The analysis of the psychological strengths in adolescence: beyond vulnerability models

Against a traumatic and troubled image that is traditionally associated with adolescence, Positive Psychology opens a novel conceptual framework offering a more optimistic and positive view of this period of life. The study of ‘human strengths’, a term suggested by Peterson and Seligman (2004), offers a potentially useful tool to understand the positive aspects and features of the youth. That approach can also provide a model of intervention focusing on individual’s potentials rather than on deficits. This paper reviews the results found in the literature that directly or indirectly supports the existence and relevance of each of the strengths identified in the descriptive framework of these authors. Finally, we discuss the implications that the study of human strengths may have in the development of educational, preventive and intervention programs.