Introduction:
Adolescence is a turning point period, which can be seen as a period of transformation, which most teenagers are exposed to vulnerable conditions as well as violence and most of them are victims of aggressive behaviours, drug use, alcohol use, poverty, bullying, early marriages, child marriages, civil unrest, child soldiers, family conflict, just to name a few and their personality becomes questionable from transition to adolescent period to young adulthood. The future personality of vulnerable adolescents is been affected by rape, early pregnancy, poverty and substance abuse. Adolescents face many threats to their health safety and well-being while some are shared by their society as a whole. Adolescents often are described as living in a fog of exaggerated personal invulnerability (millston, Halpem-FelsherQuadrel et al, 1993). A general information is offered for characterizing behavioral risks in a way that might help coordinate behavioral interventions. It is demonstrated in terms of adolescent’s vulnerability, arising from the life situations confronting teens, from teens understanding of those situations, and from the beliefs of those entrusted with helping them. Globally, adolescence is so exposed to many negative acts and behaviors. Adolescents are the most vibrant, dynamic, energetic and constitute the most valuable human resource that forms the foundation of future development of any nation. They tend to explore and experiment with sound identity, sexual practices and high-risk of violence. The term and concept of vulnerability is used in several fields in order to refer to the potential for poor outcomes, risk or danger. According to some school of thoughts, there are some three personality traits that tell you someone’s future that is humility, patience and ignorance. Other school of thoughts sees future personality as being conscientious that is doing what is right, being diligent, industrious, meticulous, careful, painstaking, dedicated, attentive, studious, thorough, scrupulous rigorous, resilient and agentic.

 Background to the study:

Adolescence begins with puberty, when young people develop a sense of personal identity. 42% of most adolescents were infected with HIV AIDS worldwide in 2010 (UNICEF, update, 2012). Out-of-school adolescents are adolescents between the ages of 11 to 21who are out of school.  Adolescent vulnerability is a period where adolescents become more exposed to risk factors than their counterpart. Adolescent vulnerability is very vast in our society today and most adolescents are involved in illegal activities such as sexual behavior and excessive intake of alcohol which makes them to be vulnerable. Adolescents’ vulnerability arises from life situations. Adolescents sometimes underestimate the risks of particular actions or behaviours. Therefore, some adolescents engage in to risky behaviours because of a perception of invulnerability. Sometimes, their perceptions can prompt them adolescents to make poor decisions and that can put them at risk and leave them vulnerable to physical or psychological harm that can easily impact their health negatively. According to (Elena &  Baruch Fischhoff, 2001) adolescents obviously do not always act in the ways that serve their best interests, even as defined by them. Sometimes their perception of their own risks, even of survival to adulthood, is larger than the reality; in other cases, they underestimate the risks of particular actions or behaviors. It is possible, indeed likely, that some adolescents engage in risky behaviors because of a perception of invulnerability. Others, however, take risk because they feel vulnerable to a point approaching hopelessness (Fischhoff et al, 2000). In either case, these perceptions can prompt adolescents to make poor decisions that can put them at risk and leave them vulnerable to physical and psychological harm that may have a negative impact on the their long term health and viability. These are some components of the burden of vulnerability perceived by adolescents in the united states, which might contribute to their participation in risky behaviors such as unsafe sexual activity, alcohol or drug intoxication, poverty and more(Fischhoff et al., 2000).With further explanation of Baruch Fischhoff and Henry Willis view, they begins by discussing adolescents legitimate concerns about their future and wellbeing, reflecting their concerns about their own invulnerability. They then consider how dealing effectively with adolescent vulnerability requires knowing their total burden as well as the size of the component parts. The former should shape the overall investment in reducing adolescent vulnerability.

Adolescent girls especially in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa face serious challenges of fulfilling their sexual and reproductive health and rights, including vulnerability to HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy, unsafe pregnancy which is common in Sub Saharan Africa. With all these vulnerabilities, adolescents need vulnerable opportunities to come out these stressors.

According to (Petersen et al, 1993), adolescents face a number of challenges that make them vulnerable to depression and other vulnerable factors like; rape, substance abuse and more. Parental loss or rejection has been found to increase an adolescent’s vulnerability (Simons, 1989)

Contextually, Cameroon has a high prevalence of out-of-school adolescent. In sub-Sahara Africa more than elsewhere, adolescents remain the most threatened, (Elvis Enowbeyang Tarkang et al, 6 Aug 2018). Very young adolescents (children aged 10-14) are undergoing tremendous physical, emotional, social, and intellectual changes. During this period, many very young adolescents go through puberty, have their first sexual experiences, and in the case of girls, may be married prematurely. For most children, early adolescence is marked by good health and stable family circumstances, but it can also be a period of vulnerability because of intense and rapid transitions to new roles and responsibilities by caretakers, workers, spouses, and parents. In many countries, the impact of HIV, poverty, political and social conflict on families and communities has eroded traditional safety nets and increased the vulnerability of young adolescents. It is therefore critical for policymakers and program managers to consider very young adolescents’ special opportunities as well as their vulnerabilities. In most countries, there are policies for children to attend school at this age, and one finds a higher proportion of this age group in school compared to older adolescents. However, it is also important to note that many young adolescents are not in school and therefore may be at higher risk for many negative outcomes. Aside from neglect within the educational sector, very young adolescents have been particularly neglected by policymakers and are not reached by most conventional child health, maternal health, and women’s empowerment programs.

