Cash transfers in adolescence: a developmental perspective

Low-income and middle-income countries have increasingly relied on cash transfer programmes to expand social protection among the most poor and vulnerable people. Many of these cash transfer programmes have given cash directly to adolescents to incentivise behaviour that improve a range of health and social outcomes. The evidence for the effectiveness of these programmes has been mixed. Some studies show cash transfer to be effective in promoting desired behaviours among adolescents—such as school participation and reducing sexually transmitted infections—whereas others find no evidence for an effect. One possible reason for these mixed results is that cash transfer programmes targeting adolescents have not taken into account the many biological, cognitive, and social changes that occur during this transitional period, thus failing to incorporate a developmental perspective in the design