Kathleen Stassen Berger

Part V

Chapter Fourteen

Adolescence: Biosocial Development

Puberty Begins The Transformation of Puberty

Possible Problems

Prepared by Madeleine Lacefield Tattoon, M.A.

Adolescence: Biosocial Development

the body changes of early adolescence rival those of infancy in speed and dramathe difference however is that adolescents are aware

Puberty Begins
Puberty
the time between the first onrush of hormones and full adult physical development puberty usually last three to five years many more years are required to achieve psychosocial maturity

Puberty Begins
Puberty
menarche
a girls first menstrual period, signaling that she has begun ovulation. Pregnancy is biologically possible, but ovulation and menstruation are often irregular for years after menarche

spermarche
a boys first ejaculation of sperm. Erections can occur as early as infancy, but ejaculation signals sperm production. Spermache occurs during sleep (in a wet dream) or via direct stimulation
4

Puberty Begins
Hormones
organic chemical substances that are produced by one body tissue and conveyed via the bloodstream to another to affect some physiological function. Various hormones influence thoughts, urges, emotions, and behavior

Puberty Begins
pituitary
a gland that, in response to a signal from the hypothalamus, produces many hormones, including those that regulate growth and control other glands, among them the adrenal and sex glands

adrenal glands
two glands, located above the kidneys, that produce hormones (including the stress hormones epinephrine [adrenaline] and norepinephrine)

HPA axis (leads from brain to body to behavior)

the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, a route followed by many kinds of hormones to trigger the changes of puberty and to regulate stress, growth, sleep, appetite, sexual excitement, and various other bodily changes
6

Puberty Begins
Sex Hormones
gonads
paired sex glands (ovaries in females, testicles in males) that produce hormones and gametes

estradiol
a sex hormone, considered the chief estrogen. Females produce more estradiol than males do

testosterone
a sex hormone, the best known of the androgens (male hormones); secreted in far greater amounts by males then by females

Puberty Begins
Sudden emotions
behaviors that adolescents are best known for are emotional and sexual
testosterone at high or accelerating levels stimulates rapid arousal of emotions, especially anger hormonal bursts lead to quick emotional extremes (despair, ecstasy) for many boys, the increase in androgens causes sexual thoughts and a desire to masturbate for many girls, the fluctuating estrogens increase happiness in the middle of the menstrual cycle (at ovulation) and sadness or anger at the end

Puberty Begins
When will puberty Start?
the average age of onset varies
the average age is between 11 and 12 but is still considered normal between the ages of 8 and14

Puberty Begins
Genes
genes on the sex chromosomes markedly affect the onset of puberty on average girls are about two years ahead of boys in height

10

Puberty Begins
Genes
hormonally and sexually girls are ahead by only a few months influence the timing of puberty in other ways as well

11

Puberty Begins
Body Fat
genetic differences are apparent only when every child is well fed stocky individuals begin puberty before those with thinner builds

12

Puberty Begins
Body Fat
in both sexes chronic malnutrition delays puberty secular trend
a term that refers to the earlier and greater growth of children due to improved nutrition and medical care over the last two centuries
13

Puberty Begins
Stress
the production of many hormones is directly connected to stressful experience via the HPA axis affects pubertal hormones by increasing them puberty tends to arrive earlier if a childs parents are sick, addicted or divorced, or when the neighbor is violent and impoverished

14

Puberty Begins
Too Early, Too Late
no one wants to be early or late, particularly too early for girls and too late for boys early maturing girls have lower self-esteem, more depression, poorer body image, and boy-friends several years older often isolated from their on-time-maturing peers, and tend to associate with older adolescents
15

Puberty Begins
Too Early, Too Late
cohorts are crucial for boys early-maturing boys live in stressful urban neighborhoods and are likely to befriend lawbreaking, somewhat older boys ethnic differences in age of puberty can add to ethnic tensions in high school, especially for boys

16

Nutrition
the changes of puberty depend on nutrition, yet many adolescents are deficient in the necessary vitamins or minerals

17

Nutrition
Diet Deficiencies
few than of all teenagers consume the recommended daily dose of iron more girls are anemic due to iron depletion during menstruation of adult bone mass is acquired from age10-20, yet few adolescents consume enough calcium
18

Nutrition
Body Image
a persons idea of how his or her body looks puberty alters the entire body making it impossible for teenagers to welcome every change girls diet to become thinner boys want to look taller and stronger
19

Nutrition
Body Image
stressed teenagers eat erratically or ingest drugs hoping to lose weight Adolescents can give up, becoming lazy and fat instead of strong and thin 12% of U.S. teenagers are overweight 2/3 (62%) of U.S. girls and almost 1/3 of the boys are trying to lose weight according to survey of 14,000 school students (MMWR June 9,2006)
20

The Transformations of Puberty

every body part changes during puberty transformation from a child into an adult is traditionally divided in two parts: growth and sexuality the third division is the transformation of the brain
21

