Adolescence Development Stage

Adolescence Development Stage

Introduction

Adolescence constitutes almost 20 percent of the world population, and nearly 85 percent of this population lives in low-income and middle-income countries. Adolescence is teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 years. During this stage, most teens are at crossroads regarding their lives because they have difficulties with their sexuality, friendships, gender and identity (Griffin, Adams, & Little, 2017, p. 192). The adolescents often focus on themselves and believe that everyone focuses on themselves. They are also usually grappled with insecurities and fear of being judged. At this stage, most teens focus on their physical appearance as family relationships pave the way for peer groups, romantic interests, amongst other things (Shute & Hogan, 2017, p. 72). This transition period leads typically to anxiety about physical development and evolving relationships. This paper will discuss the normal development activities, Erik Erikson and other theories about developmental stages as well as crises and environmental factors that affect the well-being of teens in this stage.

Normal Development Activity

Apart from the physical changes experienced by adolescents, cognitive ability is also part of their development at this stage. Most teensbelieve that they require some space or independence (Griffin et al., 2017, p. 194). They usually have numerous arguments with their parents, who they believe are continuing to control their lives when they should be free. Adolescents brain continues to develop and slightly mature at this stage, as they think differently to children at lower developmental stages (Roeser, Eccles, &Sameroff, 2000, p. 445). Due to this form of independence, adolescents usually spend less time with family and more time with peer groups (people they believe think like them and care about their developments) (Urbaeva, Booth, & Wei, 2017, p. 2682). Additionally, their cognitive ability is due to the frontal lobes, which are essential in making decisions that are considered are complicated, considering several options and consequences, and also impulse control (Crone &Steinbeis, 2017, p. 207).Most middle-aged adolescents think more abstractly but cannot put them into action at present..

Naturally, human beings are social creatures; therefore, they are expected to co-exist peacefully besides socialization with both friends and family members.Interacting with others, especially friends and family members, can be referred to as socialization (Rathus, Berk, Longmuir, &Rogerson, 2017). During adolescence, primary socialization cannot be taken for granted as it forms the baby steps towards achieving the entire development.Primary socialization can only be got in our families, mostly contributed by family interactions. At this step, adolescence can quickly learn to differentiate between their parents and other siblings and also get to know their gender (Roeser et al., 2000, p. 442). Adolescents, in this case, understand what is socially acceptable by acting inconstrains of social norms, which enabled them to interact well with other people in the society and also strangers. Secondary socialization will occur when other people and adolescents can freely communicate in society (Urbaeva et al., 2017, p. 2681). Schools are often grounds for secondary socialization because they offer an avenue for adolescents interactions resulting in the formation of unique groupings with people they share the same personalities. Secondary socialization in schools goes the extra mile in teaching adolescents how to treat and respect adults who are not family members and how they ought to relate with their friends (Urbaeva et al., 2017, p. 2686).

The adolescents can learn the social rules of what is acceptable and what is not in a school setting. Some activities in adolescence development affect how they socialize with other people in the community and also the perception of these interactions (Rathus et al., 2017). Attachment and bonding are healthy development of adolescence emotional feelings towards parents, caregivers and other peers in their social environment (Nunes&Mota, 2017, p. 736). Regarding multiple attachments, it is essential to note the importance of consistent carer in the life of adolescence to develop affection and form loving relationships (Nunes&Mota, 2017, p. 739). The ability of adolescence to form bonds with different people is a significant emotional development because it gives the adolescents emotional stability. At puberty, children are self-aware concerning gender (Riley, Sullivan, Hinton, &Kliewer, 2019, p. 44). The maturity of social development is identified in the ability to form friendships and play separate sex groups in which adolescents are aware that they should only play with boys/girls and ride with boys/girls after school in the evenings (Nunes&Mota, 2017, p. 736).

