Per Dev Module 4

This module discusses the challenges faced by adolescents, including identity formation, self-control, and the impact of social influences on behavior. It highlights risky behaviors and their causes, as well as the importance of coping strategies such as emotional acceptance, seeking help, and developing interests. Additionally, it encourages self-expression and personal growth through various activities aimed at fostering happiness and resilience.

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Per Dev Module 4

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letchonbutike

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MODULE 4: THE CHALLENGES OF MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENCE

How are you senior high school students? Welcome again to your journey of knowing yourself well!
In this module, you will learn the challenges and pitfalls among adolescence and its strategies to cope with
those challenges.
According to David Geldard and Kathryn Geldard (2006) adolescence is a time in young people’s lives
when they move toward independence, autonomy, and maturity. Along in that journey are the challenges
and difficulties that a teenager may experience for according to others that problems and difficulties are
considered “spices of life” which means that life is worth living if you have taken those difficulties as an
opportunity for you to grow.

So, let us start exploring this module

.Activity 1: RISKY BEHAVIORS ON THE GO
The objective of this activity is to help you identify risky or dangerous behaviors that you usually observe
among adolescents. Write risky behaviors and identify the causes of such risky behavior through a graphic
organizer (GO).

What causes risky behavior?

Santrock (2012) cited the biopsychosocial approach in emphasizing that biological, psychological, and
social factors interplay and contribute to create problems that you need to overcome during adolescence.

According to Casey et., (2011) the development of the prefrontal cortex after amygdala has been linked to
risk-taking behaviors and sexual experimentation. While the prefrontal cortex is still developing, your brain
may not be able to process what you feel and control your actions. In this case, it may cause problems.

Accordingly, one of the most difficult challenges that you encounter as a teenager is finding a sense of
identity. The absence of concrete self-identity causes heightened emotionality that usually causes
problems. Later, you get irritated and have mood swings easily. Sometimes, mood swings become too
erratic and negative, resulting in relationship problems and depressions.

If you have become used to getting what you want, then self-control may become an issue. If self-control is
not mastered, concerns like drug abuse, computer gaming, other delinquent acts may emerge cited by
Anderson et. Al., (2007) low conscientiousness has been associated with drug abuse and behavior
problems. Hence, your emotions can influence your actions and decisions; so, you become less objective,
and your actions may not be effective.

There are social factors that contribute to the emergence of an adolescent namely family, peers, school,
socio-economic status and immediate environment. You spend most of your time with your peers during
adolescence which may have negative effects on your attitudes and behavior especially when your friends
are not so good influencer. For example, if you are fond of going out with friends who are smokers and
drinkers of alcoholic beverages, there is a great possibility that you will also learn to smoke and drink. On
the other hand, if you will not go with them, you might be rejected by them.

Furthermore, if you experience rejection, it may cause depression if not handled well. Today, adolescents
engage in romantic relationships at an early age and may suffer various consequences which may also
lead to rejection.
Connolly and McIsaac (2009) cited that early dating is linked to substance abuse, and that unsuccessful
romantic relationships lead to depression.

Additionally, teenagers who drop out from school are more prone to drug addiction and other delinquent
activities. Also, there are studies that proves that poverty is linked to many problems that adolescents are
vulnerable to (Santiago, et,al., 2011). And Chen et. (2011) also mentioned that adolescents who live in an
unhealthy environment are in higher risks for developing problems.

Moreover, those who came from non-intact families due to non-marriage, separation, parents’ working
abroad, and death usually experience problems. To sum up everything these are the challenges that
every teenager may encounter:
 Finding a sense of identity
 Self-control
 Romantic relationship at an early age
 Engage in activities that put their health and dignity at risk
 Drop-out from school are more prone to drug addiction and other delinquent activities committing
suicide – is usually associated with depression which is closely related with a sense of
hopelessness, low self-esteem, and high self-blame (O’Donnell et., 2004).
After knowing these pitfalls and challenges, it will help you avoid being trapped to difficult situations.
Sometimes teenagers put themselves into these situations mainly because of their inability to express
their feelings or emotions especially when their significant people have high expectations from them. But
do not worry because there are strategies to cope with these challenges...