Furthermore, as previously mentioned, young people between the ages of 10 and 14 begin their transition out of childhood and enter puberty (10-18-21). This time often brings greater responsibility within the home and exposes girls, in particular, to societal pressures to enter marriage, sexual relations, and childbearing.  When children of this age are neither living with their parents nor attending school, it is a great cause for concern. There is a good chance that they are not receiving the familial or peer support to properly deal with the challenges they face and are not being given adequate opportunity to develop into productive members of society.  In some settings, young female adolescents are domestic workers, some involve in child work, harking, migrants from rural communities in search of work and an education or are fleeing a forced marriage.  Others may already be child brides and are now living with their spouse and, possibly, his family.  These youth are among the least likely to seek out and receive social services and therefore require a proactive set of prescriptions to minimize their vulnerability to exploitation. Some of these adolescents are sex workers, scammers, and some involving in cyber criminality that makes them to drop out from school, as a result of poverty, children migrating from rural areas to urban areas, and with the absence of their parents, they engaged in risky behaviours, laisser- faire parenting, most parents now being career parents and spend less time with their children that led to low parent-child contact.

Theoretically, this study will include the following theories; Marcia's theory of identity achievement. The Shame Resilience Theory by Brene Brown, Eric Erikson psychosocial theory and Abraham Maslow hierarchical of needs.

Statement of problem:

Adolescents’ personality is crucial for their self-development. The researcher observed that, most adolescents doubt themselves and are being influence by their peers which results in identity problems. At this critical turning point, most adolescents lack a mind of their own and have different characters that arise from the situations they encounter in their neighborhoods and environment. Most adolescents turn to be vulnerable as they engaged in risky behaviors thinking that they are having joy and without considering the negative impact on their lives and their personalities. Therefore, adolescents’ future personality is a call for concern as they live a dream life, they live a fantasy life that keeps their future personalities questionable.

Objectives of the study:

 Main research objective:

1. To investigate how adolescent’s vulnerability impacts future personality in Buea Municipality.

Specific objectives:

1. To determine the extent to which rape impacts out- of - school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality.
2. To determine the extent to which early pregnancy impacts adolescent’s future personality in Buea Municipality.
3. To examine how poverty impacts out- of -school adolescents’ future personality.
4. To determine the extent to which substance abuse impacts out-of-school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality.

Research questions:

1. To what extent does adolescents’ vulnerability impacks out- of -school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality?

 Specific research questions

1. How does rape influence out - of - school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality?
2. What impact does early pregnancy has on out - of - school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality?
3. How does poverty influence out - of - school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality?
4. How does substance abuse impacts out-of- school adolescents in Buea Municipality

Conceptual Review:

Adolescent vulnerability:

The literal meaning of the term vulnerability is the state or condition of being weak or poorly defended. Vulnerability is a relative state that may range from resilience to total helplessness (Shilpa Khanna, et al, April 2015). They can be vulnerable to in terms of deprivation, exploitation, abuse, violence. Vulnerability is a relative state that may range from resilience to total hopelessness. (Shilpa Khanna, et al, April 2015)

This concept is demonstrated in terms of adolescents’ vulnerability, arising from the life situations confronting teens. This concept provides a rationale for identifying opportunities to reduce adolescent vulnerability, based on research regarding the genesis and control of risks. (Spring, 1998). A powerful combination of biological, psychological and social changes makes adolescents more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors than children or adults, and these changes contribute both to opportunities for healthy growth and the risk of negative outcomes (Calkins, 2010).  Experimentation and impulsive behavior are part of normal teenage experience. With support, most young people navigate these challenges and emerge as healthily functioning adults. However, the interaction of individual, family and environmental factors can greatly increase a young person’s vulnerability to risk and the potentially adverse consequences of risk-taking.

Rape:

Rape is defined as the penetration of the mouth, vagina or anus by any part of the attacker's body or by an object used by the attacker, without the consent of the victim (Patricia Weiser Easteal, 2011). The fear of sexual assault or rape is a part of every woman's life. Indeed, the reality is that rape is a threat for every female in Australia and this advice is solid and well-meaning, although in many ways it is based upon stereotypes about sexual assault which are not true and which act insidiously to impute blame on the victim.(Green , 1987)

The nature of rape makes it an extremely problematic crime to measure. Due to the ambiguity about what it is and due to the societal and criminal justice response which at best could be labeled ambivalent, sexual assault is grossly under-reported by its victims. There is reason to suspect, from international crime surveys, that Australia has a particularly high incidence of sexual assault, certainly higher than the United Kingdom although probably second to the United States(Mary Main, 1991) and according to(Weatherburn and Devery, 1991, p. 26) third to the US and New Zealand. Walker (forthcoming) reports that the combined sample of the 1989 and 1992 Australian national crime victim surveys showed that about one out of every two hundred women had experienced a rape or attempted rape during the twelve months preceding the survey.

Teenage Pregnancy:

According to the University of British Columbia (Columbia, 8 April 2006) teenage pregnancy refers to female adolescents becoming pregnant between the ages of 13-19. These young females have not yet reached adulthood and the causes of teenage pregnancy vary greatly. Teenage pregnancy may be linked to things such as lack of education and information about reproduction, peer pressure and early engagement of sexual activity (Columbia, April 2016).

Adolescent pregnancy occurs in all societies, but the level of teenage pregnancy and childbearing varies from country to country. The reproductive pattern in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is characterized by pregnancies starting at an early age, by high fertility throughout the reproductive span, by low educational attainment of the mother and by poor coverage by antenatal services. Low maternal age has been found to increase the risk of a number of pregnancy complications, preterm delivery, low birthweight, and elevated risk of prenatal and infant mortality.  Adolescents and their children represent a population with an increased risk for medical, educational and psychosocial problems. Women who begin childbearing in their teenage years face a variety of problems during pregnancy and in later life. They have higher rates of poor obstetric and neonatal outcome, lower educational achievement, higher rates of poverty and welfare dependence. They are less responsive to their infants and may be. More prone to child abuse. Their children perform less well, than children of older mothers on intelligence and vocabulary testing, and are more likely to have behavioral problems and fail at school.(Mesleh, Ratib A., 19 May 2014)

