Supporting resilience among young people at risk of child abuse in Ethiopia: The role of social system alignment

Abstract

PurposeMany Ethiopian adolescents experience different forms of violence and abuse at home, at school, and in their communities. There are very limited referral, case management, and justice services, especially outside of urban areas, so young people draw largely on protective and promotive interpersonal resources. This article explores the extent to which available support systems promote processes of resilience among young people at risk of age- and gender-based violence and abuse. MethodsThe article draws on data from Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE), a longitudinal research study. Qualitative data were collected in 2017–2018 and 2019–2020 through individual interviews and focus group discussions with 595 adolescents and their families, and 77 service provider, community and governmental key informants. ResultsIn the absence of effective and at-scale formal protection services, young people who experience age- and gender-based violence draw on support from family members and diverse peer networks. These range from informal friendship groups to organized groups, school-based girls' clubs, and recently formed youth movements linked to the current political transformation in the country. However, given the complex economic, political and social drivers of age- and gender-based violence and abuse, we find that social systems drawn upon by adolescents are often misaligned with formal services and have limited capacity to enable their resilience. ConclusionsThe findings underline the need to invest in multi-systemic effective, low-cost and accessible social protection, justice, and referral services to address the multiple factors that drive intersecting forms of violence and support young people in preventing and overcoming the effects of abuse.