Social workers engage with problem teenagers

Many teenagers are attracted to places equipped with karaoke facilities, musical instruments and alcohol, so the Kunpeng Youth Service Center in Fuzhou, capital of the southeastern province of Fujian, provides similar activities in the hope of keeping troubled young people away from crime.

"The program, called Xin Hangxiang, or "New Course", provides classes in topics such as coffee making along with entertainments, including karaoke and pool tables that cater to young people's interests," said Shi Yeyuan, Kunpeng's executive director. "But they have to pay for the good time we give them by doing volunteer work."

Kunpeng, an NGO founded in 2008 that provides services to the Fuzhou government, is a key player in the fight against juvenile delinquency. It also helps to rehabilitate delinquents in the city, which has a large number of migrant workers whose children rarely receive parental guidance and often attend low-quality schools, which can make them more susceptible to bad influences.