Poverty:
Poverty is a global issue, and extreme poverty is a world-wide health problem (WHO, 2000). Statistics indicate that the economic distance between the world’s rich and poor countries is increasing (Timimi, 2005), and this disparity of economic resources poses a risk for health by affecting the development of infrastructures to support mental health care. The difference in per capita income between the richest and the poorest countries has accelerated by a factor of five since the late 1800s (Guillen, 2001). Africa and developing countries in Latin America are the poorest, while Japan and South Korea are the richest. When there is more equality in the distribution of resources and wealth within and/or across countries, overall health improves significantly (Castells, 1998). Poverty has dramatic effects on behavior and emotions, which ultimately impact mental health, especially among vulnerable groups (McMunn, Nazroo, Marmot, Boreham& Goodman, 2001; Rutter& Smith, 1995). Under conditions of economic deprivation, children and adolescents are disproportionately affected because they are disproportionately represented among the poor (University of Michigan, 2016). However, the relationship of poverty to mental health is difficult to capture with statistics (Call et al., 2002). Although scholars and clinicians in the area of children’s mental health note that the rates of mental health problems have increased significantly among young people in Western society, the ability to detect rising or falling rates is partly a reflection of country’s resources. Only one third of countries even have a mental health budget that addresses needed infrastructure to assess mental health. Among the remaining countries, slightly more than a third.

Furthermore, poverty is therefore has various manifestation that includes lack of income, and productive resources sufficient to ensure sustainable livelihoods; hunger and malnutrition, limited lack of access to education, ill health, increase morbidity and mortality from illness; inadequate housing, homelessness, unsafe environment and social discrimination (United Nations, 1995). Poverty can be divided in to absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty is when people lack basic necessities for survival while relative poverty is when people’s way of life and income is much worse than the general standard of living. Most people therefore in Sub Saharan Africa live below the poverty line due to poverty. Most people in Africa find themselves in poverty trap, as the economic system in Africa makes it difficult for people to overcome poverty due to governance put in place by most autocratic regimes.

Only 1% of their public health budget to address mental health problems. This results in biased statistics that favor more obvious mental disorders (Milne & Robertson, 1998). Rates may also be inaccurate because assessments are made with Western medical standards alone, which do not account for culture- specific patterns in the manifestation of distress (Milne & Robertson). A further complication in assessing rates of mental disorder among adolescents is the adolescent’s dependency on the parents for accessing diagnostic and treatment services. When services are meager and families are poor, parents are less able to access services on their children’s behalf, further contributing to under detection. A cycle is established in which economic burden and poverty is reinforced by the failure to receive necessary services (Knapp et al., 2006).

Substance abuse:

Substance abuse’ refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. The most common substance abused are alcohol, marijuana (ganja), bhang, hashish (charas), various kinds of cough syrups, sedative tablets, brown sugar, heroin, cocaine, tobacco (cigarette, gutka, pan masala) etc. Substance abuse is also known as drug abuse. A pharmaceutical preparation or a naturally occurring substance used primarily to bring about a change in an existing process or state (physiological, psychological or biochemical) can be called a drug. In simpler terms, any chemical that alters the physical or mental functioning of an individual is a drug. A drug may or may not have medical uses; its use may or may not be legal. The use of a drug to cure an illness, prevent a disease or improve health is termed ‘drug use’. But when a drug is taken for reasons other than medical, in an amount, strength, frequency or manner that causes damage to the physical or mental functioning of an individual, it becomes ‘drug abuse’(Kamlesh Kumar Sahu*1& Soma Sahu*, December 2012). Adolescents who use drugs or alcohol problematically are likely to be vulnerable and experiencing a range of problems, of which substance misuse is one.   The majority of young people who seek help for substance misuse have emotional or social problems, such as self-harming, offending and family issues. They are also less likely to be in education, employment or training. Studies have shown that young people from more than one vulnerable group are more at risk of drug or alcohol misuse (DfES: 2005; The NHS Information Centre, 2011).

Substance abuse has become a large phenomenon in India in the past two decades affecting all segments of society. The use of alcohol, tobacco, various drugs is a widespread phenomenon among youths. The abuse of psychoactive drugs among youths is an issue of national importance. Concerns have focused out not only on the physiologic and behavioral impact of substance abuse on the youths but also on the public health hazards. Substance abuse is increasing at an alarming rate, causing serious threats to every nation, by deteriorating health, increasing crimes, and hampering productivity, destroying relationships, eroding social and moral values and impeding the overall progress of society. Young people are becoming the largest hostage of the threat of substance abuse and their vulnerability is increasing gradually (Kamlesh KUMAR Sahu & Soma Sahu, December 2012).

Theoretical review:

Marcia's theory of identity achievement:

Marcia’s theory of identity achievement (1980) contradicted the notion of adolescence as a time of crisis. Marcia claims that adolescent identity formation has two major parts: a crisis and a commitment. The trauma in adolescence results from having to make difficult decisions about one’s identity and moving through the four different identity status: identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium and finally identity achievement. Milman (1979) provides some supporting evidence for Marcia’s theory. He found that a majority of 12-15 year old children were in the identity diffusion stage in comparison to the identity achievement stage, however, he also found that a large portion of young adults have still not achieved the highest level of identity by their mid-20’s, suggesting that identity formation may occur later than suggested by Marcia. There is also evidence that suggests this search for identity continues throughout the whole of the lifespan, with alternating periods of stability and instability and movement back and forth between stages (Marcia, 1980) this suggests that adulthood can involve just as much turmoil as adolescence. Once a crisis has been experienced and worked through, Marcia considered, a likely progression would be from diffusion through moratorium to identity achievement.

Marcia took cognizance and used the identity status to label and describe four unique developmental identity points, that is; identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, moratorium and identity achievement. Each of these identity statuses represents therefore a peculiar configuration of youth’s progress. Identity diffusion describes youth who have neither explored nor commit=ted to any particular identity and they are passively floating through life. With identity diffusion, the youth have neither explored the options, nor made a commitment to an identity. Identity foreclosure, adolescents obtain their identity simply by accepting the beliefs and values and life goals assigned to them. With identity foreclosure, they have made a commitment to an identity, having explored the options and have established an identity based on the choices or values of others. There is a high degree of commitment and low degree of exploration. Moratorium represents the high degree of exploration but low degree of commitment. With identity moratorium, it describes those who are exploring in an attempt to establish an identity but yet to have made any commitment. With identity achievement, there is high degree of commitment and exploration. The youth have attained a coherent and committed identity based on personal decisions.

