Number of divorces and reports of domestic violence are rising, but help is at hand to remedy the situation
Domestic violence and divorce are major social issues plaguing Hong Kong - and there are no signs that they are soon going to go away. Government figures show that the number of divorces has increased by a staggering 800per cent in 25 years, from 2,060 in 1981 to 17,424 in 2006.
Adding to this sorry state of affairs was an average of 20 domestic violence reports filed every day, and the situation was worsening, with almost 3,000 more cases compared to last year, Commissioner of Police Tang King-shing said in February.
Social workers had also said that sexual abuse within families was yet another growing concern, with nine out of 10 victims not reporting abuse because they were afraid to do so.
It appears there are no quick fixes to Hong Kong's social ills, but tertiary institutions are making inroads to remedy the situation. As a first step towards addressing the problem, the University of Hong Kong launched a master of social science in marriage and family therapy course five years ago. Its emphasis is on a 500-hour clinical training programme during the three- to five-year part-time course.
Its main goal is to train family and marriage counselling professionals. These professionals are taught to not only do field work, but also to eventually teach family and marriage therapists.