The Transformations of Puberty

Growing Bigger and Stronger
growth spurt
the relatively sudden and rapid physical growth that occurs during puberty each body part increases size on a schedule; weight usually precedes height, and the limbs precede the torso

22

The Transformations of Puberty

Growing Bigger and Stronger
growth proceeds from the extremities to the core
fingers and toes lengthen before the hands and feet

the torso is the last body part to grow

temporarily big-footed, long-legged, and short-waisted

23

The Transformations of Puberty

24

The Transformations of Puberty

Sequence: Weight, Height, Muscles
bones lengthen and harden children eat more and gain weight when, where, and how much weight depends on heredity, diet, exercise and gender girls gain much more fat than boys by age 17 the average girl has twice as mush as her male classmate

25

The Transformations of Puberty

Other body changes
organs grow and become more efficient lungs triple in weight adolescents breathe more deeply and slowly the heart doubles in size and beats more slowly blood pressure and volume both increase weight and height increase before the growth of muscles and internal organs
26

The Transformations of Puberty

Sexual Maturation
the second set of changes turns boys into men and girls into women

27

The Transformations of Puberty

Sexual Body Changes
primary sex characteristics
the parts of the body that are directly involved in reproduction, including the vagina, uterus, ovaries, testicles, and penis

secondary sex characteristics

physical traits that are not directly involved in reproduction but that indicate sexual maturity, such as a mans beard and a womans breasts
28

The Transformations of Puberty

Sexual Activity
fantasizing, flirting, hand-holding, displaying, and touching are all done in particular ways to reflect gender, availability, and culture hormones trigger thoughts and emotions, but the social context shapes through into enjoyable fantasies, shameful preoccupations, frightening impulses, or actual contact

29

The Transformations of Puberty

Brain Development
the limbic systemfear, emotional impulsematures before the prefrontal cortex (planning ahead, emotional regulation)

30

The Transformations of Puberty

Caution Versus Thrills
interdisciplinary research is needed to integrate neurology and psychology caution is needed, lest incomplete brain development [becomes] an explanation for just about everything about teens that adults have found perplexing, from sleep patterns to risk taking and mood swings

31

The Transformations of Puberty

Uneven Growth
the immature prefrontal cortex may allow troublesome adolescent behavior adolescents are capable of rational thinking as in the rest of the teenagers body, brain growth is uneven

32

The Transformations of Puberty

Neurological Advances
with increased myelinaton, reactions become lightening fast pruning occurs, and the dopamine system neurotransmitters that bring pleasureis very active before these advances are completeabout age 25new connections between one synapse and another ease acquisition of new ideas, words, memories, values acquired during adolescence are more likely to endure than those learned later, after brain links are more firmly established

33

The Transformations of Puberty

Body Rhythms
brain rhythms affect body rhythms the brain of every living creature responds to natural changes puberty alters biorhythms sleep patterns are irregular

34

Possible Problems
growth and sexual awakening, emotional intensity and hormonal rushes, all can be quite wonderful maturation can cause problems 20% of young people have one problem or severalwhile 80% are not bedeviled by problems
35

Possible Problems
Sex Too Soon
adolescent sexuality can be problematic
puberty occurs at young agesearly sexual experiences correlate with depression and drug use raising a child has become more complex, which means that teenage pregnancy is no longer welcomed or expected sexually transmitted infections are more common and dangerous

36

Possible Problems
Teenage Pregnancy
as common as it was 20 years ago in the U.S. abortion rate had also decreased contraception use is higher and teen intercourse is lower (MMWR, February 4th 2005)

37

Possible Problems
Sexual Infections
sexual transmitted infection (STI)
a disease spread by sexual contact, including syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, chlamydia, and HIV

38

Possible Problems
Protection
regular medical care can prevent and treat STIs almost every teenager knows that pregnancy and STIs can be prevented teenagers tend to confuse appearance and reality; well-dressed partners could have STIs
39

Possible Problems
Sexual Abuse
child sexual abuse
any erotic activity that arouses an adult and excites, shames, or confuses a child, whether or not the victim protests and whether or not genital contact is involved

40

Possible Problems

41

Possible Problems
Drug Use and Abuse
innocence is reflected in drug use few adolescents imagine becoming addicted worldwide most young people use at last one drug before age 18

42

Possible Problems
Variations by Nation, Gender, and Ethnicity drug use varies from nation to nation laws and family practices are a part of the reason for these variations gender differences are apparent for most drugs, with boys having higher rates of use than girls
43

Possible Problems
Harm from Drugs
adolescents think adults exaggerate the harm of teen drug use drugs interfere with healthy eating and digestion drugs appear to make problems better, which leads to abuse and addition

44

Possible Problems
Learning from experience
generational forgetting
the idea that each new generation forgets what the previous generation learned about harmful drugs

45