Risk Taking In Late Adolescence: Emerging Adults
Adolescence generally refers to a period between the ages of ten and nineteen, filled with numerous radical changes in the human body, primarily physical development which can have an uncompromising impact on our intellectual and psychological development, both in regards to academics and employment. Specifically, puberty and peer relations are the most significant factors that affects in adolescents behavior. The period of adolescence is often referred to as the emerging adulthood phase and involves various cognitive, emotional and social developments, a stage that can often involve much risk taking.
To begin with, the notation of adolescence has existed for quite some time. The period of rapid
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Education plays an important role in shaping our mentality and who we really want to be in life. There are two sides of the risks in adolescence that we face in school. Academically, which is one of the most important elements in our life and the second one is the social life in school, including developing emotional intelligence and empathy. Those two parts of education are major factors in the risks that we take during life, both of which contribute to our emerging personalities. Our peer group at school and our socialization impact our development during adolescence. David P. Ausubel and Pearl Ausubel in Cognitive Development in Adolescence explain how during the age of adolescence idea of being free to make decisions covers children brains and after a continuing change it develops a new qualitative capability of considering and deploying abstractions in a straight manner and he practices indirect reasonable maneuvers to construct the information as a replacement for the straight manner (404). Consequently, educational level of an emerging adult develops their cognitive base viz. school is a factor in cognitive development and risk taking behavior among the students. Markham et al. from the Guttmacher Institute in regards to a study involving five different schools in Houston on risky behaviors of students conclude that students take sexual risks during adolescence with a percentage of 68% who had sex, and 74% of which were currently active, meaning that cognitive development in this period is mostly shadowed by sexual risky behavior, but not excluding other risky behaviors, e.g… abusing various substances, such as alcohol or using
Chris McCandless died because he was blind to see the truth behind his own limits. Into The Wild starts at a young age, Chris showed behavior that would soon be his downfall that led him into Alaska. If it was not for these actions he might be alive, telling his survival story. Some may believe that Chris went into the wilderness to find answers for himself, but the real reason is that his selfishness and determination brought him to his inevitable demise. The actions he propelled out gave him this insurmountable belief that he could survive all alone without any assistance.
Risk taking is often thought to be simply due to peer pressure, but it can be caused by both physiological and psychological changes and other outside influences. The deepest, most profound reason for a daring action is the physiological basis of teenaged risk taking. In the teenaged brain the “blossoming and pruning” phase of development in the prefrontal cortex, the PFC for short, is not yet complete when the child is entering puberty, as experts once thought it was, and the prefrontal cortex is what controls the ability to think ahead and con...
Today’s young Americans face strong peer pressure to be sexually active and engage themselves in risky behaviors (Merino 100-109). Anyone deciding to have sex must first think about all the risks involved. Kekla Magoon, author of Sex Education in Schools, says that “half of all teens aged 15 to 19 years old in the United States have had sex” (Magoon 64-65). It is currently not required by federal law for schools to teach Sex education and those few schools that do teach Sex education have the decision to determine how much information is allowed. Advocates from both sides of the Sex education debate agree that teens need positive influences in order to make practical decisions (Magoon 88-89). Opponents of Abstinence-only education believe it fails because it does not prepare teens for all the risks of sex (Magoon 64-65).
According to Steinberg (2014) adolescents is a time of growing up, of moving from the immaturity of childhood into the maturity of adulthood, of preparation for the future. It is a period of transitions: biological, psychological, and social. Adolescence can begin as early as ten years of age and not end until the adolescent is in their early twenties. It is important to note that adolescent development occurs at different times for each individual. Therefore, students in the same grade that are around the same age may be going through different developmental stages of adolescents. The purpose of this analysis paper is to discuss the different stages of adolescent development, how they affect the maturity of the students and to determine
“…drop out of school, have sex at early ages and experience early childbearing. [They are also more prone to] have more difficulty in, and less support for, handling the stresses and tasks of adolescence, and may be more depressed or may have a greater tolerance or need for risk-taking. Adolescent sexual activity may also be linked to a general propensity to engage in potentially risky act...
A report published by the U.S Department of Health and Human Accommodations “suggests that as many as 50% of all adolescents are sexually active” (White, 2008, p. 349). A portion of those are puerile women who will become pregnant, adolescent men who will contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and teenagers who will suffer from emotional distress and regret. Albeit the majority concurs inculcation is the solution to this dilemma, one q...
