Adolescent Growth and Developing an Identity
Adolescent development continues to evolve as time passes. A person can be considered an adolescent from ages ten to nineteen. This decade includes various changes and personal challenges that can be affected by many different aspects such as social economic status, parent-child relationships, health and nutrition factors, education, mental health, and even gender roles, etc. Commonly known as the period of “Storm and Stress,” the adolescent development period is where G. Stanley Hall’s theory comes into play. Through this period of “Storm and Stress,” adolescents are seen to always be troubled, yet many believe this to be untrue. Adolescents begin to go through puberty during this time, although for males and females it varies. Females tend to start puberty at a younger age, usually around eleven to fourteen, although genes can affect when it begins. Males usually begin the stage of puberty at thirteen, and even though they are older, they are usually less prepared for such changes because there might not be as much support for males as there is for females. Puberty is also a time where hormones of both males and females usually boost, hence the negative connotations behind adolescents and how they may be “rude, ungrateful, or careless,” etc. In an article written by J. Jackson-McLain, it states “Lerner seeks to challenge the societal consensus that adolescents are necessarily troubled…he seeks to instruct parents how to put research into practice in what he refers to as a Positive Youth Development.” This article helps support the idea that although many people believe these negative connotations, “bad news perceptually makes news…” and that could be one of the reasons people are more aware of the negative, rather than the positive. (Jackson-McLain, p. 843)
“Society continues to act as though teenagers are ‘broken’ and in need of being ‘fixed’.” Ideas like these are influenced by the societal views at the time that the topic is being discussed. If an adolescent is having a difficult time connecting with their parent(s), and the relationship is unsteady, the idea of an adolescent coming from a broken home will be instantly associated with the child and the life they live. Yes, this is bound to affect the child, their beliefs, and who they grow up to identify themselves as, but it is wrong to say that there will as be a negative turnout. Within the person’s identity will be what will carry them along the way, through all societal and peer pressures, to become the person that they are destined to be. Lerner states that there are “Five C’s- competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring, with an additional C, contribution, if all five are present.” These five C’s may play a role in an adolescents’ life. All five seem to branch together. Confidence is key always, but especially during a time of strong hormonal change, changes in environment- such as new schools, and peer pressure. Connection is important because through good connections, with parents, family, peers, teachers, etc., there are good influences and support that can encourage adolescents to conquer things they never deemed possible. Caring coincides with confidence and connection, driven by the right morals and people, they will learn to care for others as they have been cared for. If an adolescent is not cared about much, or they may feel unloved, there is also the hope of outside resources to provide them with the care that they need. (Jackson-McLain, p. 844) There are various effects on adolescent development and how they develop an identity, many influencing one another and leading to different consequences.
The article above states important information such as the “Five C’s.” While working intertwined, they all affect each other. “Confidence, character, and connection,” are some that stand out simply because without them, there may be negative consequences. (Jackson-McLain, p.844) Lacking support and encouragement during the time of puberty and other parts of development such as accepting their bodies, sexuality, where they come from, etc., can be difficult for an adolescent. Feeling like they are unsupported can lead to self-doubt, lack of self- confidence, which can then lead to other mental illnesses such as eating disorders because they do not know how to cope with the changes. All the possible mental illnesses or challenges that an adolescent can face, may tumble onto their education. Adolescents may turn to find comfort through peers and other support systems provided in schools, such as teachers or coaches, during this time that many people view as “Storm and Stress.” As a child grows, starts going through the changes of becoming a teenager, there are not only physical changes. There are also various cognitive changes, their minds usually maturing. As children get older, they may start to realize that they can all be different from their peers. Peer pressure and bullying may stem from here and how and child, or teenager, copes with these pressures around them comes back to the support and caring that they may receive from home.
School starts to become more difficult and, if lacking support, teens may become easily discouraged if they feel that they are not doing so well. High school dropout rates have been a big issue over the past couple decades. Around 1994, there were “an estimated 3.4 million youths that did not graduate high school”, and therefore “would be ill-equipped for the modern workforce…adding costs to welfare programs, and being disproportionately represented in crime and incarceration statistics.” (A Prospective Longitudinal Study of High School Dropouts, p. 525) Although this study was done nearly two decades ago, the situation remains the same with high school dropouts. There may be an influence from the social economic status that they are a part of, but the consequences and concerns of not finishing high school remain. In a society, dependent on having even a college degree, lacking a high school diploma usually makes a person less qualified for any job, making it difficult to even find a job, therefore remaining a part of the social class that a person originally came from and that led them to where they are.
In a longitudinal study, by Egeland and Abery in 1991, and Egeland and Brunnequell in 1979, a sample group of around 200 children were chosen to be a part of a study that would last from when they were born until the age of nineteen. These children were born to young parents from ages eighteen to twenty-four, and were of Caucasian, African- American, or Latino backgrounds. Many of them also came from low income homes, all aspects that could lead to various results. Once the time came to look at the results, around forty-four children had been out of the study from around age five, or until they made the decision not to be, and the rest had either continued high school, chosen alternative programs, or dropped out. The rates varied but the average was around twenty-two percent. This is just another study that shows that a person’s background hugely affects the identity that they develop.