The Shame Resilience Theory by Brene Brown (2006):

Shame resilience theory (SRT) is concerned with how people respond to feeling of shame. Shame therefore is a universal emotion that can have serious consequences if left unchecked. Shame can be seen as a fundamental human emotion that is similar to feelings of guilt and disgrace. It also involves a wide range of mental and public issues including self-esteem/concept issues, depression, addiction, eating disorders, bullying, suicide, family violence and sexual assault (Brown, 2006). This theory attempt to explore how people overcome feelings of shame. Shame causes people to feel trapped, powerless and isolated. Furthermore, based on this feelings of empathy, connection, power, and freedom, Brown proposes that shame resilience is essentially made up of four steps; that is recognizing the persona vulnerability that led to the feeling of shame, recognizing the external factors that led to the feeling of shame, connecting with others to receive and offer empathy and discussing and deconstructing the feelings of shame themselves. The most important thing is to accept that shame needs to be acknowledge and understood before it can be overcome. Shame is therefore harmful when it goes unacknowledged. Hence, the pertinent way to respond to shame is to recognize internal and external factors that led to that shame and then discuss the feeling shame with others, and by doing so, people begin to have the feeling of empathy, connection, power and freedom and one starts finding him or herself more resilient.

Norman Garmezy proponent of resilience theory argues that it is not the nature of adversity that is most important, but how we deal with it. According to (Ledesma, 2014), Resilience theory is defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity, frustration, and misfortune. According to Brown (2006) shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging. The shame resilience is a grounded theory and is based on building resilience to shame by connecting with our authentic selves and growing meaningful relationships with other people. In the research, Brown found that when people do not recognize their shame and the expectations and messages that trigger shame, we put up shame screens. A shame screen is a defense mechanism that we use to protect ourselves as it triggers our primal fight, flight and freeze response. He went further to say by recognizing our shame screens, we can make alternative choices as shame screens do not work and can cut us off from what we want most in life, authentic connection with ourselves and others, which is why developing empathy is important. Shame resilience theory is an attempt to define shame and its consequences, as well as the ways that people (specifically women, in the original 2006 study) respond to shame.

According to Brown (2006) shame causes people to feel “trapped, powerless, and isolated” (Brown, 2006). Brown also suggests that while shame triggers can vary between individuals and cultures, there are certain triggers that are more common than others, such as: “appearance and body image, sexuality, family, motherhood, parenting, professional identity and work, mental and physical health, aging, religion, speaking out, and surviving trauma”. This wide range of examples shows that shame can occur in all aspects of someone’s life, underscoring the importance of shame resilience theory. The main idea behind shame resilience theory is studying the strategies that people employ to avoid feeling trapped, powerless, or isolated in the face of feelings of shame. A goal of shame resilience is to help those who feel shame feel “empathy, connection, power, and freedom” instead, emotions that can be considered the opposite of shame (Brown, 2006).Based on this goal of reaching feelings of empathy, connection, power, and freedom, shame resilience theory proposes that shame resilience is essentially made up of four steps: recognizing the personal vulnerability that led to the feelings of shame, Recognizing the external factors that led to the feelings of shame, Connecting with others to receive and offer empathy, Discussing and deconstructing the feelings of shame themselves.

In other words, a crucial aspect of shame resilience theory is being able to recognize that shame needs to be acknowledged and understood before it can be overcome. Shame resilience theory research suggests that shame is most harmful when it goes unacknowledged and is not spoken of.

Eric Erikson psychosocial theory of development:

The fifth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is identity vs role confusion, and it occurs during adolescence, from about 12-18 years. According to Erikson, he said during this stage, adolescents search for a sense of self and personal identity, through an intense exploration of personal values, beliefs, and goals. During adolescence, the transition from childhood to adulthood is most important. Children are becoming more independent, and begin to look at the future in terms of career, relationships, families, housing, etc. The individual wants to belong to a society and fit in. The adolescent mind is essentially a mind or moratorium, a psychosocial stage between childhood and adulthood, and between the morality learned by the child, and the ethics to be developed by the adult (Erikson, 1963, p. 245) this is a major stage of development where the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as an adult. It is during this stage that the adolescent will re-examine his identity and try to find out exactly who he or she is. Erikson suggests that two identities are involved: the sexual and the occupational.

According to Bee (1992), what should happen at the end of this stage is “a reintegrated sense of self, of what one wants to do or be, and of one’s appropriate sex role”. During this stage the body image of the adolescent changes. Erikson claims that the adolescent may feel uncomfortable about their body for a while until they can adapt and “grow into” the changes. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of fidelity. Fidelity involves being able to commit one's self to others on the basis of accepting others, even when there may be ideological differences. During this period, they explore possibilities and begin to form their own identity based upon the outcome of their explorations. Failure to establish a sense of identity within society ("I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up") can lead to role confusion. Role confusion involves the individual not being sure about themselves or their place in society. In response to role confusion or identity crisis, an adolescent may begin to experiment with different lifestyles. Also pressuring someone into an identity can result in rebellion in the form of establishing a negative identity, and in addition to this feeling of unhappiness. Erikson believed that each stage of psychosocial development was important; he placed a particular emphasis on the development of ego identity. Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction and becomes a central focus during the identity versus confusion stage of psychosocial development.

According to Erikson, our ego identity constantly changes due to new experiences and information we acquire in our daily interactions with others. As we have new experiences, we also take on challenges that can help or hinder the development of identity.

