Youth counseling project helps teenagers connect with their communities

Publish Date: 14-Sep-2020

The proliferation of social media as communicative means and the deterioration human relationships make teenagers feel isolated when they search for an identity in the process of growing into adulthood. Facing stress and troubles, some of the teenagers either feel that nobody share their burdens or have difficulty finding words to express themselves. Some even choose to end their lives as a way to “resolve” their problems.

Ms Lee Sui-yin, a social worker responsible for the Love Connect life education promotion project, said: “Many teenagers left messages on social media before they commit suicide. This shows that they all wished that their voices could be heard. Therefore we chose ‘connecting with others’ as the theme of the project. We hope that the project could promote bonds between teenagers and their peers, families, and communities and create a safety net for teenagers to support each other to meet the challenges of becoming an adult.”

Some six hundred secondary school and primary school students took part in one of the main activities of the “peerage counseling training”. The course taught them skills in areas such as communication, listening skills, interpersonal relationships, how to handle negative emotions, resiliency, and problem solving. Students who have completed the course will encourage their peers in school to support each other through exchanging good wish cards and encouragement at examination times. They will also organize community caring activities.

Participants of community caring activities have the opportunity to meet people whom they seldom meet in their daily lives, such as the elderly, the mentally handicapped and strangers.