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Portrait of Happy and Successful Teenage Boy
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Adolescent is a person who is no longer
a child but not yet an adult. The word adolescent
comes from the Latin term adolescens,
which means growing up or growing
toward. An adolescent is someone who is "growing toward"
adulthood. Most Western societies consider a person to be an adolescent from
about 13 to at least 18 years of age. In these societies, adolescence thus
roughly corresponds to the teenage years.
Nearly
all societies consider boys and girls to have outgrown childhood when they
start to mature sexually. Most young people begin this development in their
late pre-teens or early teens. But the age when a person is expected or
permitted to take on full adult responsibilities varies greatly among societies.
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In
agricultural societies, which need many workers, most boys and girls are
expected to become economically productive when they reach sexual maturity or
even before. Such societies are common in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Adulthood begins early in these societies, and adolescence is brief or
nonexistent.
On
the other hand, industrial societies usually have a surplus of workers. They
can therefore delay the entry of young people into the labour force. In
addition, the culture of industrial societies is far more complex than that of
agricultural societies and takes far longer for a person to learn. For all
these reasons, the laws of most industrial societies do not permit people to
assume full adult responsibilities before the late teens. Nor are young people
expected to be self-supporting. Legally, they are the responsibility of their
parents.
In
the past, nearly all industrial societies set the legal adult age at 21. Since
the early 1960's, however, most of these societies have lowered the legal age
to 18,19, or 20. Today, a person legally becomes an adult at age 18 in most
Western countries. In these countries, young people may vote, marry without the
consent of their parents, and be responsible in law for a contract signed by
them from the time they reach the age of 18. A child of 10 is judged in law to
be incapable of criminal responsibility. So the period of adolescence can be
fairly long from a legal standpoint.
In
addition to its legal aspects, adolescence may also be viewed as a stage of
psychological development. To a psychologist, an adolescent is a person who is
learning to be independent, like an adult, rather than remaining dependent,
like a child. Some people reach this goal much faster than others. A teenager
may thus become psychologically mature before reaching the legal adult age.
However, most teenagers mature psychologically at the rate set by their
society. As a result, psychological adolescence normally lasts at least as long
as the period of legal dependence.
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| She is Young and Beautiful |
In societies
where adolescence is prolonged, teenagers tend to form subcultures. A
subculture is a group of people whose customs and values differ from those of
society as a whole. However, teenage subcultures often help shape the customs
and values of the parent society. In developing countries, with higher birth
rates, the proportion of adolescents is higher than in industrialized
countries. But in Western countries, the influence of teenagers on society may
exceed their numbers. They form an important market for goods and advertising
of goods. Teenagers' preferences in such matters as music and clothing styles
often affect the tastes of society as a whole. During the 1960's, the
opposition of many teenagers to established cultural values and institutions led
to countercu/tural movements. The
youth countercultures consisted mainly of older adolescents, some of whom
wanted to set up a completely free and open society based on their ideals.
They largely failed. Their efforts contributed to the growing questioning of
traditional institutions during the 1970's, but in the 1980's adolescents
generally seemed more conformist.
Many
studies of human development try to pinpoint the age at which most people
develop a particular characteristic. These studies use data gathered in
surveys in order to produce a statistical average called a norm. Development
that approximates to the norm is said to be normal. However, wide variations
are not necessarily abnormal.
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He is playing Guitar |
The
norm is simply the average of many individual differences. For example, surveys
may show that, on average, girls in one country have their first menstrual period
at the age of 12^ years. Therefore, 12{ years is said to be the
"normal" age for a girl in that country to begin menstruation.
However, few girls start menstruation at exactly this age, and many start it
several years earlier or later. Parents and adolescents, therefore, should not
be disturbed if the norm for a particular development is not met at a certain
age.
Physical growth and development. Adolescence
begins with a period of dramatic sexual development called puberty. Puberty is brought on by a
sudden increase in the activity of certain glands, especially the hypothalamus,
pineal, pituitary, and sex glands.
At the
start of puberty, a girl's breasts become larger, her hips widen, and hair
grows under her arms and around her genitals (external sex organs). A
year or so after these changes begin, she has her first menstrual period. When
a boy starts puberty, hair grows around his genitals, on his face, and on other
parts of his body. His genitals become larger, his shoulders broaden, and his
voice deepens. Most girls start puberty at about age 11. Most boys start at
about age 13. Puberty ends when a girl or boy reaches sexual maturity- that is,
becomes capable of reproduction. Most adolescents are sexually mature two or
three years after they start puberty.
