Sex and dating come in the same package for more than one-third of the city's troubled young people, a survey of at-risk youths has shown.
Some 28 per cent of the respondents to the Federation of Youth Groups' survey, who were aged 10 to 24, said they would consider having sex with a minor. Close to 20 per cent of respondents admit having done so.
Roughly 60 per cent of the 270 young people questioned on their attitudes to and understanding of safe sex, relationships and dating are studying in Forms One to Three at secondary school.
Over 32 per cent of those aged between 10 and 15 said "sex is an expected part of a dating relationship", with 20 per cent admitting they'd had sex before. More than 47 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 agreed with the statement, and more than 55 per cent have had sex.
"Not only are they more open towards sex, these youths also have lots of misconceptions about sex and relationships," said Wilson Chan Man-ho from the federation.
Keelie Cheung Ming-shan, a frontline youth worker with the organisation, said she knew a 14-year-old girl who lost her virginity at 13 and would have sex with different people because she saw it as a mutual "take-what-you-need" scenario.