Perceptions of social institutions amongst Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong

Abstract

In this study, we examined the perceived trust of different social institutions (such as the police, Courts, Hong Kong government, different political parties, and different types of media) amongst 2,474 high school students in Hong Kong. We also investigated the participants' perception of perceived trust towards the same social institutions by Hong Kong adolescents in general. Results showed that while high school students' perceived trust in some conventional social institutions (such as the Courts in Hong Kong) was high, their trust in some social institutions (such as the pro-establishment political parties and the Chinese Central Government) was comparatively low. Their perceived trust in conventional social institutions was higher than that in non-conventional social institutions. On the other hand, perceived trust in conventional social institutions amongst adolescents in Hong Kong was generally low (except the Courts in Hong Kong) whereas their trust in media was high. While perceived trust in the participants of conventional social institutions was higher than that among the general adolescent population in Hong Kong, the reserve is true for non-conventional social institutions. The present findings also give support to the self-enhancement effect. The present findings are interesting snapshots on the political perceptions of adolescents in 2017. However, with the social protests in Hong Kong from 2019-2020, adolescents' perceived trust in social institutions might have changed. Hence, researchers should conduct another round of survey.