Characteristics of Adolescents’ Family Environment: The Case of Selected Secondary Schools in Addis Ababa

Abstract

Family Environment (FE) contributes to a plethora of positive and negative outcomes
in its members. Nonetheless, little is known about the characteristics of the FE as perceived
by adolescents in the Ethiopian context. Aiming at examining characteristics of FEs, this study
was conducted on 477 Ethiopian adolescents (214 males and 255 females, with 8 missing
cases) attending two government schools and one private secondary school in Addis Ababa
City. Data were gathered using Family Environment Scale (FES) and demographic items.
Descriptive statistics, one-variable chi-square test, independent samples t-test and One-Way
ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Conflict, Achievement Orientation and Control were
found to be the salient features that characterize a relatively greater number of the
adolescents’ families, with a less balanced overall quality of the FE. Moreover, family
structure, fathers’ and mothers’ educational levels and family income were found to contribute
to variations in the adolescents’ FEs. Implications of these findings are discussed.