The
increased glandular activity that brings on puberty also causes other physical
changes in adolescents. These changes include rapid increases in height and
weight. Most girls start to grow rapidly at about 9 to 12 years of age. Girls
are normally taller and heavier than boys during these years. During the early
teens, most boys start to grow rapidly, and the girls' rate of growth declines.
After about the age of 14, males are heavier and taller, on average, than
females. Most males reach adult size during their late teens or early twenties.
Most females reach it somewhat earlier.
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A Young Woman Jogging Outdoors |
Many
younger adolescents become intensely concerned about their physical
appearance. They may complain that they are too tall or too short, that their
hands and feet are too big or too small, and that overall they are unattractive
and awkward. A girl who matures early may feel self-conscious because her
breasts are noticeably larger than those of other girls her age. A girl who
matures late may feel self-conscious for the opposite reason. Late-maturing
adolescents—especially boys- tend to have a poorer opinion of themselves than
do adolescents who mature early or at an average rale. They may also have more
difficulty making friends. In most cases, however, these difficulties disappear
as the boy or girl matures physically. Many teenagers are embarrassed by acne
or pimples, though minor skin problems are common during adolescence.
The
concern that younger teenagers have about their appearance is understandable.
Adolescents feel a strong need to compare favourably with others their age.
Anything that makes them different may upset them. Differences in physical
development are obvious during the early teenage years, and so they naturally
be come a focus of attention. During middle and late adolescence, such differences
fade in importance.
Social development. Most
young people mature sexually by the age of 14 or 15. They are thus physically
able to have children. In some societies, girls are considered ready for
marriage at this age. But generally a young person of this age lacks the
experience and social maturity needed to function as an adult in most societies
today. People are considered socially mature if they can act independently and
accept full responsibility for their actions. Developing this ability is the
chief task of an adolescent.
Most
adolescents welcome the opportunity to take on more responsibility and become
more independent. However, they may have difficulty at first in handling the
challenge. To accept responsibility, a person needs self- confidence. But it is
hard to develop self-confidence if the self seems to be constantly changing.
Most younger adolescents have this difficulty because of the many physical
changes they go through during puberty. These changes tend to interfere with an
adolescent's sense of personal identity—
that is, the awareness one has of oneself as a consistently whole person. As
adolescents mature physically, they normally develop a stronger sense of
personal identity and greater self-confidence. Their capacity for social
development then increases.
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Five teens play basketball in a park
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Adolescents
develop socially chiefly by expanding and testing their social relationships. A
young child's social environment usually centres on the home. Children model
themselves on their parents or other adults they know and admire. They may
adopt bad traits as well as good ones, and so adults have a heavy
responsibility in their behaviour in front of children. In general, young
children avoid types of behaviour of which their parents or elders disapprove.
However, most adolescents become deeply involved with their peer
group -\ha\ is, their circle of friends and acquaintances. These teenagers
look to their peer group, rather than to their parents, for approval, and they
may change their behaviour to win that approval. Within the peer group,
adolescents also begin to define their relationships with the opposite sex.
Family
relationships are important to teenagers, though in ways that are not always
apparent. Most teenagers prefer the company of their friends to that of their
family. While at home, they often prefer being alone. These preferences are
normal, though they may not seem so to the adolescent's family. Conflicts
between an adolescent and younger family members usually lessen as the family
adjusts to the adolescent's need for independence and privacy. But adolescents
often have increasing conflicts with their parents over the amount of freedom
they think they deserve.
Social
development is easiest for adolescents who feel that their parents love and
trust them. Parental love should include discipline, and so the leenager who is
truly loved will receive guidance. Parents display trust by granting their
children sufficient freedom. An overprotected adolescent may have great
difficulty learning to act independently.
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Unhappy Male Teenage Student Sitting
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Peer group relationships
help adolescents learn to deal with people on an equal basis. Developing this
ability is an important part of becoming an adult. However, adolescents tend
to measure social development chiefly in terms of their personal popularity.