Strategies to Cope with Challenges

The challenges that you will encounter might cause pain and stress on your part. While you are capable to
handle such situations, it may cause pressures that would affect your well-being. So, here are some of the
strategies that may help you do so (Sevilla, 2000):
 Learn to accept what you feel – when you feel sad, angry, or envious, you need to embrace these
feelings because they are real emotions. They are only reflective of who you are- a human being.
Accepting your feelings means allowing yourself to feel and express them.
 Identify your vulnerabilities – knowing when you feel intense emotions is important to acknowledge. For
instance, you have noticed that before you flare up in anger, you first feel your face getting hot, your
knees trembling, and your heart pounding very fast. The next time you feel angry and you see these
signs, you excuse yourself from the discussion and walk away.
 Develop your talents and interests – know your interests or things that you enjoy. After doing so, then
develop those competencies, talents, and skills in you. With these, you do not allow negative thoughts
or feelings conquer your heart.
 Become more involved with others – as they say no one is an island so, we need others to support us.
Do not just focus on yourself but rather live your life with other people that can give you happiness and
influence you to become a good person.
 Seek help when needed – most of the adolescents would feel shy and are hesitant to ask for help
because they might feel that they add burden to the person they are asking help for. But you must
remember that teenager still must learn a lot of ways of being effective and psychologically healthy.
Thus, you still seek for help to your support system.

So Senior High School students, do not be afraid to experience difficulties in life it is just normal. However,
you just have to ask for help in order to cope with those challenges in life.. that a life without challenges is
a life not worth living.

Activity 2: THE FREEDOM WALL

Expressing your feelings is very important when you feel pressured due to high expectations. The aim of
this activity is to help you express your thoughts and feelings to authority figures like your parents.
Instructions:
1. Think of an expectation that your parents expressed recently or in the past wherein you felt really
pressured.
2. Think about these questions: How do you feel about these expectations? What would you like to say?
3. Collect your feelings and thoughts about their expectations where you feel really pressured. Write them
down on a piece of paper.
4. Paste it to a wall or any place in your area.
5. After gathering your thoughts and feelings, organize them and prepare a script that will allow you to
express these thoughts and feelings to your parents.
6. Read the script or say it gently to them if you can. Write your script in your journal notebook.

Activity 3: KWL CHART: Answer the table below.

K What I know about the topic? W What I wonder about the topic? L What I learned about the topic?

Activity 4: SLOGAN OR PERSONAL DECLARATION ON BEING HAPPY

Instructions:
1. Read the essay on “Being Happy” below.
2. Choose a phrase, sentence, or paragraph that strikes you.
3. Make a slogan or personal declaration on how you can be committed to your self-development in a short
bond paper. Be creative!
4. Explain your thoughts and feelings about it. Include specific ways in which you will develop yourself
further.

BEING HAPPY

You may have defects, be anxious and sometimes live irritated, but do not forget that your life is the
greatest enterprise in the world. Only you can prevent it from going into decadence. There are many that
need you, admire you and love you. I would like to remind you that being happy is not having a sky
without storms, or roads without accidents, or work without fatigue, or relationships without
disappointments.

Being happy is finding strength in forgiveness, hope in one’s battles, security at the stage of fear, love in
disagreements. Being happy is not only to treasure the smile, but that you also reflect on the sadness. It is
not just commemorating the event, but also learning lessons in failures. It is not just having joy with the
applause, but also having joy in anonymity.

Being happy is to recognize that it is worthwhile to live, despite all the challenges, misunderstandings and
times of crises. Being happy is not inevitable fate, but a victory for those who can travel towards it with
your own being.

Being happy is to stop being a victim of problems but become an actor in history itself. It is not only to
cross the deserts outside of ourselves, but still more, to be able to find an oasis in the recesses of our soul.
It is to thank God every morning for the miracle of life.

Being happy is not being afraid of one's feelings. It is to know how to talk about ourselves. It is to bear with
courage when hearing a "no". It is to have the security to receive criticism, even if is unfair. It is to kiss the
children, pamper the parents, have poetic moments with friends, even if they have hurt us.

Being happy means allowing the free, happy and simple child inside each of us to live; having the maturity
to say, "I was wrong"; having the audacity to say, "forgive me". It is to have sensitivity in expressing, "I
need you"; to have the ability of saying, "I love you." So that your life becomes a garden full of
opportunities for being happy... In your spring-time, may you become a lover of joy. In your winter, may
you become a friend of wisdom. And when you go wrong along the way, you start all over again. Thus you
will be more passionate about life.

And you will find that happiness is not about having a perfect life but about using tears to water tolerance,
losses to refine patience, failures to carve serenity, pain to lapidate pleasure, obstacles to open the
windows of intelligence. Never give up ... Never give up on the people you love. Never give up from being
happy because life is an incredible show. And you are a special human being!

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