Adolescent Life Skills and Parenting in Crisis Settings

This report highlights the findings of consultations that were held between May and July 2019 with adolescents aged 10 to 19 and their parents or caregivers in displacement settings in Bangladesh, the Lake Chad Basin (Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria), Central African Republic and Tanzania. 

Adolescent girls and boys of different ages (10-14 and 15-19) shared their interests and priorities for humanitarian programming, and highlighted risks and protective factors related to their emotional wellbeing, social relations, health, safety and protection.

The consultations also highlights that child marriage is a key concern for adolescent girls across all humanitarian settings. It links to many of the identified risks and needs across mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, protection, sexual and reproductive health. 

Adolescents point out that child marriage risks increase in situations of crisis, displacement, income poverty and lack of opportunities. Married girls struggle with high levels of distress and serious mental health issues, including suicidal ideation. They face significant health risks resulting from early pregnancy, and report enduring violence and abuse from their husbands and family members.

The findings and recommendations informed the design of Plan International’s Adolescent Life Skills and Parenting programme, which was developed in 2019-2020 and launched during early 2021. This programme promotes the psychosocial well-being, health and protection of at-risk adolescents in crisis settings.

There are two versions of this report: 

• Lake Chad report (available in English and French): presents the findings of consultations held with adolescents and parents or caregivers in the Lake Chad basin covering the crisis-affected region of Northeast Nigeria, Diffa region in Niger and the Far North region of Cameroon.
• Global report (available in English): presents the findings of consultation held with adolescents and parents or caregivers in the Lake Chad basin, as well as Bangladesh, Central African Republic and Tanzania.

Emergencies, Skills and work, Lifeskills training, Parenting

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