The Nature and Level of Adolescent Participation in Child Focused Development Programs

Abstract

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) proposes participation of children as one of their rights. Child focused organizations have incorporated child participation as an operational principle in their program implementation. Compassion International (Ethiopia) advocates that children have roles in decisions affecting their own development and takes participation as an indicator for positive child development. The purpose of this study was to assess the nature and level of adolescents' participation and to find out enabling and inhibiting factors. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and observations were used to gather data. Actual samples were picked using stratified and systematic random sampling methods. A total of 243 adolescents (50.6% females and 49.4%males), and eighteen project workers responded to questionnaires. The results show that participation is understood in terms of interests' and responsibilities of adolescents. The level of adolescent participation decreases while going up to a higher level of the Hart's ladder. Participation in guideline preparation, financial decisions, administration, and evaluation of adults of serving children is low. The results also indicated that adolescents' participation requires skills, knowledge, facilities and good adolescent adult relationship. A relationship that focuses on adolescent-adult partnership was found to be the most recommended strategy to ensure effective participation of adolescents in the study projects.