese societies to explore young people's identity development process in life transition from adolescence to adulthood. Using a qualitative methodology, this study conducted in-depth interviews with 18 Chinese university students in Shanghai, China. Participants had a mean age of 20.68 years (SD = 2.13)...

Illicit drug use by youth has been recognized as a form a delinquency, leading to health and social risks. Strengthening virtuous orientation, including morally good traits that are learnable, to enhance their realization of drug harm has been one of the major components in the prevention of illicit drug use. Drug use history might trigger a cascad...

This study explored and conceptualised service users’ experiences in online outreach projects supported by the Hong Kong SAR government. Fifteen active users were interviewed. The study used thematic analysis to explore service users’ experiences that might not have been possible without technology. Participant utterances were non-mutually-exclusiv...

The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM-C) with Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Data were derived from 1976 students (Mean age = 14.6 years; 50.1% female) from 17 secondary schools. An exploratory factor analysis was applied first to find out the factor patterns, and then...

Although researchers widely use the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to measure parenting behaviour in terms of parental care and overprotection, its development using Western samples has cast doubt on its applicability among non-Western ones. In response, we examined psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the PBI by using survey data c...

This study explores the interplay between parenting behavior and prosocial behavior and examines whether parenting behavior acts as a mediator that explains gender differences in prosocial behavior. We recruited 1988 adolescents (mean age = 14.6 years, SD = 1.8) from 17 secondary schools in Hong Kong. The results showed that parenting behaviors cha...

Whether or not at-risk youth eschew illicit drugs because of its expected harm remains uncertain. In theory, expectancy is influential when the harm is valuable to the youth. Hence, to examine this possibility, this study employed a prospective design to collect data from 169 at-risk youths identified by social workers in Hong Kong, China. Finding...

Drawing upon a sample of 1153 young people in Shanghai, China, this study investigates how agentic personality mediates between social capital embedded in a range of social contexts (family, friendship, association, and linking connection) and developmental outcomes during the transition to adulthood. The results of a structural equation modeling (...

Promoting the prosocial behavior of young people is desirable. The individual counseling sessions held in schools and in youth centers can effectively promote prosocial behavior among the youth. Given the lack of relevant research on this topic, this study aims to examine how individual counseling in a natural setting contributes to the formation o...

This study investigates the ways in which parental care and parental control affect adolescents' character strengths in the areas of authenticity, bravery, perseverance, kindness, love, social intelligence, fairness and self-regulation. The basic premise is that these two parental bonding factors may have different effects on adolescent outcomes. T...

Youth at risk of illicit drug abuse and other delinquent acts are the target of social work services. Preventing or discouraging the use of illicit drugs among at-risk youth is a long-standing practical and research concern. For this reason, the preventive function of courage is a research gap the present study seeks to fill. The study collected da...

The mutual aid group, as supported by the social worker, emerges to play a vital role in helping group members reduce their deviance or behavioral problem. However, how the collaboration of the group and social worker accomplishes the reduction has remained uncharted. Based on social capital theory, mutual aid and cohesion within the group and soci...

The process of globalization, the rate of technological change, the convergence of information and communication technologies, and major changes in government policies are leading to the development of a “weightless” economy, to rapidly growing skill requirements, and to what some call the ”knowledge economy.” Certainly, the labor market is tilting...

This study draws on data from focus groups involving 50 young people from low-income families in Hong Kong to investigate their school-to-work experiences. In line with the ecological-developmental perspective, our results show that contextual influences, including lower levels of parental involvement and lack of opportunities for further education...

This study examined the interaction effects between Hong Kong adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit online materials (SEOM) and individual, family, peer, and cultural factors on their beliefs about gender role equality and body-centered sexuality. Based on a survey design with a sample of 503 high school students in Hong Kong, the results indi...

This study examines adolescents' involvement in extracurricular activities provided by community youth centers in Mainland China and their perceptions of the benefits of this type of extracurricular involvement. Based on principal data obtained from a survey of 1,544 adolescents aged between 9 and 14, together with supplementary data collected from...

Cognitive–behavioral integrated treatment (CBIT) is an intervention that social workers can learn to treat youth's drug abuse by cognitive restructuring, behavioral modification, and goal setting. A way to enhance the learning is training specifically for CBIT. Evaluation of the effectiveness of such training in raising social workers' CBIT practic...

This research investigates factors conducive to the thriving of economically disadvantaged young people in Hong Kong. In particular, we examine ways in which the parent–child relationship and friendship networks, as the principal sources of support during the transition from childhood to adulthood, influence the developmental outcomes of this group...

