The pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong: psychosocial risk factors and Hong Kongers’ attitudes toward violence

Since early June 2019, Hong Kong has been experiencing ongoing social unrest in response to the anti-extradition bill. These demonstrations and rallies have often ended with violent clashes between protestors and the police. Moreover, the frequent mass demonstrations that initially focused on the bill have since evolved into pro-democracy protests directed at the government and the police. This phenomenon may be associated with a growing acceptance of violence and with individuals’ pro-violence attitudes. The literature has shown that those who hold pro-violence attitudes are more likely to engage in criminal and violent activities. Using a sample of 1,024 Hong Kong adults (M_age = 29.15, age range = 18–69, 66.4% females), this cross-sectional study explores the psychosocial risk factors (i.e., deviant behavior learning, positive and negative affect, general mental health, self-control, and social bonds) underlying favorable attitudes toward violence among Hong Kongers during this period of social turmoil. Grounded in the theoretical propositions of mainstream criminology (i.e., social learning, routine activity, general strain, self-control, and social control), our findings show that female participants generally report stronger attitudes toward violence than male participants. Multivariate analyses indicate that increased positive and negative affect, stronger social bonds, and reduced self-control are significant risk factors for holding pro-violence attitudes. These findings have important research and practical implications in the areas such as public education and policy development/refinement, with the primary aim to reduce the likelihood of holding pro-violence attitudes that may prevent future escalations into actual violence.