Humanistic theory of Abraham Maslow:

As a leader of humanistic psychology, Abraham Maslow approached the study of personality psychology by focusing on subjective experiences and free will. He was mainly concerned with an individual’s innate drive toward self-actualization, a state of fulfillment in which a person is achieving at his or her highest level of capability. In his research, Maslow studied the personalities of people who he considered to be healthy, creative, and productive, including Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and others. He found that such people share similar characteristics, such as being open, creative, loving, spontaneous, compassionate, concerned for others, and accepting of themselves.

Maslow is perhaps most well-known for his hierarchy of needs theory, in which he proposes that human beings have certain needs in common and that these needs must be met in a certain order. These needs range from the most basic physiological needs for survival to higher-level self-actualization and transcendence needs. Maslow’s hierarchy is most often presented visually as a pyramid, with the largest, most fundamental physiological needs at the bottom and the smallest, most advanced self-actualization needs at the top. Each layer of the pyramid must be fulfilled before moving up the pyramid to higher needs, and this process is continued throughout the lifespan.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Abraham Maslow developed a human hierarchy of needs that is conceptualized as a pyramid to represent how people move from one level of needs to another. First physiological needs must be met before safety needs, then the need for love and belonging, then esteem, and finally self-actualization. Maslow believed that successful fulfillment of each layer of needs was vital in the development of personality. The highest need for self-actualization represents the achievement of our fullest potential, and those individuals who finally achieved self-actualization were said to represent optimal psychological health and functioning. Maslow stretched the field of psychological study to include fully functional individuals instead of only those with psychoses, and he shed a more positive light on personality psychology.

Research Methodology:

Research design:

The research design used in the research was a survey design. It helps the researcher to describe a characteristic of large population and also to ensure a more accurate sample to gather targeted results in which to draw conclusions and make important decisions. Again, the researcher chose the survey design because it provides an avenue for more honest and unambiguous responses than other types of research methodologies, coupled with the fact that survey design is confidential.

Area of the study:

This study was carried in Buea the head quarter of the South West region of Cameroon located in the tropical regions and covers an estimated surface area of about 870 Sq. km. Buea is bounded to the north by the tropical forest at the slope of mount Cameroon, to the South West by the city of Limbe, to the South East by Tiko municipality, to the East by Muyuka and to the West by Idenau district. It has a dynamic and peaceful population of above 200,000 inhabitants, in which bakwerians are the ones mostly inhabited there It is rich in biodiversity and natural resources since the soil is very fertile (volcanic soil).  The richness of the soil enables the production of crops such as okro, cassava, tomatoes, cabbage, corn, cocoyam, yams, plantains, beans, vegetables and even some cash crops like palm trees, cocoa and bananas. It has two main seasons, the rainy season which runs from March to October (the longest) and the dry season which runs from November to May. It has one University and faces problems like the constant cutting of lights coupled with poor signals. There is also shortage of staffs and basic equipment both in schools and hospitals.

Population of the study:

The population in this study constitutes of vulnerable out-of-school adolescents in Buea Municipality precisely from Bonankada village and Sandpit age ranging from 12year to 21years. This is because during this stage, adolescents are exposed to risky activities.

Target population:

The target populations under study are vulnerable out- of- school adolescents from ages 12-21years in Buea Municipality precisely in Bonankada village and Sandpit. The target population was gotten through the process of administering questionnaires in a face to face contact with the respondents in the mentioned areas above. Giving that in Bonankada village we had a total number of 24 respondents and a total number of 26 respondents from Sandpit (town).

Accessible population:

The researcher’s accessible population was 50 out-of school adolescents that have suffered the effect of vulnerability and this was gotten through the process of administering the questionnaires in Bonankada village and Sandpit respectively.

Sample and sampling technique:

A sample of 50 vulnerable out- of- school adolescents was selected chosen. The sampling technique used was the purposive or judgmental sampling technique. This technique was chosen because the elements to be examined has particular characteristics of interest and fulfils the purpose of the research study. Thus, the researcher took into consideration vulnerable adolescents in Bonankada village and Sandpit because most of them had dropped out of school and are into many vulnerable acts which fulfills the purpose of the study working with adolescents.

Buea Municipality	Sample
Bonankada village	24
Sandpit	26
Total	50

Table 1: Sample Study

Age	Frequency
12-15	10
16-18	15
19-21	25
TOTAL	50

Table 2: Distribution of respondents by age group

Sex	Frequency
Male	20
Female	30
TOTAL	50

Table 3: Distribution of respondents by sex

Sample Size:

Details	Percentages and number of respondents
Gender	Male				Female
	No		%		No		%
	20		40		30		60
Age	12-15		16-18		19-21
	No	%	No	%	NO		%
	7	14	17	34	26		52
Marital Status	Single		Married		Divorced		Other
	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
	36	72	4	8	00	00	10	20
Educational Level	Certificate		Diploma		Bachelors’ Degree		Others
	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
	26	52	6	12	00	00	18	36
Family Type	Nuclear		Extended		Single Parent
	No	%	No	%	No		%
	22	44	19	38	9		18
Neighbourhood	Town		Village		Ghetto
	No	%	No	%	No		%
	23	46	24	48	3		6

Table 4: Demographic data of distribution

Source: Researcher Field Work (2020).

Table 4.1 above shows that 40% of the respondents are male while 60% are female. Also, the table also shows that 14% of the respondents ages ranging from 12-15years, 34% from 16-18years, and 52% from 19-21years. Furthermore, the table also shows that 72% of the respondent are single, 8% Married, 00% divorced and 20% others not inclusive.

The table also shows that 52 % of the respondent has FSLC Certificate, 12% of the respondents have a Diploma, none of the respondents have a bachelor’s degree (BD) and 20% of the respondents have other academic achievements not inclusive. Finally, the table also shows that 44% of the respondents are from a nuclear family, 38% from an extended family and 18% are single parents. Furthermore, 46% of the respondents are living in town, 48% living in the village and 6% living in a Ghetto surrounding.

The findings of this study are not based on demographic data of the respondents. Thus the demographic data does not have a significant effect on the findings of this work as it is just to know the characteristics of the respondent which in turn does not have an effect on the results of the findings.

