Adolescence: A Comprehensive Overview PDF

ADOLESCENCE  ADOLESCENCE The term adolescence came from the Latin word adolescere meaning “to grow” or “to grow to maturity.” It is customary to regard adolescence as beginning when children become sexually mature and ending when they reach the age of legal maturity. ADOL...

ADOLESCENCE  ADOLESCENCE The term adolescence came from the Latin word adolescere meaning “to grow” or “to grow to maturity.” It is customary to regard adolescence as beginning when children become sexually mature and ending when they reach the age of legal maturity. ADOLESCENCE It is divided into 2 substages: Early Adolescence - which extends from 13 to 16 or 17 years They are usually referred to as the “teens,” sometimes even the “terrible teens.” Late Adolescence which extends until legal maturity or 21 years. They are usually referred to as “young men” and “young women” or even “youth” - indicating that society recognizes a maturity of behavior not found during the early years of adolescence. CHARTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENCE Adolescence is an important period It is one of the periods when both the immediate effects and long term effects are important. Some periods are important for their physical and some for their psychological effects. Adolescence is important for both. Accompanying rapid and important physical development, especially during early adolescent period, rapid mental development occur. These give rise to the need for mental adjustments and the necessity for establishing new attitudes, values and interests. CHARTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENCE Adolescence is a transitional period It does not mean a break with or a change from what has gone before but rather a passage from one stage of development to another. It further means that what has happened before will leave its mark on what happened now and in the future. Children, they go from childhood to adulthood, must “put away childish things” and they must also learn new patterns of behavior and attitudes to replace those they have abandoned.  During any transitional period, the individual’s status is vague and there is confusion about the roles the individual is expected to play. In this stage, they are neither a child nor an adult. If they behave like children, they are told to “act their age,” if they try to act like adults, they are often accused of being too big for their britches,” and are reproved for their attempts to act like adults. On the other hand, the ambiguous status of today’s adolescents is advantageous in that it gives them time to try out different lifestyles and decide what patterns of behavior, values, and attitudes meet their needs best. CHARTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENCE Adolescence is a period of change The rate of change in attitudes and behavior during adolescence parallels the rate of physical change. There are five (5) universal concomitants of the changes that occur during adolescence: heightened emotionality; sexual maturity; changes in their bodies; interests, values and behavior patterns change; they want and demand independence. CHARTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENCE Adolescence is a problem age While every age has its problems, those of adolescence are often especially difficult for boys and girls to cope with due to two (2) reasons. First, throughout childhood, their problems were met and solved in part at least by their parents and others. As a result, many adolescents are inexperienced in coping with problems alone. Second, because adolescents want to feel that they are independent, they demand the right of coping with their problems, rebuffing attempts on the part of parents and others to help. Because of their inability to cope with problems alone as well as they believe they can, many adolescents find that the solutions do not always come up to their expectations. CHARTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENCE Adolescence is a Dreaded Age Many popular beliefs about adolescents have definite evaluative connotations and unfortunately, many of them are negative. Acceptance of the cultural stereotypes of teenagers as sloppy, unreliable individuals who are inclined toward destructive and anti-social behavior has led many adults who must guide and supervise the lives of young adolescents to dread this responsibility and to be unsympathetic in their attitudes toward, and treatment of, normal adolescents behavior. CHARTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENCE Adolescence is a Time of Unrealism Adolescents have a tendency to look at life through rose-tinted classes. They see themselves and others as they would like them to be rather than as they are. They have unrealistic aspirations, not only for themselves but also for their families and friends, are in part, responsible for the heightened emotionality characteristics of early adolescence. The more unrealistic their aspirations are, the more angry, hurt and disappointed they will be when they feel that others have let them down or that they have not lived up to the goals they set for themselves. With increased personal and social experiences, and with increased ability to think rationally, older adolescents see themselves, their families and friends, and life in general in a more realistic way. As a result, they suffer less from disappointment and disillusionment than they did when they were younger. CHARTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENCE Adolescence is the Threshold of Adulthood As adolescents approach legal maturity, they are anxious to shed the stereotype of teenagers and to create the impression that they are near- adults. Dressing and acting like adults. They discover that what they are doing are not always enough, so they begin to concentrate on behavior that is associated with the adult status like smoking, using drugs, and engaging in sex, etc. They believe that this behavior will create the image they desire. iconscout.com DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS OF ADOLESCENCE Achieving new and more mature relations with age mates of both sexes. Achieving a masculine or feminine social