Reflection Paper Criminology SS3300(B) Name: Po Tak Long Darren SID: 51822820 Word Count: 2492 At the outset

of the film, the protagonist, Hin, rushes out of a moving taxi to urinate on a street corner. From the narration, we know that this is the result of frequent dosage of Ketamine, which renders the constriction of gall bladder. Hin is a secondary school student. Unlike other fortunate ones, he does not have a joyful family life. His parents are constantly fighting, which annoys him and makes him want to stay away from them. At school, Hin sleeps in class as he finds lessons boring. After school, since he does not bother to spend time at home with his family, he hangs out with his friends most of the time. Normally, it is perfectly fine to look for support from your friends when you are unhappy. However, if the means of cheering you up has bad influences on you, there is a problem. Hin’s friends are all troubled by similar issues: boredom and unhappiness. To escape from reality, they offer Hin to take drugs, which he rejects at first. Later on, at Hin’s birthday party, he was offered to try some drugs again. He rejected again. However, when provoked by his friend, saying that he is too scared to try it, he immediately took the Ketamine to show his ‘bravery’. In the interview, Hin says that he thought taking Ketamine was trendy since most of his friends take it. He also thought that taking Ketamine would not lead to any serious consequences. However, as his body began to adapt to the drug, he needed more doses to elicit the euphoric feeling. By that time, he was already heavily addicted. Back to the film, as buying drugs costs money, Hin runs out of money pretty soon. In order to sustain the habit, he took the job of selling drugs from his friend. At peak, he could earn $2000-3000 a day, selling drugs to his friends and their friends. However, he uses up most of the cash buying drugs for himself.

he would be studying F. he focuses on immediate satisfaction without thinking about the consequences.8%). He promised himself not to meet his old friends who had bad influences on him anymore and to know a person thoroughly before getting along with him in the future. According to Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism Theory. First. However. to relieve boredom. Hin is caught by the Police when he is distributing drugs. Of these abusers. which means he believes the pleasure of taking drugs outweighs any future harm. Believing there will not be any harsh penalties. Ketamine remained the most common psychotropic substance abused. we will inquire into various theories from different perspectives seeking to identify the underlying issues of Hin’s drug abuse. he missed his family and understood that the way he used to act before thinking about the consequences. In the interview. In Hin’s case. the most common reasons for taking drugs were to identify with peers (55. that is a mistaken belief. Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory suggests that drug dependency can best be understood by . human actions are measured according to their likelihood of bringing pleasure or pain. In performing an act.2% to 5. He still shows disdain seeing his mom when she shows up for visiting one day.One day.8%) and for curiosity (39. we will be looking at the reasons behind drug abuse based on the film mentioned above and ways to tackle the aggravating social problem. focusing on immediate satisfaction was wrong.212.909 reported drug abusers in Hong Kong last year. he begins to realize his wrongs. he takes drugs with his friends while on bail and is caught again. He is sent to Hei Ling Chau rehabilitation centre where he is required to do a lot of manual work such as grass cutting and leaves sweeping. with the number of abusers up 2. Then we look at the psychological perspective. people weigh the probabilities of present and future pain. he says during his time in the rehabilitation centre. depression or anxiety (51. Hin’s case is just a drop in the ocean. As we all know. there are 13.9%). as he says in the interview. In the following paragraphs. Had he not taken drugs. Among them.5 instead. as time goes by. Such figures are alarming. According to the government’s survey.9% were under 21. 53.