Instrument for data collection:

In order to gather data for the study a questionnaire was prepared by the researcher under the supervision of her supervisor. The study had questions for two sets of respondents: one for principals and the other for teachers. The questions in the questionnaire were both closed ended and open ended and the questionnaire was divided into section that is section A and section B.

Questionnaires were deemed suitable for this study in that the study involved a large group of respondents and also because it could be easily administered since the research could administer many within a little time (it saves time). The questionnaire sought to answer the research questions as derived from the objectives and to equally get the respondent’s demographic information

Presentation of findings:

Objective: To determine the extent to which rape impacts out- of- school adolescents’ future personality.

S/N	Statements	Percentages and number of respondents
	Rape	Strongly Agree		Agree		Disagree		Strongly Disagree
		No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
1	I have been a victim of rape	4	8	4	8	11	22	31	62
2	It causes me to withdraw from people	3	6	5	10	18	36	24	48
3	It has affected my social relationship	3	6	4	8	20	40	23	46
4	I no longer feel safe with an opposite sex	4	8	2	4	24	48	20	40
5	The thoughts of the incident make me to have a low self esteem	5	10	3	6	25	50	17	34

Objective: To determine the extent to which early pregnancy impacts adolescent’s future personality in Buea Municipality.

S/N	Statements	Percentages and number of respondents
	Early pregnancy	Strongly Agree		Agree		Disagree		Strongly Disagree
		No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
1	I have been pregnant before	15	30	4	8	4	8	27	54
2	I drop out from school because of my pregnancy	11	22	2	4	14	28	23	46
3	Pregnancy affected my relationship with friends	2	4	9	18	14	28	25	50
4	My pregnancy made me to withdraw from social activities	4	8	7	14	17	34	22	44
5	I felt frustrated with my condition.	10	20	4	8	15	30	21	42

Source: Researcher Field Work (2020).

Rape:

The table on rape above shows that 8% of the respondents strongly agreed that they have been a victim of rape, 8% agreed on this too meanwhile, 22% disagreed on this, and 62% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed of being victims of rape. Therefore, it implies that the rate of rape in Buea is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

The table also shows that 6% of the respondents strongly agree on the fact that rape has causes then to withdraw from people, 10%agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 36% disagreed to this and 48% strongly disagree to this motion. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or agreed on this motion. Therefore, it implies that the rate of rape in Buea is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 8% of the respondents strongly agreed that they no longer feel safe with an opposite sex, 4% agreed on this too, while 48%disagreed, and 40% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this fact. Therefore, it implies that the rate of rape in Buea is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 6% of the respondents strongly agreed that rape has affected their social relationships, 8% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 40% disagreed and 46% strongly disagree on this. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this fact. Therefore, it implies that the rate of rape in Buea is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Furthermore, the table show that 10% of the respondents strongly agree that the thoughts of the incident makes them to have low self-esteem, 8% agreed on this fact, while 50% disagreed and 34% strongly disagreed to this fact. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this fact. Therefore, it implies that the rate of rape in Buea is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Early pregnancy:

The table also shows that 30% of the respondents strongly agreed that they have been pregnant before 8% agreed on this too. Meanwhile, 8% disagreed on this, and 54% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed of being victims of rape. Therefore, it implies that the rate of school adolescents’ pregnancy in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

The table also shows that 22% of the respondents strongly agree on the fact that pregnancy cause them to drop out of school, 4% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 28% disagree to this and 46% strongly disagree to this motion. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or agreed on this motion. Therefore, it implies that the rate of school adolescent’s pregnancy in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 4% of the respondents strongly agree that Pregnancy affected their relationship with friends, 18% agreed on this too, while 28% disagreed, and 50% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this fact. Therefore, it implies that the rate of school adolescent’s pregnancy in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 8% of the respondents strongly agreed that pregnancy made them to withdraw from social activities, 14% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 34% disagreed and 44% strongly disagree on this. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this fact. Therefore, it implies that the rate of school adolescents’ pregnancy in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Finally, the table shows that 20% of the respondents strongly agreed that they felt frustrated with their condition, 8% agreed on this fact too, meanwhile, 30% disagree, and 42% strongly disagreed to this motion. Most of the respondents strongly agreed or agree on this fact. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this fact. Therefore, it implies that the rate of school adolescents’ pregnancy in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents ‘vulnerability.

Thus, the sample population is 50 and 24persons from the sample population strongly disagree with the problems associated to adolescents’ vulnerability, 18persons disagreed. On the other hand, 3persons strongly agree on the issues raised by the researcher on the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability and 5persons agreed on these issues as well. See illustration below.

Source: Researcher Field Work (2020)

Objective: To examine how poverty influences out –of- school adolescents’ future personality.

S/N	Statements	Percentages and number of respondents
	Poverty	Strongly Agree		Agree		Disagree		Strongly Disagree
		No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
1	I drop out of school because of no money	20	40	12	24	9	18	9	18
2	I became more exposed to risky activities	22	44	14	28	9	18	5	10
3	Lack of money deprived me from so many things	21	42	14	28	11	22	4	8
4	No money increases my rate of repeating a particular class	18	36	9	18	14	28	9	18
5	Lack of money has limited my goals in life	27	54	7	14	8	16	8	16

Objective: To determine the extent to which substance abuse impacts out- of –school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality.

