Chapter Four: Adolescence PDF

CHAPTER FOUR: ADOLESCENCE ADOLESCENCE AND ITS IMPORTANCE Adolescence is a phase of life of a person when he is no more a child and not yet adult. The life is full of tremendous energy. Adolescence—the transition period between childhood and adulthood—encompasses ages 12 to 19. During thes...

CHAPTER FOUR: ADOLESCENCE ADOLESCENCE AND ITS IMPORTANCE Adolescence is a phase of life of a person when he is no more a child and not yet adult. The life is full of tremendous energy. Adolescence—the transition period between childhood and adulthood—encompasses ages 12 to 19. During these years, physical, emotional, and intellectual growth occurs at a dizzying speed, challenging the teenager to adjust to a new body, social identity, and expanding world view the curiosity and experimentation at one time paves the path to success and at other, may cause uncertainty. This is a critical time in life because the experiences, knowledge and skills acquired in adolescence have important implications in adulthood. Physical changes during adolescence: Puberty and Transition During adolescence significant increment is noted in the following five areas of physical growth:  i. Height ii. Weight iii. Shoulder width iv. Hip width v. Muscle strength The changes during puberty are dramatic. Within a few years the school going child is transformed into a full grown adult. These changes can be classified as: 1. Hormonal changes 2. Changes in body size and proportions. 3. Muscle fat make up and other internal changes. 4. Sexual maturation I. Physical Changes in Adolescent Boys Physical changes in adolescent boys include the following:  Growth spurt occurs  Shoulders broaden  Muscles develop  Skin becomes oily  Voice deepens   Growth of moustaches and beard II. Physical Changes in Adolescent Girls There are different changes in girls which are listed below:  Growth spurt occurs  Breasts develop  Skin becomes oily  Hips widen  Waistline narrows  Uterus and ovaries enlarge Genetic factors are most important in the growth - tall parents tend to have tall children and short ones tend to have short children. Nutrition and enabling environment are also important contributors. Adolescent girls and boys, who are better nourished and have adequate amount of calories and proteins, show a better overall growth (weight and height). Poverty, poor balanced diet and starvation lead to poor growth. Chronic diseases like tuberculosis, if not properly treated, can adversely affect the growth. Challenges related to Cognitive Development  The adolescents develop a capacity for abstract thinking, discover how to think about relationship issues discerns new ways of processing information and learns to think creatively and critically.  The adolescents move from concrete thinking to dealing with ideas, concepts and abstract theories.  They understand information and act on that understanding to solve problems passing through phases of success and failure.  Egocentricity or self-interest is the hall mark of adolescents.  They may have the idea that everyone is watching them as though they were on stage and tend to draw other’s attention by their particular behaviour.  They feel unique and think that no one is capable of understanding them and their feelings. This has important implications for counselors. Challenges related to Psychosexual Development The adolescent is no longer a child. He is a new person emerging into an adult. This process of understanding self and seeking meaning and direction leads to identity formation. The adolescent constructs concepts of self within the context of relations with others, yet he is also seeking to establish an independent entity. This journey of self-discovery is both stressful and anxiety- provoking for them.  The formation of personal identity and integration with society gives rise to conflicts.  Emotional reactivity and instability makes it difficult for adolescents to control their behavioural responses, which at times may be inappropriately extreme viz., excitement, anger, sadness, depression and embarrassment.  This often gives rise to feelings of ridicule, humiliation and embarrassment and adolescents feel disgusted and ashamed of themselves.  The adolescents who belong to underprivileged and minority groups have difficulty in establishing personal identity.  Exploration of personal sexuality and sexual identity lead them into serious relationships, heart breaks and resulting stress. Emotional and Social Changes during Adolescence  These are the changes which are not observable as physical but definitely the behaviour of adolescents’ changes due to emotional and social changes happening in their body and mind. These changes are as follows:  Emotional instability  Preoccupied with body image  Frequent mood changes  Curiosity and experimentation  Self-exploration and evaluation  Concerns and worries about the body changes  Conflicts with family/elders over control  Development of abstract thinking but confusion at times  Attraction towards opposite sex  Day dreaming and fantasizing The changes in body, mind and relationships transform an adolescent mentally and emotionally. The shape of body especially that of the girls, changes. These newer events leave adolescents bewildered, confused, scared and sometimes guilty. They start experiencing romantic feelings, sexual arousal, anger or mood swings. They may feel attracted to the opposite sex, “fall in love”, hate someone intensely and want to talk to persons of the other gender.