Adolescents change in three ways: physically, cognitively, and psychosocially. It would be far simpler if changes in all these three systems occurred simultaneously but this frequently is not the case. One child may develop physically and still have the mind and relationships of a child, while another teenager looks very young but is thinking in a more mature fashion and has more mature relationships. This asynchrony among the paths of development can cause problems, and will be discussed later on in this article.
Physical Development
Physical development in a teenager is more commonly referred to as puberty. The changes that occur in puberty serve as a passageway into physical maturity. Adult height and body configuration are reached and we become physically capable of having children.
When does puberty happen?
The timing of puberty can vary considerably in a group of adolescents. Some begin puberty while still children, at 7 or 8 years old. Some may not start puberty until they are already teenagers. African American girls generally start puberty earliest, some beginning as early as 6 or 7 years old with breast development and then menarche, or menstruation, at age 8 or 9. Caucasian girls usually start about a year later, and boys in general trail the girls by 2 or 3 years. Girls can be as old as 12 or 12 ½ when they start puberty and this is perfectly normal. Boys can begin the process as late as 13 years old, and this too is normal.
How long does puberty take?
Puberty should take 3-6 years to complete. A girl who is beginning breast development by the age of 10, for example, generally begins her periods by 12 ½ or 13 years old, and is finished puberty by 15 years old. A boy who begins with testicular enlargement and the appearance of pubic hair at age 12 should be finished the whole process by 16 or 17 years old.
The growth spurt
Children grow at a regular pace throughout childhood, adding 2-2 ½ inches of height each year from the time they are 2 years old until puberty. Then, when girls are about a year to 2 years into puberty, and when boys are 2-3 years into puberty, they grow very rapidly for several months, growing sometimes 4-6 inches in less than a year, and then growth slows down. After this period of peak height velocity, or the growth spurt, an adolescent has about 2 inches of growth left before reaching their final adult height.
Girls’ growth vs. boys’ growth
Girls grow taller earlier in puberty than boys, and they start puberty earlier than do boys. This makes them physically mature, in general, at least 2 years before boys are. You can see this very graphically when you look at a typical middle school class. The girls look like giants next to the boys. But when the same class is viewed 3 years later, the boys are bigger and look just as mature. A boy has to go through the growth spurt before his body will be ready to ’put on muscle’. He can lift all the weights he wants, and he’ll get stronger, but until he’s finished most of his height growth, he won’t become more muscular.
Sexual development
Children also develop sexually during puberty. A girl will generally have her first period after her growth spurt and once she is regularly menstruating, she has only a couple inches left to grow. A boy will be able to make sperm by mid-puberty, but he has to be nearly full-grown before he’ll have an adult sperm count. He will have nocturnal emissions, or ’wet dreams’, when he’s able to produce seminal fluid (semen), about a third to half way through puberty.
Many other things correlate with pubertal development, and the interested parent or adolescent can get more detailed information from the child’s physician or from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Cognitive Development
In addition to the physical changes that mark this time, the adolescent’s mind and methods of thinking begin to change as well. This process, known as cognitive development, continues well after the physical changes of puberty are complete.
Thinking like a ’grown-up’
A child thinks in a concrete fashion and can only think about things that he or she knows from direct experience. A child can’t generalize from a single fact very well, and can’t plan into the future very effectively.
Adolescents begin to think in a more adult fashion at about age 12. Some teenagers may develop these adult methods of thinking more quickly than others, but in general, they do not begin this development until age 12. An adolescent continues to get better at this kind of thinking, and at about 15 years old, this adult cognition is fairly in place. However this kind of mental development can continue well into adult life.
The key features of this kind of formal thought are the ability to:
- Generate abstractions
- Generate hypotheses
- Consider contrary-to-fact situations
- Generate all possibilities from a specific situation
- Approach a problem in a systematic fashion
- Use combinatory logic (the ability to combine ideas to derive a conclusion)
Cognitive development needs nurturing
The development in thinking that happens during adolescence needs nurturing in order for it to grow. If a child is not exposed to abstract concepts and ideas at home and in school, then this ability atrophies, and the teenager may grow up to be an adult who is a concrete thinker is most aspects of life. If formal thought is nurtured, then the adolescent has a better chance of becoming an adult who can make intelligent decisions about life in a complex, modern society.
An adult body, a child’s mind
For many adolescents, puberty is finished as early as 13 or 14 years of age. With cognitive development really just getting off the ground at about that time, there can be considerable conflict between the adult body and the child’s mind. For example, a teenager who is still a concrete thinker can get into trouble if he can’t understand the future consequences of current behavior. It may be difficult for that teenager to personalize lessons presented to him in general terms. He may struggle with a concept if it is not described using concrete examples, or using role-playing to help him identify personally with the concept.
A realistic self-image
Developing a realistic self-image is dependent on effective cognitive development. Seeing oneself as one really is is a very abstract process. The early adolescent, therefore, has a hard time picturing a self-image, and the middle adolescent spends this period looking for different ways to be an adult. Finally, by late adolescence, a realistic self-image is possible to obtain, and the job then is to learn how to use the hand they’ve been dealt effectively.