The feeling of being caught in between adolescence and adulthood is a phenomenon that had arisen within the last three decades. This delay is occurring because of the social and economic changes that are developing within the United States. The multiple research journals believe the age range to vary slightly; some suggest that the delay occurs between the ages of 18-25, others suggest it occurs between 18-29 years of age. Learning to be responsible for self at this time has proven to be difficult and confusing for those experiencing late adolescence.
Adolescence is a transition which has no fixed time limits. However, the changes that occur at this time are so significant that it is useful to talk about adolescence as a distinct period of human life cycle. This period ranges from biological changes to changes in behavior and social status, thus making it difficult to specify its limits exactly (Damon, 2008). Adolescence begins with puberty, i.e. a series of physiological changes that lead to full development of the sexual organs and the ability to breed and sex. The time interval that elapses begins at 11 to 12 years and extends to 18 to 20. However we cannot associate to a 13 with one 18 years. Let us talk about early adolescence between 11 to 14 years, which coincides with puberty, and after a second period of youth, or late adolescence between 15-20 years. Its extension to adulthood depends on social, cultural, environmental as well as personal adaptation.
transcends into adulthood (Casey, 2008). During adolescence there are examinable changes in various areas of life. These changes occur physically as the adolescent goes through puberty, as well as psychological changes where high emotional reactivity emerges, and social development is at its height (Casey, 2008). Adolescents are more likely than adults or children to engage in risky behaviour that can subsequently lead to death or illness by drunk driving, carrying weapons, using illegal drugs, and engaging in unprotected sex, which in turn can lead to STD’s and teenage pregnancies (Eaton, 2006). The prior is proof that adolescents do engage in risky behaviour. Through this essay we will explore the various theories of why risky behaviour is at its height during adolescence.
The government likes to pretend that if high school students get taught the “abstinence-only” method they would never think of taking part in sexual activities. Statistically this is incorrect. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “56 percent of high school students are virgins”(Martin). For the 56 percent abstinence only is doing them well, but there are still 44 percent of high school students engaging in sex without knowing the precau...
Adulthood has often been associated with independence. It serves as a turning point in life where one has to take responsibility for oneself and no longer being dependent on his or her family. Early adulthood, usually begins from late teens or early twenties and will last until the thirties (Santrock, 2013). Early adulthood revolves around changes and exploration while middle and late adulthood are more of stability. The transition from adolescence and adulthood differs among every individual. The onset of the transition is determined by many factors such as culture, family background, and the personality of the individual. Emerging adulthood (as cited in Santrock, 2014) is the term to describe the transition period from adolescence to adulthood.
Challenges Teenagers Face Adolescence is a period of transition between the ages of 13 – 19, after childhood but before adulthood. Adolescence can be a difficult period in a teenager's life. Many teenagers do not know how to react or how to adapt to all of the physical, social, and psychological changes that occur during this period. Some adolescents pass through this period without problem, while for others, it is a period of torture, discomfort, and anxiety. With all the biological and social pressures that occur during adolescence, many teens fail to assume their identity.
Adolescence is the bridge between childhood and adulthood. It is the place in development for a transition. In this time period, adolescent’s social life and relationships develop. Social development occurs throughout a person’s whole lifetime. Social development in adolescence marks the beginning of independence, selective interactions, and conformity. This the time where family relationships can be put to the test as well as seeking independence and adult acknowledgment from parents. Due to the development of the brain in regards to plasticity, adolescences are discovering and trying out new things. They are also viewed as risk takers. Social development in adolescence is important because any decision can lead to future consequences. I decided
Adolescence is a time of challenge and change for both teens and parents. Teens are at a stage in life where they face a multitude of pressing decisions -- including those about friends, careers, sex, smoking, drinking, drugs and parental values. At the same time, they are confronted with profound physical, social and emotional changes.
Indeed, adolescent may be defined as the period within the life span when most of a person’s biological, cognitive, psychological and social characteristics are changing from what is typically considered child-like to what is considered adult-like (Learner and Spainer, 1980). This period is a dramatic challenge for any adolescent, which requires adjustment to change one’s own self, in the family, and in the peer group. Contemporary society presents adolescents with institutional changes as well. Among young adolescents, school setting is changed; involving a transition from elementary school to either junior high school or middle school; and late adolescence is accompanied by transition from high school to the worlds of work, University or childrearing. An adolescent experiences it all ranging from excitement and of anxiety, happiness and troubles, discovery and bewilderment, and breaks with the past and yet links with the future (Eya,