Club-funded scheme helps curb problem youth behaviour

02/12/2010

A youth development programme initiated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has showed very positive results. Launched in 2005, the ''P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme'' aims to help young people build up psychosocial competencies and establish clear and positive values. Since its establishment, the P.A.T.H.S. scheme – which stands for Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social programmes - has attracted some 178,000 students from more than 270 local mainstream and special secondary schools to participate. 

As part of a groundbreaking longitudinal study in different Chinese contexts, the P.A.T.H.S. research team collected and analysed data from nearly 8,000 secondary 1-3 students over the past three years that proved the P.A.T.H.S. programmes can effectively build resilience in students, helping them face challenges encountered along the road to adulthood, such as the lure of drugs. 

Today (2 December), P.A.T.H.S. Principal Investigator Professor Daniel Shek announced the interim findings of the study and impact of the scheme. ''The survey is to track the long-term effectiveness of the Programme. We discovered that the research results for the first three years already showed students who joined the Programme have achieved higher positive growth than those who haven't,'' noted Professor Shek. 

In the 2006/07 academic year, the research team invited 48 schools to participate in the survey and collected data from nearly 8,000 students. Half of these schools adopted the Tier 1 Programme of P.A.T.H.S., which covers adolescent concerns and their developmental strengths. Adopting a randomized group trial design for the study, Prof Shek said the data collected across three years had proved the Programme can effectively assist junior secondary students face bad times and challenges, as well as resist temptations.

''The data shows the students are able to set up goals and make their choices far better than those who have not joined the Programme,'' he said.. ''They are less likely to have delinquent behaviour such as run away from home, sexual relationship with others and drug abuse. ''

''The results proved that the Programme can slow down adolescent risk behaviour and help enhance students' judgement and self-determination, thus able to say 'no' and protect themselves from risk behaviour,'' he added. The survey will continue tracking the students' performance in the 2011 academic year. 

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So noted that youth development was very high on the Club’s agenda. ''A total of HK$2 billion has been invested in youth-related projects in the past decade. Apart from P.A.T.H.S., we have also supported many different programmes to match the society’s changing needs and development. For example, we have funded the modernisation of youth centres across the city, construction and refurbishment of related facilities, and various kinds of training programmes to meet the needs of the new generation.'' 

The scheme is recognised and well-received outside Hong Kong as well. Shanghai has adapted and used the curriculum for three years; the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macau has initiated a pilot project to test the effectiveness of the programme; and some pilot testing work has been carried out in Singapore. Professor Shek has also developed a “university version” of the programme as a General Education subject at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which attempts to foster intrapersonal and interpersonal development in university students. 

P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme was initiated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in 2005 in collaboration with the Government’s Social Welfare Department and Education Bureau. Renowned academics from five local universities have established a research team to develop a range of youth development programmes for local junior secondary students with the aim of helping them explore their potential, establish self-identity, foster closer ties with others, and develop positive beliefs and clear values.  

In light of the strong support from the local education sector, the original 3½-year project has been extended for three more school years from 2009/10 to 2011/12.  So far more than 270 secondary schools have joined the scheme and more than half have already included the Tier 1 Programme of P.A.T.H.S. in their junior secondary curriculum. To respond to emerging adolescent issues, 60 new programme units are being introduced by phase to cover topics such as drug abuse, sex and love relationships, problem internet use, bullying, materialism and the core values of life.  Further details of P.A.T.H.S. are available at www.paths.hk.