The phenomenon of empty-nest elderly (ENE) has become a significant social issue in China. In this research on ENEs in urban Shanghai, a coastal city in China, case studies were undertaken through in-depth semistructured interviews to examine the social exclusion risks ENEs may face and the influence of neighborhood support on such risks. The resul...

The transition from school to work is especially problematic for economically disadvantaged young people in a time of rapid social change and economic restructuring. Previous research has indicated that these young people encounter greater difficulties in education, employment and youth development in general than their more fortunate counterparts....

This study investigates factors conducive to the success of young people growing up with economic disadvantage. Previous studies often focused on the risks and difficulties experienced by this cohort of young people; however, little attempt has been made to examine factors that help them thrive or escape from adversity. It is with this consideratio...

Work commitment is a way for unemployed youth to engage in employment. In turn, factors leading to work commitment are unclear, particularly in view of the possible variability of the factors across cities. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tianjin are three Chinese cities for the present study to address the variability. Surveys of 676 unemployed youths in...

This study explicates the intervention goals, domains and strategies of youth leadership training programmes in Hong Kong using data collected on the Internet. The results show that youth leadership training programmes in Hong Kong are designed and organised to achieve five goals: (1) helping young people to achieve positive development and cultiva...

This study seeks to test the validity and reliability of Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) for use with Hong Kong students in grades 5 to 9 (i.e., young people aged 10–15 in primary or junior secondary education). The questionnaire used in the study consisted of the IAT and nine other items on relevant predictor variables—duration of Internet u...

Using data collected by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Program for International Student Assessment in 2003, this study examines the gap in the educational aspirations of children from single-parent families and two-parent families in the United Kingdom (UK) and Hong Kong. Consistent with previous research on the relat...

Current research shows that emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) are amenable to social work support, notably through group work that promotes mutual aid. This kind of intervention has become increasingly crucial in maximizing the contribution of social work and minimizing its cost. Nevertheless, research on youth involvement in such groups rema...

The present study examines the genesis of emotional exhaustion among undergraduate social work students in Hong Kong. Of particular concern are the relationships among key factors, including the student's idealism, altruism and career orientation, and emotional exhaustion. To investigate this, the study employed survey data collected from 165 under...

With the maturation of the service-learning field in recent years, school–community partnerships have emerged as an important area for studying the effectiveness of this type of experiential education. However, the paucity of studies of school–community partnerships indicates that they are only beginning to be understood and thus require further in...

This study examines the ways in which program characteristics (i.e., involvement with service users, agency support, and class experience) and psychological engagement interact in university students to affect service-learning outcomes in such areas as personal development and civic commitment. The basic premise is that these two sets of variables...

Among young people with emotional and behavioral problems (EBP), mutual aid is likely to be valuable in their rehabilitation and deserving of social work support. The benefits of mutual aid stem from the possibility that it prolongs the effective contribution of social work service. Given its potential benefits, it is imperative to clarify the ways...

Drawing on Bowlby's attachment theory, much research has been conducted into the effects of parental care and parental control on internal assets that are key to the development of adolescent children, such as self-esteem, self- efficacy, resilience, and social competence. However, one question that remains unanswered concerns the applicability of...

Much research has been conducted into the poor life course outcomes among economically disadvantaged young people; however, little attempt has been made to examine the factors that help them gain autonomy and achieve a prosperous future. Given this consideration, the present study surveys low- income youth in Hong Kong to investigate their paths of...

The notion of social exclusion, which originated in France, has become increasingly significant among Chinese scholars in recent years and is now an important angle for research on socially disadvantaged groups. This paper reviews the social exclusion of young rural-urban migrant workers and its characteristics in terms of social insurance based on...

Among young people with emotional and behavioral problems, mutual aid is likely to be of valuable assistance in their rehabilitation, and be deserving of social work support. The benefits of mutual aid stem from the possibility that it prolongs the effect of the contribution of social work services. Given the potential benefits of mutual aid, it is...

ObjectiveEmpirical research is required to shed light on the issue concerning the support the parent–teacher association (PTA) for parents of schoolchildren. It is to examine if the benefit stems from informal social capital arising from the PTA.MethodA telephone survey collected data from parents whose children studied in a grade between Grades 4...

An understanding of outreaching social work in Hong Kong is viable through an analysis of discourses constructed and experienced by social workers. The discourses address hegemony by the government and consent, resistance, and identity arising from social workers. These discourses were the focus of the present study, which relied on repeated in-dep...

This research investigates the factors conducive to the success of young people growing up in low-income families. Many studies carried out locally and overseas focus on the risks and difficulties experienced by these young people; however, little attempt has been made to examine the factors that help them change their lives from failure, poverty,...

This study examines the ways in which service participation and hardiness interact to affect youth development in such areas as academic success, work achievement, mental health, behavioral adjustment and overall accomplishment. The basic premise is that these two factors may have main effects and an interaction effect on the outcomes. To test this...

