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Adolescent Development: What Is Adolescence?

Adolescence is a period of transition between childhood and adulthood where children experience physical, intellectual, personality, and social changes. Physically, adolescents experience growth spurts and development of primary and secondary sex characteristics. Intellectually, their thinking becomes more abstract and they are able to consider possibilities rather than just concrete realities. Socially and emotionally, discovering identity and seeking independence are important developmental tasks during adolescence. The document provides advice for both parents and adolescents on how to negotiate these changes through open communication, mutual understanding, and shared decision-making.

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80 views2 pages

Adolescent Development: What Is Adolescence?

Adolescence is a period of transition between childhood and adulthood where children experience physical, intellectual, personality, and social changes. Physically, adolescents experience growth spurts and development of primary and secondary sex characteristics. Intellectually, their thinking becomes more abstract and they are able to consider possibilities rather than just concrete realities. Socially and emotionally, discovering identity and seeking independence are important developmental tasks during adolescence. The document provides advice for both parents and adolescents on how to negotiate these changes through open communication, mutual understanding, and shared decision-making.

Uploaded by

Roselle Alinapon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Adolescent Development

Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood. Children who are entering
adolescence are going through many changes. This article offers advice for adolescents and parents to
negotiate these changes.

What is adolescence?

Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood. Children who are
entering adolescence are going through many changes (physical, intellectual, personality and
social developmental). Adolescence begins at puberty, which now occurs earlier, on average,
than in the past. The end of adolescence is tied to social and emotional factors and can be
somewhat ambiguous.

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What are the physical changes of adolescence?

There are three main physical changes that come with adolescence:

 The growth spurt (an early sign of maturation);


 Primary sex characteristics (changes in the organs directly related to reproduction);
 Secondary sex characteristics (bodily signs of sexual maturity that do not directly involve
reproductive organs)

What are the intellectual changes of adolescence?

Adolescent thinking is on a higher level than that of children. Children are only able to think
logically about the concrete, the here and now. Adolescents move beyond these limits and can
think in terms of what might be true, rather than just what they see is true. They are able to deal
with abstractions, test hypotheses and see infinite possibilities. Yet adolescents still often display
egocentric behaviors and attitudes.

What are the social and emotional changes of adolescence?

Adolescents are also developing socially and emotionally during this time. The most important
task of adolescence is the search for identity. (This is often a lifelong voyage, launched in
adolescence.) Along with the search for identity comes the struggle for independence.

How can parents support healthy adolescent development?

While adolescence can be a trying period for both youth and their parents, the home does not
have to become a battleground if both parents and young people make special efforts to
understand one another. The following guidelines may help parents:
 Give your children your undivided attention when they want to talk. Don't read, watch television
or busy yourself with other tasks.
 Listen calmly and concentrate on hearing and understanding your children's point of view.
 Speak to your children as courteously and pleasantly as you would to a stranger. Your tone of
voice can set the tone of a conversation.
 Understand your children's feelings, even if you don't always approve of their behavior. Try not
to make judgments. Keep the door open on any subject. Be an "open/approachable" parent.
 Avoid humiliating your children and laughing at what may seem to you to be naive or foolish
questions and statements.
 Encourage your children to "test" new ideas in conversation by not judging their ideas and
opinions, but instead by listening and then offering your own views as plainly and honestly as
possible. Love and mutual respect can coexist with differing points of view.
 Help your children build self-confidence by encouraging their participation in activities of their
choice (not yours).
 Make an effort to commend your children frequently and appropriately. Too often, we take the
good things for granted and focus on the bad, but everyone needs to be appreciated.
 Encourage your children to participate in family decision-making and to work out family
concerns together with you. Understand that your children need to challenge your opinions and
your ways of doing things to achieve the separation from you that's essential for their own adult
identity.

What can adolescents do during this time?

 Avoid looking at your parents as the enemy. Chances are that they love you and have your best
interests in mind, even if you don't necessarily agree with their way of showing that.
 Try to understand that your parents are human beings, with their own insecurities, needs and
feelings.
 Listen to your parents with an open mind, and try to see situations from their point of view.
 Share your feelings with your parents so that they can understand you better.
 Live up to your responsibilities at home and in school so that your parents will be more inclined
to grant you the kind of independence you want and need.
 Bolster your criticisms of family, school and government with suggestions for practical
improvements.
 Be as courteous and considerate to your own parents as you would be to the parents of your
friends.

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