They assume they are developing normally if their peers accept and like them.
Teenagers thus become absorbed in matters they think affect their popularity,
such as their style of dress, leadership ability, and success with the opposite
sex. Parents may be annoyed by the amount of time and energy an adolescent
devotes to such concerns. But these concerns are part of growing up, and
teenagers need freedom to pursue them.
Adolescents
who have a strong need for peer group approval may feel forced to adopt all of
the group's values. Problems arise if these values conflict with the ones
taught at home. Parents should try to remember that the choice is not always
easy for a teenager to make. Girls tend to have more difficulty resolving these
conflicts than do boys, probably because girls are expected to be better
behaved and, in some societies, remain more closely under parental supervision.
Boy-girl relationships.
During early adolescence, boys and girls get together mainly in group
activities, such as school functions, parties, and club meetings. Friendships
often lead to dating, a casual courtship with some sexual involvement. Older
teenagers may have serious relationships with a particular partner. The amount
of freedom allowed to boys and girls to socialize and date varies according to
social, religious, and moral customs around the world.
The
earliest age at which people may marry varies among societies. Persons under 18
are generally not mature enough to take on the responsibilities of marriage
and parenthood. But most adolescents mature sexually long before the age of 18,
and many of them find it difficult to control their sexual desires. However,
sexual relationships involve moral and practical considerations. Many people
regard intercourse outside marriage as morally wrong. In addition, such
relationships may produce serious consequences, especially unwanted pregnancies.
Despite
sex education in schools and the availability of birth-control, many teenage
girls become pregnant each year. Some are married at the time or marry soon
after. A few have miscarriages, and a growing number have medical abortions.
The rest have the child outside marriage. Teenagers who have sexual relations
also run a high risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease. The sexually
transmitted disease rate among teenagers is far greater than among adults.
Special
problems of adolescence
All
adolescents have problems from time to time. However, most young people pass
through adolescence without serious difficulty. They make new friends, join
clubs, and take part in sports and social activities. For these young people,
the teenage years are generally happy and exciting.
Most
of the problems that adolescents have are related to schoolwork, employment,
finances, or peer group and family relationships. The majority of such problems
are minor, at least from an adult's point of view. However, a problem that
appears unimportant to an adult may seem overwhelming to an adolescent. This
difference in viewpoints may itself cause problems if it leads to a breakdown
in communications between parents and their teenage children. Parents
accomplish little by lecturing. They help by being willing to listen and by
avoiding the temptation to give instant advice.
Most
personal problems of adolescents do not affect society as a whole. But certain
other problems involving adolescents are so serious and widespread that they
are considered social problems. These special problems include (1) attitudes
toward schooling, (2) the use of drugs, and (3) delinquency.
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| Technology and Skills |
Attitudes
toward schooling. Education is increasingly important in today's complex industrial
societies. More and more jobs in these societies require a high degree of specialized
knowledge or technical skill. In addition, democratic societies have
traditionally relied on schools to help produce well-informed, responsible
citizens. Many countries now require young people to attend school until they
are at least 16 years of age.
Some
teenagers show a decline in motivation during the final years at school, while
others are under growing pressure to work for examinations necessary to obtain
entrance to university and college courses. Those who leave school with
inadequate qualifications and without skills training are likely to have
difficulty in finding good jobs. Youth unemployment is a serious problem in
some industrial societies. Some teenagers take on jobs with poor career
prospects simply to enjoy an immediate income, without considering the
long-term implications of their choice. Even everyday living can be difficult
for adults who cannot read well, express themselves clearly, or do simple
arithmetic.
Many
teenagers who perform poorly at school come from homes where learning is not
encouraged. But many students do not fully develop their abilities even though
they receive ample encouragement at home. In some cases, parents may need to
reassess the goals they have set for their children. Even able students may
rebel if they feel that too much is demanded of them. Parents should try to
encourage good performance in school without exerting unreasonable pressure.
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| Image of Teen Boy Smoking |
The use of drugs. In
some countries drug abuse among adolescents causes great concern. Surveys in
the United States have shown that the majority of teenagers in that country
have at least experimented with such drugs as alcohol, barbiturates, cocaine,
LSD, or marijuana. Some have experimented with heroin, morphine, or other
narcotic drugs. Many of these drugs are physically harmful if taken regularly.
