Citation

Bayer AM, Gilman RH, Tsui AO, Hindin MJ. J. Adolesc. 2010; 33(4): 509-520.

Affiliation

Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Biomedical Research Unit, Asociación Benéfica PRISMA, Lima, Peru.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.02.002

PMID

20207410

PMCID

PMC3208666

Abstract

This study explores the lives of Peruvian adolescents in a low-income human settlement outside of Lima. Twenty 12-17 year olds were asked to narrate their own life stories using the life history narrative research method. Holistic content analysis was coupled with a grounded-theory approach to explore these data. Inter-generational responsibility, family tensions, economic pressures, racism and violence emerged without prompting and dominated the narrators' life stories, underscoring the degree to which these adolescents lack access to the supportive individuals and structures that are key to positive adolescent development. The challenges faced by these and the other 5.8 million 10-19 year olds in Peru require increased attention to the role of families, peers and communities in ensuring that adolescents are able to maintain their well-being and achieve their future expectations.

Language: en