There
are three stages of adolescence, which include early adolescence (10 to 13
years), middle adolescence (14 to 17 years), and late adolescence/young
adulthood (18 to 21 years and beyond).
Adolescence
is the time in a young person’s life when they transition from childhood into
young adulthood and experience physical, behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and
social developmental changes.
Adolescence is the bridge
between childhood and adulthood. It is a stage in development marked by amazing
spurts in physical, cognitive and social development. Sometimes, the sudden
burst in all aspects of development, especially the altered body, overwhelms
the adolescent.
Naturally, the adolescent questions these changes, and makes
effort to understand them. The answers the adolescent finds help to define
their identity. Although physical changes during this stage are universal,
psychological and social reactions depend on each individual, the context they
find their self and the culture.
There are three primary developmental stages of adolescence:
1. Early adolescence (10 to 13 years)
2. Middle adolescence (14 to 17 years)
3. Late adolescence/young adulthood (18 to 21 years and beyond)
1. Early adolescence (10 to 13 years)
a. Puberty begins
in this stage
b. Children
experience considerable physical growth and increased sexual interest
c. Body
changes such as hair growth under the arms and near the genitals, breast development
in females and enlargement of the testicles in males, starts to occur
d. These
changes can start as early as age 8 for females and age nine for males
e. Girls
may start their period around age 12
f. Body
changes can cause both curiosity and anxiety
g. Children
may question their gender identity during this stage, and it can be a
challenging time for transgender children
Cognitive development at this stage
a. Adolescents
at this stage tend to have concrete, black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinking
and a limited capacity for abstract thought
b. Thinking may be egocentric, and
children this age may be self-conscious about their appearance and apprehensive
about being judged by their peers
c. Intellectual interests expand, and
early adolescents develop deeper moral thinking
Pre-teens also feel an increased need for privacy
a. They explore how to be
independent from their family and may push boundaries and react strongly when
limits are enforced.
2. Middle adolescence (14 to 17 years)
a. Puberty changes for both males and
females continue.
b. Males may have a growth spurt and
some voice cracking as their voices lower.
c. Physical growth for
females slows and most have regular menstrual periods by this time.
d. Interest in romantic and sexual
relationships may start and teens may question and explore their sexual identity;
masturbation may be a part of this sexual exploration and getting to know their
body.
e. Arguments with parents may increase
as teens strive for more independence.
f. Less time is spent with family and
more time is spent with friends.
g. Teens become more self-involved,
appearances are important, and peer pressure can peak at this stage.
h. The brain continues to mature and
there is a growing capacity for abstract thought, though emotions often drive
decision-making and they may act on impulse without thinking things through.
i. During this stage, children may
start to set long-term goals and become interested in the meaning of life and
moral reasoning.
3. Late
adolescence/young adulthood (18 to 21 years and beyond)
a. This phase usually encompasses less physical
development and more cognitive developments.
b. Most have grown to their full adult
height.
c. In this stage, young people become
able to think about ideas rationally, have impulse control and can
delay gratification, and plan for the future.
d. They have a stronger sense of
identity and individuality and can identify their own values.
e. They also experience increased
independence, emotional stability, stability in friendships and romantic
relationships, and may also establish an “adult relationship” with parents,
looking to them less as authority figures and more as peers.
Developmental Tasks
The
transition adolescence in marked by new challenges. The spurt in cognitive
abilities and social sensitivities is accompanied with new demands, especially
as the adolescent moves toward greater independence. We outline below the major
developmental tasks of the adolescent stage of development.
Adolescence developmental tasks may be categorized as follows:
1. Achieving new and more mature relations with others, both boys
and girls, in their age group:
The goal here is that the adolescent is expected to learn to look
upon girls as women and boys as men. They are expected to become adults among
adults. They are expected to learn to work with others for a common purpose,
disregarding personal feelings and prejudices.
Adolescents are expected to learn to lead without dominating.
2. Achieving a masculine or feminine social role
Adolescents are expected to master and accept a socially approved
adult masculine or feminine social role. They are expected to develop their own
definition of what it socially means to be a male or a female.
3. Accepting one’s physique and using the body effectively
Whether or not an adolescent’s body achieves the “goodness-of-fit”
of the stereotype definition of a perfect body for a young woman or a young
man, they are expected to become proud, or at least tolerant, of their body.
They are expected to accept, use and protect their body
effectively with personal satisfaction.
4. Achieving emotional independence of parents and other adults
Adolescents are expected to be free from childish dependence on
parents. While retaining their affection for parents, adolescents are expected
to move toward self-reliance.
5. Selecting and preparing for an occupation
Adolescents are expected to select or enter into an occupational
area for which they have necessary ability. To cut an adult status, the
adolescent is expected to be able to support their self financially.
6. Preparing for marriage and family life
Adolescents are expected to develop a positive attitude toward
family life and having and supporting children. They are expected to gain
mastery of knowledge and skills required for home management, child rearing and
parenting.
7. Developing intellectual skills and concept necessary for civic
competence
Adolescents are expected to develop adequate conceptual framework,
language skill and reasoning ability necessary for dealing effectively with the
problems of the global community.
8. Acquiring a set of values and an ethical system as a guide to
behaviour
Adolescents are expected to develop their own set of values and
beliefs, an ideology about life. They are expected to develop reasonable
interest and motivation for realizing those values.
Adolescents are expected to define man’s place in the physical
world and relation to other human beings. They are expected to keep their
worldview and values in harmony with each other.
9. Desiring and achieving socially responsible behavior
Adolescents are expected to participate as responsible adults in
the life of the community. They are expected to take account of the values of
society in their personal behavior.
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