one of his friend who supplies drugs to his other friends is well respected. prompting him to learn his behavior. dominant and assertive). Furthermore. we will look at theories from the sociological perspective. According to Robert King Merton also adopted the idea of anomie to develop Strain Theory. defining it as the discrepancy between common social goals and the . desired outcomes in the observed behavior. If people observe positive. deviants have higher scores in psychoticism (aggressive. he is likely to act according to what pleases his friends to earn their approval. and adopt the behavior themselves. ego-centric. Drug-dependent individuals are predisposed to use and to become dependent upon their substances mainly as a result of severe ego impairments and disturbances in the sense of self. excessive anxiety. Apparently. In the film. and wide mood swing). In Hin’s case.e. Next. taking and selling drugs. according to Hans J. Eysenck. and his familial problems and poor school results may contribute to neuroticism. involving difficulties with drive and affect defense. Hin is probably in stage three of conventional level (interpersonal accord and conformity driven) of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development. he suggested that delinquent behavior is learned through the same psychological process as any other behavior. Extroversion (sensationseeking. the way Hin slams the door shut and turns the music loud when his mother speaks to him exhibits aggressive and egocentric traits. imitate. Since Hin values his friends and how they view him is important to him. self-care. i. individuals are receptive to approval or disapproval from others as it reflects society's accordance with the perceived role. leading to his deviant behaviors.examining how such a person’s ego organization and sense of self serve or fail the individual’s attempts to cope. For Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. and need satisfaction. then they are more likely to model. We will have to employ psychoanalysis if we want to find out Hin’s defective ego. and how the specific effects of various substances facilitate or impede such attempts. In this stage. dependency. and Neuroticism (having low self-esteem. and impulsive). his troubled family life and lack of supervision contributes to the conflicts within himself.

Edwin Sutherland developed the Differential Association Theory proposing that through interaction with others. There are mainly six factors contributing to drug abuse: peer-group pressure. and motives for criminal behavior. to escape from boredom or harsh reality. such weakness is associated with his delinquent behavior. according to Travis Hirschi’s Social Control Theory. Hin’s confession in the interview. However. the first four of the above factors could be found in Hin. looking for instant gratification) and group autonomy (everything was aimed at consolidating group loyalty). Moreover. he turns to drug taking. techniques. Thus. where his friends provoked Hin saying everyone of them takes drugs. since Hin has problems at home and in school that limits him in achieving such goal. lack of parental guidance. since Hin has weakness in the attachment with his parents. In the film. . it is inevitable for him to learn develop such habit. acquisition of habit during overseas visit and curiosity. individuals learn the values. he is scared in not doing so (foster peer bonding). As a result the individual would exhibit deviant behavior. an individual suffering from anomie would strive to attain the common goals of a specific society yet would not be able to reach these goals legitimately because of the structural limitations in society. Since Hin hangs out with his drug-taking friends all the time.legitimate means to attain those goals. The main intention was to foster peer bonding through sharing the experience of breaking the laws). the features of the delinquent subculture includes the following: Anti-utilitarian (in many cases. which is an illegitimate means. According to Albert K. mistaken belief that occasional abuse will not lead to addiction. Cohen’s Subcultural Theory. short-termism (the gang lived for the moment. there was no profit motive in thefts or other crimes. The strife for happiness and comfort is a common goal among people in society. They could all be seen in the film. saying he only focused on instant gratification through taking drugs. saying they only offer him drugs because they treat him as a good friend (consolidating group loyalty). and Hin’s friend sweettalking him into taking drugs. attitudes. In other words.

problems arise. At such crossroad of life. teenagers. those that do not. teenagers face numerous life-altering challenges and begin to be responsible for their own decisions. So does Hin. This is a perfectly normal psychological process called social learning. often turn to their peers than their own families for help. adolescents are likely to associate with deviant peers. everyone studies before exams.g. the norms they learn from that particular group outweigh the norms they learn from other groups. In this case. friends. As adolescence is a time of experimentation with new identities and experiences. In Hin’s case. including the good and bad aspects. teenagers follow the norms of a group in order to be popular. Teens who are undergoing their puberty are particularly vulnerable to succumbing to peer pressure. Moreover. a ‘group’ may take in various forms to an individual. on the other hand. However. as they grow improvingly aware of their self-images. it is reasonable to say something is ‘good’ when everyone does it.Peer pressure is a primary cause of drug abuse among adolescents. After all. The norms of a social group is adopted by its members in order to gain popularity and acceptance. or a particular ‘group’ of friends. If an individual adopts the norms in a group consists of deviant peers. According to the Manifestations of Disruptive and Antisocial Behaviors in Childhood and Adolescence Model. such process could be pro-social and beneficial to the person who adopts them. when faced with challenges. According to the Developmental Tasks Necessary for Pro-social Development during Childhood and Adolescence Model. e. It can mean the society as a whole. So one learns different set of norms from different groups which they are in. adolescents strive for independence. In many cases. they tend to conform to the norms of their peers in order to be approved and liked. the lack of parental guidance and boredom in life lead to his grouping with deviant counterparts. Habitual and personal traits are learned during such process: those that render them popular or accepted are preserved. etc. are discarded. Hin’s group of friends all takes drugs. At this stage of life. and peer-pressure from the group prompts Hin to . And when one values one group than the others. in order to prove that they can make their own decisions without relying on adults. we are talking about a group that consists of drug abusers.

