Drug trafficking, teenage pregnancy, suicide, bullying - the list of the city's youth problems is endless, and schools and parents must join hands to tackle them. Social workers are the bridge between schools and families to help students get back on the right track.
Social workers can be employed by social service groups such as the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) and Caritas, and then be assigned to work at schools, or they can be employed directly by schools.
In 2000, the profession got a boost when the government spent a lot of money on its 'one school social worker for each secondary school' policy.
'Teaching staff will refer students to be counselled and the social worker will also discover cases on their own,' says Carrie Leung, unit in charge for school social work at HKFYG.
'Counselling is done individually or in groups. The social worker also needs to be in contact with the student's parents, teachers and classmates to find the best way to help,' she says.
Social workers also lead personal growth development activities, such as civil education, sex education seminars and leadership training. They need to love working with people, and be caring and proactive.