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Developmental Characteristics During

Adolescence

Collect This Article


By K. Bucher|M. Lee Manning Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall
Updated on Jul 20, 2010

Physical

Physical changes (e.g., growth spurt and skeletal and structural changes) are rapid and
visually apparent

Considerable diversity in physical developmental rates occur due to genetics,


environmental factors, and health issues

Distinct gender differences are evident in size, strength, and age of growth spurt (e.g.,
girls around age 12 and boys around age 14)

Health risks increase due to behavioral issues such as eating disorders, sexual
experimentation, and drug use

Psychosocial

Friendships form and social interactions increase, which have the potential for boosting
self-esteem and reducing anxiety

Distinct gender differences occur in socialization patterns (e.g., females tend to have
smaller numbers of close friends and males tend to have larger "social networks")

Allegiance and affiliation shifts from parents and teachers to friends and peers

Social tasks and situations are handled without adult supervision and advice

Self-esteem changes due to adolescents' home and school lives

Preoccupations with the self lead to critical self-examination and, subsequently to the
formation of self-perceptions

Argumentative and aggressive behaviors become evident and often disturb parents and
teachers

Cognitive

Higher levels of cognitive functioning (e.g., reasoning and higher-level thought


processes) develop

Moral and ethical choices are now possible and often guide behavior

Developmental diversity leads to varying abilities to think and reason

Cognitive ability is often affected by overall socialization

Perspectives about past, present, and future develop that allow enhanced perspectives of
time

Language and overall verbalization skills increase, allowing improved communication in


both school and home situations

Excerpt from Young Adult Literature Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation, by K. Bucher,
M. L. Manning, 2006 edition, p. 3.

Its Normal
Shoulder to Shoulder
Updated on Nov 12, 2009
Wondering what happened to the sweet kids we were raising? They've turned into teenagers.
While we know there are going to be good and bad times, it's helpful to know that some of this
"crazy" behavior is just part of being a teen. It's normal for a teen to:
Argue for the Sake of Arguing
Believe it or not, teens can find arguing exciting. As they grow, they are developing new skills in

thinking and logic. This means that arguments with you aren't necessarily about winning, but
rather experiencing the "art" of an argument. Fun, isn't it?
Be Self-Centered
It's all about them. You know the whole world isn't focused on their zit, but they truly believe it
is. All we can do is be patient and help them through the "disasters" as best we can.
Be Dramatic
Why is everything such a big deal to teens? Jenny has a fight with her boyfriend and it's the end
of the world. While it's good for teens to - ahem - care deeply about so many things, the drama
will decline as they grow up.
Jump to Conclusions
As teens develop the capacity to think logically, they sometimes make leaps in judgment and
come to bizarre conclusions. Resist the urge to correct. Listen to what they are saying, and let
them think out loud. When asked, offer your perspective.
Find Fault
Can we ever do anything right in the eyes of teens? We can't take it personally (even though we
could do no wrong when they were younger), and this isn't a sign of failure. It's just a normal part
of the teen years. And yes, we really do a lot of things right.
Reprinted with the permission of the Minnesota Institute of Public Health.

What to Expect

So, your teen has entered high school, and


soon, he or she will be off to college or entering the workforce. While youve been helping your
child to prepare for adult independence and responsibility all along, its important to realize that
your teens plans for him- or herself may be different from what you want.

Listen to your teens thoughts about the future. Support and respect his or her decisions, and
offer ideas about what you think he or she might be good at. Encourage your teen to get involved
in the community, and help him connect with other caring adults who can positively influence his
or her development.

Intellectual Development

Abstract thinking becomes more common with older teenagers. Theyll gravitate more to
the gray areas between the black-and-white issues of their early years. Theyll also
change their mind about the grays to suit their goals and wishes.

Older teenagers, such as those in this age range, expand their logic and reasoning
abilities, although many still struggle to match their thinking abilities with their actions.
Thus, a lot of kids will talk intelligently but then have trouble with planning.

Their thinking now considers the future. They can think and have thoughtful discussions
about war, college, the economy, and their visions of what would make the world better.

Because older teenagers are more intellectually advanced than a child or younger teens,
adults can have more back-and-forth conversations with them. Theyre better able to
understand other peoples points of views, and theyre more open to other perspectives
and ideas.

Many older teenagers will use their new intellectual capacities as logical weapons
against their parents. This has more to do with them separating from you. Theyll punch
holes in your logic, and theyll challenge you with thought-out reason.

Emotional Development
Help your teen learn how to recognize and deal with stress, anger, and sadness; to exercise
regularly and eat healthy food; and to express feelings honestly as well as respect others feelings
in friendships and romantic relationships. Your teen will continue to benefit from continuing to
do his part around home and at school, and in taking care of his own well-being.

Emotionally, teenagers dont typically like physical affection from their parents. Many
do, however, like a lot of physical affection from their friends.

Expect a lot of tension and conflict with your teenager, because your teenager is
separating from you. The path to independence is rocky for both parents and older
teenagers.

Some older teenagers will go anywhereexcept where their parents are. Be patient with
this. Typically kids will draw closer to parents once they leave home. Once theyve
experienced true independence, they discover that their parents arent as idiotic as they
thought when they were older teenagers.

Monitor your teenagers emotional states. Most have an emotional state that theyre most
comfortable with. Some are easygoing. Some get angry easily. Others get depressed.
Intervene if emotions are overwhelming your older teenager.

Some teenagers will give you the silent treatment when they become angryor if they
dont get their way. Give them time to simmer down. Theyll talk to you again (usually
when they need something from you).

Some kids begin dabbling in more serious risk behaviors (such as self-harm, drinking
alcohol, trying drugs, and having sex). Help kids steer clear of these behaviors. Talk with
them about what theyre experiencingand what theyre seeing going on with their
peers. Some are struggling with difficult issues.

Physical Development

Older teenagers typically look physically older than they are. Fifteen-year-olds can be
mistaken for 21-year-olds, which is why some teenagers find themselves in troubling
situations.

Since all kids go through five stages of puberty, youll continue to see older teenagers
mature. Even during the high school years, youll notice teenagers maturing at different
rates. This is normal, even if teenagers dont feel like it is.

Most teenagers have trouble waking up in the morning. Part of this is because they stay
up later. But part of it is biological. Older teenagers tend to shortchange sleep, which can
hinder their development. Dont be afraid to let them sleep until noonor even until the
middle of the afternoonon weekends.

Social Development

At this age, friendships and romance become more important while cliques become less
so.

Older teenagers are less influenced by peer pressure. Theyre more likely to seek out
experts when they want to know or do something.

Teenagers are heavily influenced by their friends when it comes to clothing, styles,
music, and fads.

Your child is more likely to seek out advice and help from a friend than from you.

A lot of teenagers pair off into couples. Dating becomes more pervasive, and some teens
develop intense romantic relationships.

http://www.parentfurther.com/content/ages-15-18-learning-and-school
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/activities_for_school_kids.html
http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2014/06/09/10-ways-to-promote-your-childscognitive-development/
http://education.seattlepi.com/activities-improve-reading-primary-school-students4947.html
ACTIVITIES THAT CAN HELP DEVELOP the physical development OF PRIMARY
SCHOOLERS

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