Elucidating the conditions in which family strain takes effect in adolescent delinquency is one avenue along which to substantiate general strain theory. These conditions include family relationship and the type of delinquency. In the context of Chinese societies, the conditions also include the differences between socialist, collectivist Mainland...

Inasmuch as research has held the increase in youth gang activities responsi ble for the escalating level of crime and delinquency in Chinese societies, ascertaining risk or protective factors of gang involvement among Chinese youths is crucial. The factors include those associated with social control, social learning, and cognitive development. To...

This paper investigates the school-to-work experiences of non-engaged youth aged 15-24 who do not participate in education, training, and employment. Based on data from focus groups involving 50 non-engaged young people in Hong Kong, it examines how they are being systematically propelled to the edges of conventional pathways to adulthood, and asse...

The principle of matching services to needs suggests that group work would be most effective when it targets those most in need of the services--delinquents with low involvement with the family and high involvement with friends. Less time with the family indicates a greater need for conventional social control, while more time with friends may enta...

A two-day training program aimed at promoting breast cancer awareness and utilization of breast cancer screening in Hong Kong was presented to a group of breast cancer survivors and mid-level health and social services professionals (n = 75). Using a training of trainer model, six modules were presented covering biological, psycho-social, sexual, a...

This study seeks to analyze the constitution of youth worker identity from a critical social work approach focusing on the complicated multiplicity of identifications that produce, reproduce and transform identities under changing social and historical circumstances. Based on an analysis of the narratives from in-depth interviews with 18 Hong Kong...

Taken into consideration the limitations of conventional approaches in understanding the problem of young drug abuse, this paper shows how stresses emerging in adolescents' confrontation with the fundamental concerns of existence lead to drug taking behavior. Based on a qualitative study conducted in Hong Kong, this paper suggests that young people...

English The present study explores the possibility of emancipatory youth work from a Foucauldian perspective focusing on practitioners' potential as a force for change. Based on narratives generated from interviews with outreach youth workers in Hong Kong, the study shows how workers have invented their own style of liberating practice. The implica...

This study investigates risk-taking behavior and its associated factors among young Hong Kong partygoers at rave parties or discos. Based on a survey of 300 14 to 28-year-old dance partygoers recruited by outreaching social workers, the study provides data on risks in terms of the likelihood of drug abuse, coitus, unprotected coitus, fighting, and...

Service-learning, which combines academic study with community service, is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world. It is ideally suited to achieving both the personal and academic goals of students and the broader goals of civic responsibility and social justice. This paper describes the design of a local service-learning program the au...

This study examines the ways in which service experience and classroom experience, as principal components of a service-learning program, interact to affect student outcomes in such areas as personal development, respect for diversity, social commitment, and overall gain from the program. The basic premise is that these two service-learning compone...

Based on the narratives generated from in-depth interviews with 18 outreach youth workers in Hong Kong, this paper investigates the political actions of these youth workers and shows how they have invented strategies to construct their own style of emancipatory practice. Such strategies include (1) seeking new allies for development of community su...

Strain does not necessarily lead to delinquency. Its impact depends on the value of the unachieved goal, according to the thesis of adaptation in strain theory. When alternative goals are salient, the strain may even reduce delinquency. For instance, a young person's concern for friendship diminishes the importance of strain in connection with care...

Ethnic and racial minorities living in Asia face widespread racial discrimination. The case of post-colonial Hong Kong is illustrative of racial discrimination encountered by racial groups as well as the effective use of international law in tackling racial discrimination. Wary of business opposition to the introduction of anti-discrimination legis...

This study evaluates a reality therapy group for students enrolled in the Form 1 classes of a low-band secondary school in Hong Kong who have exhibited signs of disaffection such as apathy toward study and school activities, repeated academic failure and disruptive classroom behaviour. The results, based on interviews with members and their teacher...

Examined the relationship between occupational stress and burnout (BNO) among 155 outreaching social workers in Hong Kong. Ss completed an occupational stress scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Ss experienced high BNO in emotional exhaustion, lack of personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. 22% of Ss felt that they could no longer dedi...

This study investigates stressful life events, perceived stress and somatic problems among young people in Hong Kong. The results show that the prevalence rates of chronic and acute somatic problems among respondents are 12.1% and 10.4% respectively. It is found that the major aspects of perceived stress experienced by respondents are related to wo...

Social skills training (SST) has become one of the popular models of therapy. Based on Trower, Bryant and Argyle's (1978) SST approach, a SST group project was implemented in a male halfway house in Hong Kong. This report sums up the SST group project's theoretical framework, design and methods, and assesses the attainment of objectives according t...