Psychologist urges mental health support for students traumatised by Hong Kong school knife attack
- Adrian Low, specialist in stress research, says students who witness such events may have ‘heightened fear and anxiety’ in days or weeks that follow
- Girl, 13, allegedly attacked classmate with 30cm-long knife at Tuen Mun school on Thursday
A Hong Kong psychologist has called for mental health support for students affected by traumatic events such as a recent knife attack in a school.
On Thursday, a 13-year-old girl allegedly attacked a classmate with a 30cm-long (12 inch) knife at a Tuen Mun school. She appeared in Tuen Mun Court on Friday after she was arrested and charged with wounding.
Adrian Low, president of the Hong Kong Association of Psychology and a chartered psychologist, said it was crucial that students who witnessed such events were offered support.
“Students may experience heightened fear and anxiety, both immediately after the event and in the days or weeks that follow. They may feel unsafe, worried about their own well-being or concerned about the possibility of future incidents,” said Low, who specialises in stress research.
“Some students may develop a sense of emotional numbness or detachment as a protective mechanism. This can make it difficult for them to express or experience emotions related to the event.”
Low said it was important to create a safe and non-judgmental environment where students could express their feelings and concerns openly.
“Keep a watchful eye on students who may be at higher risk of developing prolonged or severe trauma-related symptoms. These individuals may benefit from more intensive interventions or referrals to specialised mental health services.”
He described cases where individuals masked their inner struggles and aggression as a “concerning phenomena”.
“They may be skilled at concealing their true emotions or intentions from others, making it difficult for people around them to detect warning signs and intervene, potentially leading to unexpected outbursts of harm,” he said.
“Continuously suppressing and hiding inner struggles can have detrimental effects on mental health, exacerbating feelings of isolation and hindering the establishment of supportive relationships.”
A 2023 study conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found an alarming number of young residents were experiencing mental health issues. Nearly one in four Hong Kong children and adolescents had experienced at least one mental disorder in 2022.
Thursday’s attack was allegedly carried out by a Form Two female student against a boy at CCC Hoh Fuk Tong College.
The vice-principal of the school, surnamed Leung, said two teachers in the classroom intervened and immediately stopped the girl from inflicting more harm on the boy.
“Our colleagues took care of her. Her emotional state at the time was manageable,” Leung said. “We also immediately removed other students who witnessed the incident from the scene, relocating them to an empty classroom.”
The boy, who was admitted to Tuen Mun Hospital, suffered injuries near his right shoulder. He was now in a stable condition, Leung said.
The vice-principal noted that the school had formed a crisis management team to handle the incident, admitting some students were shaken at the time and a few did not come to school on Friday.
“After school, we gathered the student witnesses and contacted each student’s family to inform them about the incident,” he said. “We also requested their assistance in monitoring the students’ emotional well-being. Once they were emotionally stable, we allowed them to go home.”
The school also arranged extra counselling sessions conducted by social workers and psychologists for pupils distressed by the attack.
The school noted that both students were classmates for two years and there were no disciplinary records or any other incidents involving them.
The Tuen Mun division of the force is investigating the incident and looking into the motives for the attack.
