From Surviving To Thriving: Characterizing Positive Youth Development Among Youth In Ethiopia

Studies that characterize youth from a strengths-based perspective are lacking in Africa and specifically in Ethiopia. This study examined the positive development of youth in Ethiopia focusing on their assets profile and corresponding thriving outcomes. Six hundred and thirty-six students (349 girls, 287 boys; Mage = 17.00 years, SD = 1.53; with age range of 13-21 years) drawn from secondary and college preparatory schools in Addis Ababa completed measures on developmental assets and thriving outcomes. Results indicated that students had vulnerable assets profile, mainly lacking external and contextual assets with gender and living arrangements accounting for differences in the report of the assets. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that external and internal assets significantly contributed to youth thriving. Though the youth were living in asset-depleted contexts, they demonstrated adequate possession of internal assets implying that the youth were going beyond survival and demonstrating signs of thriving.