A single overdose of some drugs, such as heroin or a barbiturate, can result in
a coma or death.
In
societies where drug-taking is a problem, nearly all the drugs that teenagers
take cannot be obtained or used legally without a doctor's prescription.
Alcohol is Part-time employment gives students valuable experience and enables
many of them to save enough the major exception. It is the most widely used
drug among both adults and teenagers. Teenage drinking is a serious problem in
some countries, despite restrictions on the sale of alcohol to adolescents.
Adolescents
experiment with drugs for various reasons, including peer group pressure, the
example of parents, and curiosity. Most teenagers pass through the experimentation
stage without developing a drug abuse problem. Others are not so fortunate.
The
causes of teenage drug abuse are not well understood. Some teenagers may be
led into it by boredom or by an unconscious desire to escape mental or emotional
pressure. Teenagers who feel genuinely useful are perhaps least likely to
develop the problem of drug abuse.
Delinquency.
In most societies offenders under 18 are tried as juveniles rather
than as adults. Many juvenile offences are relatively minor. They include
certain offences, such as running away from home, that apply only to juveniles.
However, adolescents may also be arrested and charged with more serious crimes
such as stealing and driving away cars, burglary, shoplifting, and violent
behaviour, often aggravated by drunkenness. Rowdiness and vandalism are other
offences particularly associated with adolescents. In many cases, hooliganism
in cities and at sports events involves adolescent participants. Teenage boys
may belong to street gangs. On average, only 20 per cent of teenagers charged
with serious offences are female.
In
general, the juvenile delinquency rate is highest in deprived inner-city areas
with few employment and recreational opportunities for youth. Many juvenile
delinquents, but by no means all of them, come from low- income families. In
numerous cases, juvenile delinquency results mainly from faulty parent-child
relations and poor parental example, not from economic hardship. However,
delinquency also has other causes. Pressure
from the peer group may be a principal cause in many cases. Some juvenile
offenders have strong antisocial feelings or other deep-seated psychological
problems.
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| Couple Jogging in Park |
Preparation
for the future
During
the final years of secondary school, and often earlier, teenagers must decide
how they will support themselves after they are on their own. In planning a career,
students should first decide what their goals are, what types of work they
prefer, and what special skills they have. By comparing the answers to these
questions with the descriptions of various careers, a student can narrow the
range of possible choices. However, it is wise to keep the range as broad as
possible at first. Either through choice or through necessity, many teenagers
change their goals as they grow older. They then need to be open to other
career possibilities.
It
is sensible for all teenagers, whatever their academic abilities, to attempt
to gain as good an education as they can. When planning a career, they must
consider the benefit, and cost, of a university or college education or other
special training. For those seeking a career requiring higher education,
government grants, loans, or scholarships may be available to help meet the
cost. Even so, parents and students must be prepared for additional expense,
some of which may be met by part- time and summer jobs.
Some
teenagers plan to marry as soon as they are old enough. But in many countries
the divorce rate among people who marry in their teens is several times greater
than the overall divorce rate. For a marriage to work, both partners must have
a high degree of emotional and intellectual maturity. Each also has to be
willing to accept the other's faults. In societies where marriages are
arranged, a youthful union may well have as good a chance of success as one
between older partners. However, it usually takes time for two people in love
to see each other realistically. Many teenage marriages fail because they were
entered into too quickly. A marriage is more likely to succeed if the partners
know each other well before they marry.
Related articles:
Town, Homosexuality Boys, Child, Juvenile delinquency, Culture, Developmental
psychology, Marriage, Minor, Drug abuse, Personality, Family, Physical education,
Growth and Recreation.
Outline:
I. Growth
and development:
A.
Physical growth and development
B.
Social development
II. Special
problems of adolescence
A. Attitudes toward schooling
B. The use of drugs
C. Delinquency
III. Preparation
for the future
Questions:
What is the chief task of an adolescent?
Why is adolescence
usually shorter in agricultural societies than in industrial societies?
What factors should
adolescents consider in planning a career?
What is a norm
in the study of human development?
What is a peer
group?
Why
is education especially important to adolescents in industrial societies?
How
do boy-girl relationships vary from early to late adolescence?
How
do adolescents tend to measure their social development?