Erik Erikson’s Theory

Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory explains that youths, especially adolescents, have two internal problems, which he refers to as crises. The first crisis, according to Erik, occurs between the early and middle adolescence stages (Munley, 1975, p. 314). During this stage, most teens face a crisis of identity versus identity confusion. Most adolescents are trying to fit into their families and societies. Erik argues that this form of crisis presents a struggle between developing a personal identity that is one of its kind, acceptable and fitting in at the same time (Cherry, 2018, p. 2). Erik believes that when the youths at this stage come unstuck from this stage, they easily identify themselves with their identity and relate well with others without losing that self-identity (Knight, 2017, p. 1048). However, those who become stuck in this stage might disconnect from society and distort the sense of their advantage. They know who they are and may become immature, emotionally and unstable adults. Erik Erikson’s theory posits that another conflictlikely to arise is that of intimacy versus isolation (Munley, 1975, p. 314). This tells that youths in late adolescence strive to strike a balance between offering support and love and receiving support and love. When they succeed in maneuvering through this stage, they develop an ability to know how to form honest relationships that are based on collective goals (Cherry, 2018, p. 2-3).However, in case the youths at this stage become stuck, this may lead to delayed emotional development and consequently remain in isolation and lonely, having been deprived of social support in the process.

Jean Piaget’s Theory

Cognitive theorist Jean Piaget believes that adolescents are in a stage in life where a person’s way of thinking follows the abstract form rather than solid form(Rathus et al., 2017).Piaget believes that youths at this stage start concentrating a lot on paying attention to self and become less egocentric as their thoughts focus on the perception of the world towards them (Muuss, 1967, p. 286). They, therefore, tend to think big and outside the box, in the broader view. Piaget refers to the cognitive development stage as a stage of formal operational. This marks the evolution from an ability to thinkand reason more about events that can be seen to the ability to think conditional or somewhat hypothetically and allow more of what-if the world possibilities (Moshman, 2019, p. 8). Piaget concluded thatdeductive reasoning andabstract concepts are preferred by youths to solve their problems during this stage, although mostare not sure about the best way tosolve their problems; thus, they end up testing a variety of them.

According to Jean Piaget, a psychologist in development, externalsurroundings are associated with provoking the learning process. Piaget argues that whatever one observes and experiences provoke the learning process becauseit’s obtaining information (Muuss, 1967, p. 285). Going by Piaget’s point of view, learning cannot be random it as to be prompted, forinstance,for a person to be interested in reading a book, they have to see the book first, and the idea of reading it will now follow. (Gibbs, 2019, p. 4). Moresolearning process occurs in stages and therefore limited in such a way that it’s tied to asingle issue.Remarkably, learning as a practical and active processthat manipulates and engages experiences, conversations, and objects with the individual purpose of constructing mental representations of the world (Piaget & Cook, 1964, p.18). Besides, he specified that the learner builds up knowledge as they discover the immediate world; philosophy is mainly based on learners making interactions and observations with phenomena, and thus they acquire ideas that they could use to advance on their previous understanding of things (Rathus et al., 2017).

Apparently, interaction, observations and new experiences are essential for learning to take place in a particular field.Before an individual’s understanding, learning only occurs where the individual perceives new things that reveal new meaning (Bronk&Baumsteiger, 2019, p.4). Thus, using this case, the individual’s view takes and changes to another turn. Additionally, the learning process is based on an individual’s knowledge; the future learning is their current level determines the individual. In many cases, adolescents view learning as a social activity because it fails to happen in a modest social environment (Gibbs, 2019, p.3). Usually, learning occurs mostly in a complex social environment; thus, it involves people and doesn’t happen at the individual level. As aforementioned, learning is not spontaneous; it, therefore, has to be provoked (Bronk&Baumsteiger, 2019, p.6). During the learning process, the learners’ cognitive engagement and motivation are essential. Therefore, a learner should be similarly motivated to manage grasping complex ideas because there is plenty of efforts needed as well.