S/N	Statements		Percentages and number of respondents
	Substance abuse		Strongly Agree		Agree		Disagree		Strongly Disagree
			No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
1		I have been an alcohol abuser.	12	24	7	14	14	28	17	34
2		I drop out of school because i was always drunk.	3	6	6	12	28	56	13	26
3		My friends introduced me to it.	9	18	8	16	22	44	11	22
4		I almost killed someone.	3	6	6	12	21	42	20	40
5		I always lost concentration each time I drink above what my body requires.	18	36	6	12	17	34	9	18

tPoverty:
The table above shows that 40% of the respondents strongly agreed that the drop out of school because of no money, 24% agreed on this too meanwhile, 18% disagreed on this and 18% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed that the drop out of school because of no money. Therefore, it implies that the rate of poverty in Buea is very high. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

The table also shows that 44% of the respondents strongly agree on the fact that they became more exposed to risky activities, 28% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 18% disagree to this and 18% strongly disagree to this motion. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed that they became more exposed to risky activities due to poverty. Therefore, it implies that the rate of poverty in Buea is very high. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 42% of the respondents strongly agreed that lack of money deprived them from so many things, 28% agreed on this too, while 22% disagreed, and 8% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed that the lack of money deprived them from so many things. Therefore, it implies that the rate of poverty in Buea is very high. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 36% of the respondents strongly agreed that no money increases their rate of repeating a particular class, 18% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 28% disagreed and 18% strongly disagree on this. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed that no money increases their rate of repeating a particular class. Therefore, it implies that the rate of poverty in Buea is high. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Furthermore, the table shows that 54% of the respondents strongly agree that lack of money has limited their goals in life, 14% agreed on this fact, while 16% disagreed and 16% strongly disagreed to this fact. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed that lack of money has limited their goals in life. Therefore, it implies that the rate of poverty in Buea is very high. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Thus, the sample population is 50 and 21 persons from the sample population strongly agree that poverty has deprived them from many things in life, 14 persons agreed. On the other hand, 4 persons strongly disagree on the issues raised by the researcher on the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability and 11 persons disagreed on these issues as well. See illustration above.

Substance Abuse:

The table also shows that 24% of the respondents strongly agreed that they are alcohol abusers, 14% agreed on this too. Meanwhile, 28% disagreed on this, and 34% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed that they are abusers to alcohol. Therefore, it implies that the rate of alcohol abuse in Buea is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

The table also shows that 6% of the respondents strongly agree on the fact that they drop out of school because they were always drunk, 12% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 56% disagree to this and 26% strongly disagree to this motion. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this motion. Therefore, it implies that the rate of alcohol abuse in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 18% of the respondents strongly agree that their friends introduced them to alcohol, 16% agreed on this too, while 44% disagreed, and 22% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this fact. Therefore, it implies that the rate of alcohol abuse in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 6% of the respondents strongly agreed that they almost killed someone due to alcohol abuse, 12% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 44% disagreed and 22% strongly disagree on this. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this motion. Therefore, it implies that the rate of alcohol abuse in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Finally, the table shows that 36% of the respondents strongly agreed that the always lost concentration each time the drink above what my body requires, 12% agreed on this fact too, meanwhile, 34% disagree, and 18% strongly disagreed to this motion. Most of the respondents strongly agreed or agree on this fact. Most of the respondents strongly disagree or disagreed on this motion. Therefore, it implies that the rate of alcohol abuse in Buea Municipality is low. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Source: Researcher Field Work (2020).

Thus, the sample population is 50 and 13 persons from the sample population strongly disagree with the problem of alcohol abuse, 28 persons disagreed. On the other hand, 6 persons strongly agree on the issues raised by the researcher on the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability and 3persons agreed on these issues as well. See illustration above.

Dependent variable:

Future personality:

The table also shows that 60% of the respondents strongly agreed

S/N	Statements	Percentages and number of respondents
	Future personality	Strongly Agree		Agree		Disagree		Strongly Disagree
		No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
1	I know I will be independent in future.	30	60	10	20	9	18	1	2
2	I believe in my esteem in the future.	25	50	15	30	8	16	2	4
3	I know I will be financially independent tomorrow.	25	50	17	34	7	14	1	2
4	I believe I will get married in the future.	28	56	14	28	8	16	00	00
5	I believe through these acts I will be able to educate my peers.	28	56	12	24	8	16	2	4

The table also shows that 60% of the respondents strongly agreed they will be independent in future, 20% agreed on this too. Meanwhile, 18% disagreed on this, and 2% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed that they will be dependent in future. Therefore, it implies that the Adolescents in Buea are thinking great towards their futures. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

The table also shows that 50% of the respondents strongly agree that they will be financially independent tomorrow, 34% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 14% disagree to this and 2% strongly disagree to this motion. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed that they will be dependent in future. Therefore, it implies that the Adolescents in Buea are thinking great towards their futures. Thus this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 56% of the respondents strongly agreed they will get married in the future, 28% agreed on this too, while 16% disagreed, and 00% strongly disagree. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed that they will get married in the future. Therefore, it implies that the Adolescents in Buea are thinking great towards their futures. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Also, the table shows that 56% of the respondents strongly agreed and believe that through these acts they will be able to educate their peers, 24% agreed on this fact, meanwhile, 16% disagreed and 4% strongly disagree on this. Most of the respondents strongly agree or agreed through this act, they will be able to educate their peers. Therefore, it implies that the Adolescents in Buea are thinking great towards their futures. Thus, this finding is one of the issues or problems associated with adolescents’ vulnerability.

Source: Researcher Field Work (2020).

Thus, the sample population is 50 and 1 person from the sample population strongly disagree with the problem of future concern, 9 persons disagreed, 30 persons strongly agree on the issues raised by the researcher on the issues or problems associated with adolescents vulnerability and 3persons agreed on these issues as well. See illustration above.

Discussions:

Research Objective One: To determine the extent to which rape impacts out- of - school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality.

