ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
What is Adolescence? Adolescence is a period of growth and transition from childhood to adulthood, occuring between the ages of 11 to 21 years, marked by rapid physical, emotional, social, and cognitive transitions. During this time period, adolescents will often undergo transformations in the physical body, emotions, attitudes, values, relationships, self-identity, and freedom and responsibility. Remember that each person's adolescent experience is unique and individual. No two people experience the same changes during adolescence!
4 Major Areas of Transitions
PHYSICALTransitions: Puberty is the major physical sign that adolescence has begun. Physical and biological changes that can occur in both boys and girls are characterized by sudden growth spurts, mood swings, acne, emergence of secondary sexual characteristics, changes in voice (boys), and menstration (girls). Puberty is caused by increased hormones (estrogen in girls and testosterone in boys) excreted by the endocrine glands that stimulate changes in organs and soft tissue.
EMOTIONAL Transitions: Adolescents can experience a wide range of emotional changes such as anxiety about growing up, self-esteem and self-identity struggles, impulsivity, anger, and the blues. It is important to remember that if any of these feelings are prolonged and seem to get worse, seek assist from a parent, counselor, or other caring adult right away!
THREE COMMON DEFENSE MECHANISMS (How teens may be dealing with their emotions)
Denial: A common way that teens deal with problems is to deny they have problems changes because it is too hard to cope with the pain. This may lead to more dangerous behaviors involving self-injury or substance use. If you are concerned, seek help from a professional immediately.
Projection: This means to put your thoughts and feelings onto someone else. Essentially, it means to blame another person for they way you are thinking or feeling.
Minimization: This defense mechanism means that you make your thoughts, problems, or feelings seem less than what they really are.
COGNITIVE Transitions: Cognitive changes involve the way one thinks about things (the world, others, and one's self). During adolescence, teens develop more sophisticated ways to process information. Teens are capable of more complex thinking, become more future oriented with their thinking, and can process abstract and hypothetical concepts. Teens can also be egocentric (looking at everything only to see how it affects one's self). Teens often think that parents and other adults cannot comprehend what they are going through during the teenage years. Open communication between adults and teens can help clear up misunderstandings!
SOCIAL Transitions: Socially, adolescents experience an increased need for independence. Parents, who once played the central role in their childrens' lives, must realize that there is now a great need for peer socialization and peer acceptance. Romantic and dating relationships emerge throughout this time period as teens deal with new feelings and emotions for others. Socially, teens experience a newfound sense of freedom and responsibility as our society permits teens to drive, vote, and get married.
SOCIETAL PRESSURES on Teens Today
THE MEDIA: In magazines, movies, and television shows, teens are portrayed with "perfect bodies", lots of money, fast cars, designer clothes, and cool friends. In reality, there is no "perfect" teen image. Each person creates his or her own self-image. This is what makes our society so diverse!
FAST-PACED SOCIETY: Let's face it, life these days seems to be overdrive. Between work, school, activities, and chores, who has time for a social life? Teens are not immune from the pressures of a fast-paced society. More and more kids really don't know how to have fun anymore. They are too busy! It's time to slow down and enjoy the teenage years. Strike a healthy balance between school, friends, family, and your activities.
A "LONELY" SOCIETY: These days, many kids often leave school and walk into an empty home. Understandable, parents need to work to support their families. However, we as a society must do a better job of building our communities and neighborhoods so kids don't feel so alone. There needs to be more after-school centers and recreation halls for kids to socialize at. Too many kids spend way to much time in front of the television playing video games or at the computer chatting.
Where did the term "Adolescence" originate? The word adolescence is Latin in origin, derived from the verb adolescere, which means "to grow into adulthhood."
Why is it important to understand Adolescent Development? Because all of us experience this period of our human development. Understanding the adolescent period may help teenagers to better understand the changes that occuring within them. It may help parents to better understand the reasons why their teenagers are behaving and thinking in certain ways. Lastly, educators who work with students between the ages of 11 to 21 need to recognize and understand adolescent development in order to help teens with the changes and challenges of this time period.
What is the major developmental task of Adolescence? According to Erik Erikson (Expert in the Field of Adolescent Development), the most important developmental task during adolescence is the quest for a SELF-IDENTITY. During this time period, many teens will wonder who they really are, where they are headed in life. Finding the answers to these questions may be difficult for some, easier for others. But for everyone, it involves some level of "role experimentation," a time of trying on different personalities in an attempt to discover one's true self (Steinberg, 1993). The adolescent's quest for identity is a quest not only for a personal sense of self, but also for recognition from others and from society that he or she is a special and unique individual (1993).
The STAGES of Adolescent Development:
Early Adolescence, ages 11 to 14 "the Middle School Years": This stage is characterized by self-consciousness, emotional instability, peer group identification.
Middle Adolescence, ages 15 to 18 "the High School Years": This stage is characterized by rebelliousness (testing the limits, e.g. curfews, parents' rules), impatience, and separation from adults (need for privacy).
Late Adolescence, ages 18 to 21: This stage is characterized by the development of one's own personal identity, self-sufficiency, and independence.
Interesting FACTS about Adolescent Development
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Girls reach their full adult height around age 14. Bones in the hands and feet are the first bones to grow to adult size when puberty hits.
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90% of teens have difficulty getting awake in the morning.
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Teen boys commit far more crimes than teen girls. (Why? Testosterone in boys causes more aggressive behavior).
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African American girls reach puberty earlier than caucasian American girls.
Recommended Links related to Adolescent Development:
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: Middle School and Eary H.S. Years
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: Late High School Years and Beyond
Top 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents
Adolescence: Change and Continuity
Articles on Adolescence
Sources of Information:
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, www.aacap.org.
Steinberg, Laurence. "Adolescent development in context." Adolescence. 1993.
"Teen Species." The Learning Channel. October 2002.
Vladic, Debbie. Personal Communication. Student Assistance Training. Altoona Hospital. April 1996.