Adolescence
DESCRIBE ADOLESCENCE
Adolescence is the transition stage between childhood and adulthood. It is also referred to as teenage years and puberty. During puberty,both boys and girls experience hormonal changes that occur in their early youth.The period of adolescence can extend well beyond the teenage years which can be between 10 – 24 years.The development characteristics of an adolescent include physical,cognitive and social emotional development.They are further divided into three different stages:
The first stage being the early adolescence (11 – 13 years of age).This is where both sexes grow body hair, increased perspiration and oil production in hair and skin, they grow capacity for abstract thought, struggles with sense of identity, feel awkward about one’s self and one’s body and worry about being normal.
In girls, breasts and hip develop on set of menstruation, mostly interested in the present with limited thought to the future and increased influence of peer group.
The boys develop growth in testicles and penis, they experience wet dreams, deepening of voice, physical growth as they gain height and weight, intellectual interests expand and become more important, deeper moral thinking, desire for independence, tendency to return to “childish” behavior particularly when stressed up and growing sexual interests.
The second stage is the middle adolescence(14 -18 years)where puberty is completed and physical growth for girls slows down while for boys continues.In cognitive development there is continued growth of capacity for abstract thought,greater capacity for setting goals,thinking about the meaning of life and in social emotional development.There is intensive self-involvement changing between high expectations and poor self concept,worries about being normal, tendency to distance themselves from parents,increased sexual interest with feelings of love and passion,driven to make friends and greater reliance on them.
Late adolescence is between 19 – 24
Adolescence is the transition stage between childhood and adulthood. It is also referred to as teenage years and puberty. During puberty,both boys and girls experience hormonal changes that occur in their early youth.The period of adolescence can extend well beyond the teenage years which can be between 10 – 24 years.The development characteristics of an adolescent include physical,cognitive and social emotional development.They are further divided into three different stages:
The first stage being the early adolescence (11 – 13 years of age).This is where both sexes grow body hair, increased perspiration and oil production in hair and skin, they grow capacity for abstract thought, struggles with sense of identity, feel awkward about one’s self and one’s body and worry about being normal.
In girls, breasts and hip develop on set of menstruation, mostly interested in the present with limited thought to the future and increased influence of peer group.
The boys develop growth in testicles and penis, they experience wet dreams, deepening of voice, physical growth as they gain height and weight, intellectual interests expand and become more important, deeper moral thinking, desire for independence, tendency to return to “childish” behavior particularly when stressed up and growing sexual interests.
The second stage is the middle adolescence(14 -18 years)where puberty is completed and physical growth for girls slows down while for boys continues.In cognitive development there is continued growth of capacity for abstract thought,greater capacity for setting goals,thinking about the meaning of life and in social emotional development.There is intensive self-involvement changing between high expectations and poor self concept,worries about being normal, tendency to distance themselves from parents,increased sexual interest with feelings of love and passion,driven to make friends and greater reliance on them.
Late adolescence is between 19 – 24