Based on the findings gotten from the field, rape has an effect on the future personality of adolescents. The research findings revealed that, adolescents who have been victims of rape or have been raped before withdrew from people. The respondents that were raped and those that were almost raped agreed that it has affected their social interaction and some of them also agreed that, they no longer feel safe being with an opposite sex, the thoughts of it makes them to have low self-esteem. Some of them agreed that despite the fact that they have been raped, or almost raped, they believe they will be independent in future and get married as well. This is in line with the research carried out by(Titi Prawitasari et al, November- December 2005)on adolescent rape which says victims of rape experiences fear, anxiety, no self-confidence and again, inferiority, insecurity are the most found psychological problems which occurred in victims. To some respondents, rape is a threat to them although in many ways it is based upon stereotypes about sexual assault which are not true and which act insidiously to impute blame on the victim.(Green , 1987). Rape therefore impact out -of -school adolescents’ future personality negatively. Thus, those that are raped restrict themselves from opposite sex and social gathering and also, some do suffer from inferiority complex and low self-esteem. From the research findings, it was revealed that just few participants have been victims of rape and such has affected them psychologically because they turn to withdraw from the opposite sex and have less self-esteem of themselves and it has also affected their future personality since some of them do not see anything good the future can offer to them. This is also in line with Elena O et al (2001) which say vulnerable adolescents do not always act the way that serves their best interests. Sometime their perception of their own risk is larger than the reality in other cases, they underestimate the risks of a particular actions or behaviors. According to Elena O et al, some adolescents become vulnerable due to their perception of invulnerability. Relating to the findings, some of the respondents who were victims of rape tend to be depressed and this is supported by Petersen et al, 1993. The result revealed that rape impacts out- of- school adolescents’ future personality negatively.

Research objective Two: To determine the extent to which early pregnancy impacts adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality.

According to the findings, early pregnancy has an effect on adolescents’ future personality. Few of the respondents agreed that they have been pregnant before; some say they drop out of school because of their pregnancy, affected their relationship with friends and causes them to feel frustrated about the whole issue. This is in line with World Health Organization( 31 January,2020) on adolescent pregnancy which stipulate that social consequences of early pregnancy in adolescents may include stigma, rejection and often it causes adolescents girls to drop out of school and it jeopardize girls future education and employment opportunities. The research finding revealed that early pregnancy impacts adolescents’ future personality. According to some respondent, early pregnancy causes them to drop out of school and due to that, it causes them to withdraw from friends and other activities. From findings again, it is revealed that early pregnancy may be linked to things such as lack of education and information about reproduction, peer pressure and early engagement of sexual activity(Columbia, April 2016). Psychologically, some of them lose hope in life why others do strive in life to become better. Parental loss or rejection has been found to increase an adolescent’s vulnerability in early pregnancy and this is supported by Simons, 1989.  From the findings, it is revealed that the fewer adolescents who had been pregnant before had to drop out of school because they could not bear the shame and as such, it makes them to be frustrated and as such making them to have a lower expectation of the future. These findings is in line with (Mesleh, Ratib A., 19 May 2014)that says adolescents that become pregnant early tend to have lower educational achievements because they turn to drop out of school and also their children perform less well than children of older mothers on intelligence and vocabulary testing and are more likely to have behavioral problems and fail at school. Some of the findings revealed that adolescents who have been pregnant before withdrawing from social activities and friends. These goes in line with (Brown, 2006) view on vulnerable adolescents which stipulated that adolescents who has have been a victim of such should bounce back frustration and misfortune. Brown also says shame is a painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging, thereby causing them to be withdrawing from social gatherings and friends

Research Objective Three: To examine how poverty influence out - of - school adolescents’ future personality.

The research findings revealed that poverty is the most cause of vulnerability. It is said from the respondents that poverty is the prime cause of their vulnerability. Majority of the respondents agreed that poverty deprived them from achieving their goals in life and also, it exposes them to risky activities that make them to be vulnerable. Also, most of the respondents hang on the fact that no money causes them to drop out of school and also make others to even repeat a particular class. This is in line with the research carried by (Webinar, April 6 2018) on how poverty affects education, which stipulated that adolescents living in poverty tend to be exposed to more stress, more intense and longer lasting stress that negatively impact focus, cognition, IQ and social skills.Poverty has dramatic effects on behavior and emotions, which ultimately impact mental health, especially among vulnerable groups (McMunn, Nazroo, Marmot, Boreham& Goodman, 2001; Rutter& Smith, 1995).  From the findings, it is revealed that poverty is the highest caused of vulnerability especially within adolescents who has dropped out of school. From the findings, it is revealed that the cause of no money makes some adolescents to drop out of school and deprived them from so many activities and even cutting short their goals and expectations of life and this causes them to have role confusion backed by Erikson’s (1963) which stipulated that adolescents are not sure about themselves or their place in the society. In response to role confusion or identity crises, adolescents may begin to experiment with different lifestyle this explains how poverty forces a different identity in to adolescents thereby causing them to become vulnerable and also having a change of identity and not knowing where they belong in the society and as such causes them to be rebellion in the form of establishing a negative identity.

Research objective Four: To determine the extent to which substance abuse impacts out-of-school adolescents’ future personality in Buea Municipality.

From the research findings, it is revealed that substance abuse is really not the prime cause of vulnerability though with that adolescents become vulnerable. To some respondents that substance abuse makes them to be vulnerable are been introduced to it by friends and with such, it causes them to drop out of school because they find it difficult to concentrate in class. To other respondents they have not been into alcohol and to the few left it does not affect them in any way. According to the findings, it is revealed that majority of the male respondents said they have been an alcohol abuser and it caused them to drop out of school. Though few said they were introduced to it by friends and it caused them to harm others and this is in line with(Kamlesh Kumar Sahu*1& Soma Sahu*, December 2012) that stipulated that majority of young people who seek help for substance misuse have emotional or social problems, such as self-harming, offending and family issues. They are also less likely to be in education, employment and training. Studies have shown that young people from more than one vulnerable group are more at risk of drugs or alcohol misuse (The NHS Information Centre, 2011).

In conclusion, based on this study, adolescents’ personality suffers from a lot of identity confusion due to the vulnerabilities they encounter in their development as it is a turbulent period of upheavals, adolescents get involve in group dynamics that influence their personalities both negatively and positively. Some adolescents build strong and responsible personalities due to their positive pathways while others develop negative traits in their personalities that affect their future selves, self-concept, and personalities and how they view the world. Some adolescents build positive trajectories, because of positive forethoughts about their future while others crash from transition to adulthood because carry over traits.