TNAG-1730-FCO40-2443-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 128

DRAFT SPEECH BY HON EDWARD S T HO, JP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 11 MAY 1988

MR. EDWARD HO:

Sir,

Motion Debate on the Report on Youth Policy

There is, a Chinese saying that 'what happens to a child

at the age of th determine what he will be at the age of 80' -

三歲定八十

.1

What the ancient Chinese knew about child

psychology is only now scientifically established.

The impact of early mother-child relationship on the

later life of the child was demonstrated by a series of experiments with monkeys in the 1960s.

Wire-and-terrycloth mother-surrogates

were used as substitute mothers and it was found that the adverse effect of deprivation on the baby monkeys produced powerful side-effects later in life.

Psychologists cannot agree at what particular time a person's character and behavioural patterns would start to be

Some even suggest that this may influenced by external stimuli.

have started in the prenatal period, that is, when the embryo is still in its mother's womb.

will

Certainly, there is no doubt that the parents' early influence on the child: their relationship with each other, their love and warmth, or the lack of them, are a contributory factors to how a child will behave and whether or not he will be mentally and physically equipped to overcome crises in his later life.

Most of today's problems with youth, such as juvenile crimes, drug abuse, runaway kids, teenage pregnancy, can be traced Many of these problem youth back to a hostile family environment.

either come from broken homes, or have parents who would not or could not

Gannet provide them with the very essential elements of love and

care.