Psychosocial Development
Closely tied to both pubertal and cognitive development is psychosocial development. This refers to the teenager’s growing ability to relate realistically to other people, to learn to become a mature partner in an intimate relationship, and to see oneself realistically. This type of development may never actually end, but a good portion of it should be accomplished before a person can be considered an adult.
There are 4 tasks involved in becoming ’psycho-socially developed’. They are:
- The ability to separate effectively from the parents both emotionally and intellectually while still retaining the bonds of family
- The ability to choose a realistic vocational goal
- Developing a mature sexuality
- Developing a realistic and positive self-image
For this type of development, adolescence is divided into 3 stages:
- Early adolescence: from about 10 to 13 years old
- Middle adolescence: from 14 to 17 years old
- Late adolescence: from 18 to about 21 or 22 years old
Those ages aren’t absolute, but they work as a good general guide.
Early adolescents (10-13 years old) display their desire to become independent in a totally non-rational, gut-level manner. They can actually throw tantrums just like 2 year olds and become clingy with a parent like a little child. The hallmark of early teenagers’ developing self-concept and need for independence is their quick embarrassment and desire not to be seen with their parents. Kids at this stage want to be with their same-sex friends more than with their families. This is the age at which parents become ’stupid,’ a condition that resolves when adolescents reach the late stage.
Middle adolescents (14-17 years old) are generally finished most of their pubertal development, and they have begun to use their new abstract thinking abilities well. They still want to be with their peers but now the group includes both sexes. Girls at this stage are deeply involved in their relationships with friends, while boys are more likely to want to ’hang out’ and do things with their friends.
Parents of middle adolescents may find they are being challenged now as never before. Long held thoughts about church-going, political loyalties, the families’ love…all these beliefs may be challenged. Teens start to become physically independent. In many states this is the time when they can begin to drive cars and hold jobs, which gives them some measure of financial independence.
Late adolescents (18-21 or 22 years old) begin to recognize that their parents may not be infallible, but parents can be their best friends. The peer group fades in importance and is replaced by a few good friends. The adolescents’ interests now focus on their educational or vocational future.
Vocational goals
Vocational goals vary during adolescence from unrealistic fantasies in early adolescence to realistic educational and vocational plans by the end of adolescence. Some cognitive maturity is necessary for an adolescent to develop self-understanding and then take that knowledge of their own qualities and apply them to a potential career.
Separating from the parents
Separation from parents, or individuation, is a necessary part of growing up and a teenager’s psychosocial development. In our society, we expect children to become independent adults. This independence does not preclude close family relationships, but the relationship between parent and grown child should be based on mutual respect. The parent recognizes that his or her child has grown up.
Adolescent Sexuality
Sexuality also is a strong component of psychosocial development during adolescence. It involves a person’s sense of self as a man or woman, the ability to enter into and maintain an intimate relationship with a significant other, and the ability to relate to other people in general.
Sexuality is a complex concept that is composed of several factors:
- Biological: one’s genetic make-up and how it is physically expressed (one’s appearance)
- Familial: the role modeling provided by and the behaviors demonstrated by the closest adults to the adolescent, usually the parents
- Cultural: the roles assigned to men and women by the adolescent’s culture and the ways in which men and women are supposed to interact
- Societal: the mix of cultural norms that make up a society. Each group’s norms are modified when they encounter the norms of other groups
All of these factors are critical in creating a sexually mature man or a woman.
Adolescent sexuality is expressed differently at each stage.
Sexuality in the early adolescent
The early adolescent is basically working on hormones and the models provided by parents and other adults close to the adolescent. These factors, combined with a new self-awareness that produces intense embarrassment, makes up sexuality at this phase. Adolescents will have romantic fantasies about ideal partners, but they will usually remain fantasies. The phone and school are the two places where early teens generally interact, and these are relatively safe forums. A great place to watch early adolescents demonstrate their sexuality is at a middle school dance.
Sexuality in the middle adolescent
Middle adolescents have become surer of themselves. Their bodies are settling down, and they are more comfortable with mixed-sex peer groups. They still have fantasies of ideal partners, but now they can try out some behaviors at parties and in cars, which can cause considerable parental anxiety. Teenagers who wonder if they might be homosexual will really face that possibility at the middle adolescent stage. Boys who are gay will usually begin to confront the issue in this period, but girls frequently don’t acknowledge it until late adolescence or young adulthood.
Sexuality in the late adolescent
Late adolescents will hopefully have reached the point at which they can begin to enter into relationships giving to their partner as much as they receive, the hallmark of an adult relationship. Conflicts about sexual preference are being worked out, and thoughts about more permanent relationships occur. Sexual behavior now frequently includes physical intimacy and more often than not, sexual intercourse, making safe sex practices very important. Abstinence is still a good option, but now young people need knowledge and practical advice in case they decide to begin to be sexually intimate with their partner.
Conclusion
Growth and development during adolescence is a multi-faceted process involving every aspect of a young person’s being. It is rapid, and it can be confusing and distressing. Given adequate support, guidance, firm limits, and unconditional love, adolescents can make it through this turbulent time with minimal damage and with a vision of a positive future as a contributing adult. |
