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Significance of adolescence
The 5 characteristics of adolescence
Developmental theory in adolescence
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Introduction
The word adolescence comes from the Latin verb ‘adolescere’ that implies “to grow into maturity”. Therefore, adolescence can be regarded as a process of achieving the attitude and beliefs needed for effective participation in a society (Omotoso & Olukunle, 2007).
It is a unique period of the life cycle which occurs after the childhood and before the adulthood.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescence as the period range from 10yrs to 19yrs.
During this transitional period in a human life most of the biological, cognitive, psychological and social characteristics are changing according to the needs and these changes are from what is typically considered as childhood like to adult like. So the young people become
Mid-adolescence
3. Late adolescence (WHO 2009)
Late adolescence is the most important period of this transition as they build up their own identity and stepping to the future. They are more able to be selective in relationships and they feel complete almost all the time and try always to think as a separate person and maintain truly intimate relationships with others whom they believe.
Also, they are now able to think more about the future, about the possibilities and alternative ways of doing things in their lives which are different from the ways of adults and parents expect them to do. As well, they are trying to be against for the complete obedience to the parents and guardians while questioning and talking back to adults (Janaki, 2011).
So they need to increase and improve their own skills to build up the self awareness and empathy, ability to communicate effectively, ability to maintain interpersonal relationships, ability to cope with emotions and stress, ability to think critically and creatively and also they need to collect the strength on improving ability to make decisions and to solve problems throughout the life. These abilities will build the competency on the mental wellbeing of adolescents (UNICEF
According to the literature, compared with all other groups, mortality rates in adolescence are extremely low. But problems in their wellbeing and health will lead to many of the morbidities as well as mortality in later adult life. Furthermore, the mental health disorders account for a larger proportion of disease burden among adolescents as
We are introduced to adolescence in the 5th stage of development. Adolescence begins for boys around the age of 14 and continues up until the age of 21 years of age. At this stage of development, there are many changes that occur emotionally, physically, sexually and spiritually (McGoldrick, Carter, & Garcia Preto, 2011). At this time, adolescent kids are going through changes in their body. They are dealing with coming into their own sexuality. Skills pertaining to social skills and social relationships are being developed through experience. Adolescents are also increasing their skills of physical and mental coordination, such as learning about the world and working on their own coordination. Adolescence is also characterized by learning their own identity and where they fit in the world, as well as learning their relationship with peers and those around them. Spiritual identity is also developed along with a deeper understanding of life. Independence is something that is also weighing on the mind of an adolescent. Overall changes in the family structure can also occur when a child of this age reaches this
This stage happens from ages 12-18. At this stage the teen will try to figure out who they are and who they will become. They might try different things and different trends. Erikson believed this has to happen to get a feel of identity and where they want to be in the world and in the future,
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
Mistrust stage occurs at infancy and at this stage, Infants learn to trust others depending on the response of their caregivers who are usually parents. The Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt occurs between the ages of 18 months and three during which time children begin to emphasize their independence. This is done by exploring the world around them. Erikson, E. H. (1993). The Initiative vs. Guilt stage generally, occurs between the age three and five and at this time children assert themselves more frequently and are particularly lively. Industry versus inferiority stage occurs between the ages of five and twelve. As children grow in independence, they become increasingly aware of themselves as individuals. Erikson, E. H. (1993). The identity vs. role confusion stage, occurs during adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 18 years. At this stage the adolescents undergo an identity crisis during which they must establish an identity, goals, and a purpose. Erikson, E. H. (1994). The Intimacy vs. Isolation stage occurs in young adulthood ages 18 to 40 years. During this time the young adult begins to share themselves more intimately with others and explores significant relationships with others especially in marriage. The seventh stage is Generativity vs. Stagnation and occurs during middle adulthood, ages 40 to 65 yrs. This is the stage of development during which most people have children and provide guidance or a legacy to the next generation and in so doing
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.
The Genital Stage =) the transition to adolescent shake off old dependencies and they learn to handle maturely the opposite
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.
Adolescence refers to the transition period experienced by children that occur between childhood and adulthood (Shefer, 2011). Identity is first confronted in adolescence between the ages 12 – 19 years old, because of physical and hormonal changes in the body. It is also due to the introduction of formal operations in cognitive development and societal expectation that this contributes to an individual’s identity to be explored and established (McAdams, 2009). The forces within and outside (family, community) the individual that promote identity development usually create a sense of tension. The basic task is, in Erikson’s terms, “fidelity or truthfulness and consistency to one’s core self or faith in one’s ideology” (Fleming, 2004: 9), in a nutshell: "Who am I and where am I
Overall, adolescent development is a turbulent time of change and growth for a person. It is a time where a lot of qualitative and quantitative changes are happening. Finding yourself, as an adolescent, is just a small fraction of the picture. Yet, adolescence is just one piece of the puzzle to development of the lifespan.
In example, according to the Euro-Western view, adolescence is characterised by the interaction between the individual’s biological development and the demands requested by the industrial and post-industrial societies. Although adolescence is globally referred to as the period in life that groups individuals from 12 to 18 years, each individual’s development varies within different countries and cultures. According to the Euro-Western world, adolescence is a time in life that is characterised by experimentation, fun as well as personal growth that will later lead the individual to become a full adult. However, not every young individual experiences this positive and fun side of this life stage. In fact, adolescence is characterised by the hormonal changes that occur during puberty, which are argued to influence adolescents’ behaviour. Hall (cited in Drewery and Claiborne, 2010) argued that due to the effects caused by puberty, young individuals often experience tension, conflicts with their parents and peers, as well as critical mood changes. In line with Hall, Freud (cited in Drewery and Claiborne, 2010) argues that adolescence is a life stage in which it is hard to maintain a steady equilibrium. For these reasons, adolescence can still be considered a “problematic” stage in life, yet it is not necessary true that these conflicts are triggered by biological changes (Drewery and Claiborne,
In conclusion, the growing up or the two stages in life are governed totally by a series of situations, parenting, and events that affect the outcome of how the individuals will handle the changes in life. Using human intellect and determining aspects that are normal, life will be lived and a good balanced person in society will be achieved. Because every person is different and an individual, the outcome in everyone will be different. Mature people may encounter different levels of stressful situations or circumstances than younger adults. They are more practical in coping with stress and have a greater acceptance of some things in life that cannot be altered or improved, and, can easily adapt to changes that will occur in life.
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.
No matter which culture is examined, there are many different aspects to the well-being of the teenager. Many important aspects of well-being concern physical traits or habits, such as hygiene, body weight, and appearance (Feldman, 2012). Other aspects of well-being involve cognitive development, such as an adolescents ability to perform in school or think in shades of gray. The final aspect of well-being examines social and personality development, for example, how teenagers socially interact, their emotional state, and abuses of illicit substances (Feldman, 2012). In all of these aspects, an adolescent can find their identity and a sense of well-being, but they can also experience Erikson’s definition of crisis. That is why the adolescent age group must strive to maintain a strong sense of well-being while searching for their identity.
During this stage adolescents develop a better understanding of self and belonging or they face identity crisis and role confusion. During this stage in my life I felt that I was rebelling and doing things that were not age appropriate. I did not respect authority and thought it was ok to do what I wanted to do. Even though I was a young teenager I did not think of myself that way. I thought of myself more like an adult. Through my negative experiences in this stage I suffered identity crisis and role