Negative Environmental FactorThat Influence Normal Development in Adolescence:Domestic Violence

Marital violence can seriously hurt adolescent youths. Domestic violence normally ensues because of various reasons, including a lack of enough income, infidelity while others are genetic (Øverlien& Holt, 2019, p. 365). This form of violence affects adolescent youths because of their inability to do anything to help. This is because there is no peace at home, and as a result, adolescent youths do not get enough support from such parents (Øverlien& Holt, 2019, p. 367).Piaget argues that the cognitive ability of adolescents is developed, but they cannot think like adults yet. This is the reason why they do not have the ability to offer help to their quarrelling parents (Gibbs, 2019, p. 4-7). Their academics, self-esteem and identity are affected by this form of violence (Øverlien& Holt, 2019, p. 366). Adolescence is related to the stage five-stage of the psychosocial domain is manifested by role and identity confusion with an affinity to form relations with role and peers model. A dual-pathway ideal is an etiological technique to EDs that personality and social factors initiate body displeasure, which is through negative affect, dieting or both results to ED symptomatology (Orth, 2018, p.638). Negatively affectivity is described as negative emotions as well as the experience of deprived self-concept about the world around. The negative effect shown among individuals indicates distress, low self-esteem, and higher levels of dissatisfaction (Orkibi&Romen, 2019, p.736).

Aspects that facilitate the adolescent’s physical development include self-esteem, growth spurt, personality, and personality. Among the significantly used descriptions of self-esteem is that one of Rosenberg (1965), which defines self-esteem as either positive or negative attitudes towards abilities. Naturally, teenagers, on many occasions, become dissatisfied by either body sizes, shapes, or weights as they grow. As a result, they will adopt their dieting habits in efforts to purging their bodies to their preferred states (Orth, 2018, p.367). Family dysfunctions such as marital conflicts may affect adolescents’ self-esteem that results from refraining from consuming certain foods (Orkibi&Ronen, 2019, p.732). Finally, such feeding habits can become chronic, thus leading to the development of various kinds of eating disorders. Self-esteem can be mentioned as being crucial in interaction. Self-esteem is one of the major defining characters of an individual (Orkibi& Ronen, 2019, p. 732). It is an inborn character that persists throughout the life of the person. However stable it may be, it is subject to influence and even changes by external factors such as marital violence. Therefore, eating disorders can be referred to as feeding dysfunctions that are connected to self-esteem, body dysfunction, and other factors in adolescents of both genders (Orkibi& Ronen, 2019, p.732). The intensity of the research into the relation between eating disorders and self-esteem in adolescent boys is suggestively substantive (Orth, 2018, p.637). It is evident that body dissatisfaction, adolescent eating disorders and self-esteem were intrinsically connected to the experience of marital violence, and also the existence of a relationship between depression, obesity, and eating disorders.

Preventive Measures

The first preventive measure that would help prevent marital violence from happening is reading the warning signs. As a potential victim, the first thing to do is to read the signs of violence or potential reasons for violence. These signs sometimes come thick and quick, and if not navigated, might result in serious violence (Orkibi& Ronen, 2019, p. 739). Therefore, issues like life threats from partners, frustrations from financial difficulties and physical intimidation must be listened to in order to avoid violence. The second preventive measure is sharing stories about red signs that could cause violence. A person threatened by potential violence may not have time to research about shelter houses or other safe fleeing places (Karlsson, Temple, Weston, & Le, 2016, 628). Therefore, sharing with another person about domestic violence is a very good way of tipping the relevant authorities, and as such, appropriate actions might be taken to help adolescents get the necessary help. More importantly, providing counselling to adolescents who re in the middle of families experiencing marital violence can be instrumental to their psychological and emotional well-being.

Intervention Measures

One of the intervention measures taken to help lessen the negative impact of marital violence against adolescents in counselling. Counselling is the best medicine for both parents and their children. Counselling parents might be the best way of reducing future violence, which might affect their homes and children (Karlsson et al., 2016, p. 632).For children, especially those at their adolescent stage, counselling is good because it helps them realize that their relationship with their parents’ matter. It also helps them realize how important their studies are. The other intervention measure is registering children into foster care in order to give their parents time to settle their differences and redefine their relationship.

Conclusion

In summary, adolescence is a stage where youths experience puberty. Several physical developments take place in this stage where boys experience voice change, and girls start having periods. The youths at this stage also develop the cognitive ability and think in an abstract way. Erik Erikson believes that youths in this stage have two different crises and, as a result, have to successfully navigate through them in order to become emotionally mature and stable during adulthood. There are also different negative environmental factors that affect adolescents, and as such, preventive and intervention measures must be put in place in order to help the victims.

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