Silver linings amid fear, anguish

FAMILIES IN ANGUISH

The turmoil in Hong Kong has also taken a toll on families.

A 59-year-old mother, whose surname is Kwan, saw her quiet, warmhearted son turn into a different person during their quarrel about the Hong Kong protests in late July. In an outburst of rage, the 25-year-old pushed Kwan aside and stormed out the door. Kwan had not heard from him since, and her messages to him went unanswered.

"My heart is broken and I feel like life has turned gray in these weeks since," Kwan said, her eyes welling with tears.

Families in the city are being torn apart by the social unrest. Few families want to talk about it or expose to others the pain they are feeling.

Kwan has three sons, all of whom joined the anti-government demonstrations. She said they protested peacefully, but she concluded that her efforts to dissuade them might "pour gasoline on fire". She conceded she has difficulty curbing her temper when it comes to discussing the city's current difficulties, and that's when trouble begins.

Kwan believes the rage of many of Hong Kong's young people has been triggered by their sense of justice, but that their anger is unsophisticated and uninformed. She believes young people are being manipulated by opposition politicians.

"Now I've learned to skip the topic when talking with my kids. I hope the tension gradually eases, but I know the rifts between me and my sons will never be thoroughly healed," Kwan said.

Anger and negative feelings have swept over Hong Kong, especially among the city's young people, since the troubles began.

According to the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, from June 12 to Aug 24, its Wellness Mind Centre received 459 inquiries related to the social unrest. Among all cases, 10 percent of young people suffered emotional distress, leaving them at high risk of misadventure, including a tendency to self-harm, according to the center.

In August, the city was left in shock by a report that an 18-year-old surnamed Tam had assaulted his mother because she disagreed with his opinions about the public disturbances.

Tam reportedly became furious, pulled his mother's hair and struck her head repeatedly before his stepfather intervened. He was bound over to Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts and ordered to be on good behavior for one year.