Youth Opinion Polls No. 78
7 July 2000

Young People's Outlook on Life (II)

    A territory wide survey found that a majority of young people still believed that one's own efforts were the key to success.  However, the proportion who relied on luck and God's Will was increasing.

    67 per cent of respondents believed that they could succeed by their own efforts.  This was particularly so among younger respondents.  However, 11% of respondents relied on luck or God's Will, a 5.5-percentage point increase from the previous survey.  Older respondents seemed more inclined to hold this view.

    Young people ranked "Health" and "Family" the first two most important, among six items, of life aspirations.  Their rating according to importance ratings was similar to that received in the previous survey.  

    Commissioned by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and entitled "Young People's Outlook on Life (II)", the telephone survey conducted by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups between 15 and 19 November 1999 successfully interviewed 506 young people aged 15 to 29.  The previous survey was conducted in March 1997, during which time 551 young people aged 15 to 29 were interviewed.

    The current survey indicated that as many as 80 per cent of respondents would not tolerate corruption in either the business sector or government.  Meanwhile, almost all respondents said that the ICAC was worth supporting.  A total of 70 per cent of respondents were of the view that its anti-corruption measures were effective or very effective, while one-fourth said that it was average.

    When asked whether they would offer a bribe if it could solve a problem immediately, some 66 per cent of respondents said they would not do so, up from 59 per cent in 1997.  Among those who refused to use bribery as a problem-solving method, less than 30 per cent claimed that it was because they did so for moral reasons.  Forty per cent, however, disclosed that it was because of the fear of the consequences for committing bribery.

     Around 60 per cent of respondents said that they would report someone they knew to be corrupt.  However, when asked whether they would reveal their personal particulars to the ICAC for further contact if they decided to report corruption, a notable proportion of respondents (55.3 per cent) said they would be willing to do so.  Yet, this percentage was a 12.7-percentage point drop when compared to the previous survey. 

    The survey, designed to gauge value orientation of youngsters, asked a series of questions on attitudes towards the law, money and social responsibilities.  The vast majority of respondents acknowledged the importance of obeying the law (98 per cent).  Meanwhile, as many as 80 per cent disagreed with the statement that, "As long as it is not immoral, one can use any means, legal or illegal to make money. "  With respect to money, four in five respondents agreed that, "Many worries have to do with money".  Seven in ten respondents, however, did not agree that, "Money could buy happiness".  With respect to social responsibilities, the largest portion of respondents believed that people could fulfil their social responsibilities by "doing their duty" (41.3 per cent), or "obeying the law" (23.1 per cent).  Respondents' views on these values were quite similar to those of the previous survey.

    Yet, there was an obvious difference in the attitudes of respondents with regard to the value of integrity.  The current survey found that 64 per cent of respondents opposed the statement that, "In today's society, honesty and integrity will only bring poverty".  The percentage was a 0.1-percentage point increase from the previous survey.  Moreover, the percentage of respondents who rejected the statement, "In order to avoid being squeezed out, one cannot help drifting with the current" increased from 27 per cent to 35 per cent, which was an 8-percentage point rise.  The results suggest that the idea of getting on by drifting with the current among young people had decreased.  

     In response to the results that older respondents were more inclined to rely on luck or God's Will, the ICAC said that this might be because older respondents encountered more difficulties than their younger counterparts.  This was particularly so when society was undergoing rapid changes and being confronted with the explosion of information.  In view of this, the ICAC would enhance its work to spread the message on the importance of independent thinking. 

    In response to the findings that still a considerable number of young people emphasized individual virtues as socially responsible, the HKFYG encouraged young people to be more active in social activities or voluntary work.

     The ICAC and the HKFYG paid attention to the findings that an indicated that an increasing number of young people attributed the reason for not offering bribes to a fear of the consequences of committing bribery.  The HKFYG believed that the findings showed the effectiveness of a deterrent method in discouraging young people from committing acts of corruption.  The ICAC agreed that both moral education and its deterrent method should not be ignored in anti-corruption work. 

    The ICAC went on to say that they would consider enhancing promotion work through media, seminars or schools to encourage people to reveal their personal particulars to the ICAC for further contact if they decided to report corruption.

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