roles. Accepting one’s physique and using one’s body effectively. Desiring, accepting and achieving socially responsible behavior. Achieving emotional independence from parents and other adults. vectorstock.com  Preparing for an economic career. Preparing for marriage and family life. Acquiring a set of values and an ethical system as a guide to behavior - developing an ideology. istockphoto.com ADOLESCENT'S SOCIAL GROUPINGS Close Friends The adolescent usually has two or three close friends, or confidants. They are of the same sex and have similar interests and abilities. Close friends have a marked influence on one another, though they may quarrel occasionally. Clique Made up of groups of close friends. At first they consist of members of the same sex, but later include both boys and girls. istockphoto.com Crowds Made up of cliques and groups of close friends, develop an interest in parties and dating. Because crowds are large, there is less congeniality of interest among the members and thus a vecteezy.com greater social distance between them. Organized Groups Adult directed youth groups are established by schools and community organizations to meet the social needs of adolescents who belong to no cliques or crowds. Many adolescents who join such groups feel regimented and lose interest in them by the time they are sixteen or istockphoto.com seventeen. Gangs Adolescents who belong to no cliques or crowds and who gain little satisfaction from organized groups may join a gang. Gang members are usually of the same sex, and their main interest is to compensate for peer rejection through anti- comicbastards.com social behavior. CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTING TO REJECTION IN ADOLESCENCE Unfavorable first impression as a result of an unattractive appearance or an aloof or self-centered attitude. Social behavior characterized by showing off, teasing and bullying others, bossiness, uncooperativeness, and lack of tact. Lack of maturity, especially in the areas of emotional control, poise, self-confidence and tact. Personality traits that irritate others, such as selfishness, stubbornness, resentfulness, nervousness and irritability. Geographic isolation from the peer group or inability to participate in group activities due to family responsibilities, etc. RECREATIONAL INTERESTS OF ADOLESCENTS Games and Sports Movies Relaxing Radio and Records Travelling Television Hobbies Daydreaming Dancing Others Reading  FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOLESCENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS EDUCATION Peer attitudes - whether they are college oriented or work- oriented. Parental attitudes - whether parents consider education a stepping stone to upward social mobility or only a necessity because it is required by law. Grades which indicate academic success or failure. The relevance or practical value of various courses.  Attitude toward teachers, administrators, academic and disciplinary policies. Success in extracurricular activities. Degree of social acceptance among classmates. INTEREST OF ADOLESCENTS TO STATUS SYMBOLS Status symbols are prestige symbols that tell others that the person who has them is superior or has higher status in the group than other group members. 4 IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS OF STATUS SYMBOLS 1. They tell others that the adolescent has a high or even higher socioeconomic status than other members of the peer group. 2. Adolescent is superior in some achievement that is valued by the groups. 3. Adolescent is affiliated with the group and is an accepted member of it because of appearance or actions similar to those of other group members. 4. Adolescent has anear adult status in society. Examples: If adolescents have car of their own as soon as they are legally able to drive; If their families have large homes istockphoto.com in prestigious neighborhood; If they have money to spend without having to work for it; If they have superior socioeconomic status; If they belong to the school team in prestigious sport, such as basketball, baseball, etc.; If they are high academic performance. COMMON REASONS FOR DATING DURING ADOLESCENCE Recreation When dating is for recreation, adolescents want their partners to have the social skills, members of the peer group consider important, to be good sports and pleasant companions. Socialization When peer group members divide into dating couples, boys and girls must date if they are to be accepted members of the peer stock.adobe.com group and enjoy its social activity. Status Dating for both boys and girls, especially when it takes the form of going steady, gives them status in the peer group. The more popular the dating partner is with members of the peer group and the more prestigious the socioeconomic status of the dating partner’s family in the community, the more this will reflect favorably on the adolescent. Dating under such conditions is primarily a stepping stone to higher status in the peer group. Mate Selection Because adolescents are in love and hope and plan to marry eventually, they giver serious thought to the suitability of the dating partner as a future mate. Major emphasis is put on compatibility of interests and temperament and on ways of showing affection. This justifies, in their minds, heavy petting and coitus. Many of them who are interested in early marriage regard dating as a trial-and-error way to pick out their future mates. HAZARDS DURING ADOLESCENCE Physical Feeling of awkwardness and sex inappropriate body build are common to be overlooked. Psychological Failure to make the transition to maturity - which is the most important developmental tasks of adolescence. This failure is often due to obstacles over which adolescents have little or no control. HAZARDS DURING ADOLESCENCE The areas in which immaturity, due to failure to make the transition to more mature behavior are especially common in social, sexual, and moral behavior and immaturity in family relationship. When immaturity is pronounced, it leads to self-rejection with its damaging effects on personal and social adjustments. Thank you! Presented by: Wilhelmina P. Masinsin, Ph.D., RPm Associate Prof. V, University of Rizal System