Social media is a big influence today. Children are around social and entertainment media at a young age, here they are exposed to social pressures of having certain materialistic items, keeping up with technology, and looking a certain way. These influences can also lead to pressure between children and their peers because of the opportunities some may have over the others. Peer pressure can take a toll on a teenager and lead to the possibility of mental illnesses and even eating disorders. “Body image concerns in girls are more common during and after puberty… Boys may also present with weight lifting injuries with the underlying problem being their body image concerns.” Although many people might believe that the possibility of mental illnesses are usually more common in females, it is just as possible for males, even if the reasons behind them are different. “Dietary restraint is one of the strongest predictors of eating disorders in male and female adolescents and it must not go unnoticed in a clinical setting.” (A Clinical Handbook in Adolescent Medicine, p. 42) “It is only through good communication skills that one can obtain the necessary and often situational or contextual information that allows for the discovery of the behavioral and social influences that lead to the important integrative diagnosis.” (A Clinical Handbook in Adolescent Medicine , p. 49) This brings back incorporating the “five C’s” and how important they are in developing an identity and going through puberty.
While an adolescent goes through puberty, they start to develop a sex drive, something they were not always aware of. Speaking to adolescents about sex, their sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases or infections, and the consequences of unprotected sex is very important. Many people come from families, or even cultures, that are not so open about these ideas, so awareness that can also be provided through school is extremely important. Even though there is a possibility of adolescents learning about these topics outside of home or school, it is better that they find out the right way because the last thing that would benefit them is finding out about it because they made a mistake instead of having been properly informed. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wrote an article on “Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing,” here there is various information based on teen pregnancy rates, how most have decreased, and some beliefs as to why this continues to happen so often.
“In 2014, there were 24.2 births for every 1,000 adolescent females ages 15 to 19…Teen birth rates differ substantially by age, racial and ethnic group, and region of the country. Most adolescents who give birth are 18 or older; in 2014, 73 percent of all teen births occurred to 18 and 19 year olds. Birth rates are also higher among Hispanic and black adolescents than among their white counterparts.”
This article was written and based off research conducted between 1990 and 2014. Looking at Table 1 in the article, the “Birth rates per 1,000 females ages 15-19” decreased by nearly fifty percent. Hispanic, white, and African American female groups were separated in this table as well, showing that many of the efforts and awareness to all people are helping rather than just helping one group over the other. “According to recent national data, this decline is due to the combination of an increased percentage of adolescents who are waiting to have sexual intercourse and the increased use of contraceptives by teens.” (Services) Often, information on contraception can be provided through schools, and some even provide contraception in the form of condoms, allowing the students to be aware of preventing not only pregnancy, but sexually transmitted diseases as well. These concepts are critical in the development of an adolescent and what forms of support and information and vital to the best path for them.
Urie Bronfenbrenner’s “Ecological Systems Theory of Development” is useful in supporting how society and its influences all contribute to adolescent development. Bronfenbrenner believed that a person’s development is always affected by their surroundings. The microsystem seems to have the most effects on a person because it is the most direct system. It usually consists of family, peers, educators, school, church, and the like. Without support from these, an adolescent may feel abandoned, or quickly discouraged. The exosystem also plays a role, because even though people within the microsystem do not have control over what happens in the exosystem, the exosystem can be affected. Within the exosystem, could be neighbors, mass media, and social services, etc. These pieces have strong influences even if it is out of the adolescents control. For example, mass media goes back to the idea that entertainment and social media pressures may not always be the best encouragement during such a new time for adolescents during development and identity discovering. (Berk)
In conclusion, during adolescent development, children go through a lot of changes that they could only be so prepared for. With the support and some guidance from parents, peers, siblings, teachers, and other important people, children can be lead to hopefully choose the right path for their future, to understand that these times may be rough yet they will be able to get through it. Through the educational support system children will hopefully be able to learn about what they are going to go through during the next years of puberty and what are some things that they may expect. Understanding that as teenagers get older, there are different kinds of consequences to their actions. Being aware of mental illnesses and eating disorders that might not be a challenge to them, but to peers around them is also beneficial because they can now become part of the support system that their peers may need too. Adolescents being capable of understanding one another and supporting each other, rather than bringing each other down could lead to a ripple effect of positivity. Learning about teen pregnancy, the rates, how a teenager’s life can be affected, and all the other consequences, can further awareness and lead to possible decreasing in all rates of teen pregnancy. Using theories such as Bronfenbrenner’s and studies such as the ones above on high school dropouts, prove that influences from society, peers, and support can lead to different paths, and patterns in these paths. The ages though adolescent development is a wonderful time. Making new friends, starting new relationships, discovering oneself, are all parts of development. Even if there are times of hardship, there are ten times more amazing moments that make up for the bad. With the right support, a child can conquer the world.