we will see if there is any way to prevent or tackle drug abuse among teenagers.take drugs. possession. the Poisons List Regulation lists. The maximum penalty is 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of $1 million. The listed drugs are commonly known as ‘Part I Poisons’. to imprisonment for 7 years. or on summary conviction to a fine of $100.000 and. Furthermore. The maximum penalty for major drug offences such as trafficking and manufacturing of dangerous drugs is life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million. It is an offence not using them in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance. as mentioned in the above paragraphs. subject to section 54A. The mistaken belief that occasional abuse will not lead to serious consequences only aggravates the problem. Lastly. any person has in his possession. The Control of Chemicals Ordinance (Cap. manufactured and prescribed. subject to section 54A. The Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations. in its Part I A. supply and manufacture of all narcotic drugs and nearly all psychotropic substances listed in the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Moreover. There are various methods to achieve such aims. 134) controls over the dealing. Apart from the setting up of legislations. and the conduct of personnel and businesses involved in their trade. inhale. one of the major reasons for drug abusing is the . education is also very important. sold. The Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Chapter 138) regulates pharmaceutical preparations (except traditional Chinese medicines) in use in Hong Kong with respect to the manner in which they can be possessed. We will begin by looking at the legislations in Hong Kong. to imprisonment for 3 years. ingest or inject a dangerous drug shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction upon indictment to a fine of $1 million and. import. which are subject to more regulatory control than other over-the-counter drugs. or smoke. Also. 145) controls all chemicals listed in the 1988 UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The control measures are stipulated in another subsidiary legislation. over 930 drugs. Under Section (8).

we have to let its users understand has serious side effects such as cognitive impairments including memory problems and urinary tract diseases. Evangelical Lutheran Church Hong Kong Enlighten Centre and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Neo-Horizon. counseling service for psychotropic substance abusers provided by Caritas HUGS Centre. the Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers (SARDA). PS33 of the Hong Kong Christian Service. Tung Wah Group of Hospitals . Take Ketamine for example. our next generation can live in a drugfree society. voluntary out-patient methadone treatment program provided by the Department of Health. Cheer Lutheran Centre and Evergreen Lutheran Centre of Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service. The main types of drug treatment and rehabilitation programs include: compulsory placement scheme operated by the Correctional Services Department. There are also a number of treatment and rehabilitation agencies operating in Hong Kong to help tackle the issue. Parents should make efforts by providing their children with a home with love and care to prevent them from meeting deviant friends as well. Officials should give talks in schools various schools in Hong Kong to educate youngsters about the consequences of drug abuse and to teach them the right value. and seven substance abuse clinics operated by the Hospital Authority.mistaken belief that occasional dosage may not lead to serious consequences. the Hong Kong Christian Service and other non-government organizations including Christian therapeutic agencies. voluntary in-patient programs ran by the Caritas . Hopefully. The media should also help in curbing this aggravating trend by reporting more about the consequences of abusing drugs and propose a proper value to its readers.CROSS Centre. . the government should combat this problem sternly.Hong Kong. Teenage drug abuse is a serious problem in Hong Kong.