Professor Dennis Wong, Associate Professor Ludwig Tan, Dean of the SUSS School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences and Associate Professor Razwana Begum, Head of Programme for the Public Safety and Security Programme (centre), at the session.
The SUSS Public Safety and Security (PSS) programme hosted Professor Dennis Wong from City University of Hong Kong on 3 February 2023 at SUSS. As part of the programme’s Thinking Train Series, Professor Wong spoke on his research on “Cybercrime and Victimisation among Adolescents: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Preventive Strategies”.
At the City University of Hong Kong, Professor Wong specialises in Criminology & Social Work and is concurrently a member of the Asian Criminological Society and Asia Pacific Forum of Restorative Justice. He also chairs several non-governmental organisations in the Greater China region and is an honorary consultant for governmental agencies on youth drug abuse, school bullying, and offenders’ rehabilitation.
In his presentation, Professor Wong shared how and why adolescents are susceptible to cybercrimes and the common types of cybercrimes that they typically fall prey to. He also touched on the constraints faced by law enforcement in bringing transnational criminals to justice.
After the presentation, there was an engaging and insightful discussion between Professor Wong, the faculty, and the participants. During the dialogue, participants were encouraged to think about how we can better protect the younger generation from cyber victimisation as the internet usage amongst the young continues to rise. He also emphasised the importance of the guardians’ involvement in the youths’ lives, which can reduce their need to seek support from online friends.
.png?sfvrsn=f67f254a_2 "Associate Professor Ludwig Tan, Dean of the SUSS School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences, presented a token of appreciation to Professor Dennis Wong.")
Associate Professor Ludwig Tan, Dean of the SUSS School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences, presented a token of appreciation to Professor Dennis Wong.
Professor Wong’s sharing exposed the current trends of cybercrimes on youth and has implored those who attended, as social scientists and as the future of our nation, to safeguard the next generation.
Mr Karthigan Subramaniam, Psychologist, Home Team Psychology Division at the Ministry of Home Affairs, shared, "It's insightful to hear from Professor Wong on the regional perspective of youth involvement in cybercrimes."
Nigel Tan, a Year 3 PSS student, found the session insightful. He said, “Professor Wong gave practical insights into cybercrime through relatable examples.”
Laurene Chung, Year 3 PSS student, had the same sentiment, “The presentation was very in-depth, and Professor Wong was very enthusiastic in his sharing.”