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Aspects
of Adolescent Development
The many changes experienced by an adolescent can be grouped into five major categories:
Adolescents experience a growth spurt, which involves rapid growth of bones and muscles. This begins in girls around the ages of 9-12 and in boys around the ages of 11-14. Sexual maturation (puberty) also begins at this time. During puberty, most adolescents will experience:
See ReCAPP's edition on Puberty for more information on changes that occur during puberty. The physical changes of early adolescence often lead to:
Many adolescents experience dissatisfaction with their changing bodies. Weight gain is a natural part of puberty, which can be distressing in a culture that glorifies being thin. In response, some adolescents begin to diet obsessively. About 20% of all females aged 12-18 engage in unhealthy dieting behaviors. Some of these adolescents develop eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Risk factors for girls developing eating disorders include:
A dramatic shift in thinking from concrete to abstract gives adolescents a whole new set of mental tools. They are now able to analyze situations logically in terms of cause and effect. They can appreciate hypothetical situations. This gives them the ability to think about the future, evaluate alternatives, and set personal goals. They can engage in introspection and mature decision-making. As a result of their growing cognitive abilities, most developing adolescents will:
As adolescents begin to exercise their new reasoning skills, some of their behaviors may be confusing for adults. It is normal for them to:
Adolescents are faced with the large task of establishing a sense of identity. The new cognitive skills of maturing adolescents give them the ability to reflect on who they are and what makes them unique. Identity is made up of two components (American Psychological Association, 2002):
The process
of developing a sense of identity involves experimenting with different
ways of appearing, sounding and behaving. Each adolescent will approach
this exploration in his or her own unique way.
For more information, see ReCAPP's edition on Friendship. The course of emotional development will be unique for each adolescent. Yet some tendencies are seen in specific groups of adolescents.
The social development of adolescents takes place in the context of all their relationships, particularly those with their peers and families. Key features of adolescent social development are summarized in Table 6 (American Psychological Association, 2002): Table 6: Key Features of Adolescent Social Development
One of the greatest social changes for adolescents is the new importance of their peers. This change allows them to gain independence from their families. By identifying with peers, adolescents start to develop moral judgment and values, and to explore how they differ from their parents (American Psychological Association, 2002). Young adolescents are very concerned with being accepted by a peer group. This great desire to belong can influence some to engage in activities that they normally would not consider. By middle adolescence, the intensity of involvement with a peer group gives way to more intimate friendships and romances. Peer groups may remain important longer for adolescents belonging to ethnic minority groups. For these teens, peer groups provide a much-needed sense of belonging within the majority culture (American Psychological Association, 2002). The relationship between adolescents and their parents is changed by the adolescent's social development. However, the shift in the adolescent's social world from family to peers does not lessen the importance of the family in the adolescent's life. Family closeness has been confirmed as the most important protective factor against certain high-risk behaviors such as smoking, alcohol and drug use, and early initiation of sexual intercourse (Resnick, Bearman & Blum, et. al. 1997). For more information on parent-child connectedness, see ReCAPP's edition on Parent-Child Connectedness. The adolescent's new desire for independence leads to increasing conflicts between adolescents and their parents. Minor conflicts and bickering are considered to be normal as teens and their parents adjust to their changing relationship. The characteristics of an adolescent's community can also have a great impact on his or her social development. Communities include features such as:
All of the developmental changes that adolescents experience prepare them to experiment with new behaviors. This experimentation results in risk-taking, which is a normal part of adolescent development (Dryfoos, 1998; Hamburg, 1997; Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2000). Engaging in risk-taking behavior helps adolescents to:
Unfortunately, some of the risks that adolescents pursue may pose a real threat to their health and well-being. These include motor vehicle accidents, pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, and cigarette smoking. Adolescents need guidance to channel the drive toward risk-taking behavior into less dangerous and more constructive pursuits. First, adults who work with adolescents must be able to talk with them about the process of decision-making regarding sex, drugs, alcohol and other safety concerns. The goal is to help the adolescent weigh the dangers and benefits of a particular situation, consider his or her own strengths and weaknesses that may affect decision-making, and then make the best decisions possible (Ponton, 1997). For more information on decision-making, see ReCAPP's Learning Activity "Making Difficult Decisions," the Educator Skill "Helping Young People Make Healthy Decisions about Drugs," and the journal summary of "Decision Making for Pregnant Adolescents." Second, adults must be aware of positive pathways that teens might take to satisfy the need to take risks: becoming involved in a school play, learning to play a musical instrument, taking up a sport. A simple stretch beyond one's former capacities constitutes a risk and can satisfy many adolescents' need for risk taking (American Psychological Association, 2002). Most adolescents will take risks. Eventually most will learn how to realistically assess risks and then will change their behavior accordingly. For others, risk-taking behavior may signal a problem that is a serious threat to their well being. Signs that an adolescent's risk behaviors are beyond normal experimentation include behaviors that:
According to the American Psychological Association (2002), the areas of most concern for youth at risk of developing problem behaviors are:
There are several factors that can help prevent the development of problem behaviors in adolescents, even under adverse circumstances such as poverty:
Unfortunately, these factors are not ones that an individual can create alone. A community must be able to offer the resources to build these elements into its structure. In order for this to happen, the needs of youth must be given priority (American Psychological Association, 2002). For more information on risk and protective factors related to adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviors, see ReCAPP's information on Risk and Protective Factors in Theories & Approaches. Home | Index | Topic in Brief | Evidence-Based Programs Skills for Educators | Skills for Youth | Current Research Library | Statistics | Theories & Approaches | Links Professional Credits | Learning Activity | Forums | Archives
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