UNDERSTANDING ADOLESCENTS Ch 1 Flashcards
What is adolescent?
The term “Adolescent “ is derived from the Latin word “Adolescere” which means “to grow into maturity”.
Define adolescent
Adolescent can be defined as a period of transition from childhood to adulthood. In other words, an adolescent is neither a child nor a adult. It covers individuals from 12 to 18 years of age.
What are the two phases of adolescent?
The two phases of adolescent are:-
1) EARLY ADOLESCENT PERIOD - It ranges from 11 to 14 years of age. In this phase, the body changes start taking place and the adolescents become aware of the physical changes they are going through.
2) LATE ADOLESCENT PERIOD - The young people get accustomed to some of the body changes. They start demanding independence because of their physical maturity. This phase cover the period from 15 to 18 years.
What is development?
Development refers to the refinement of physical, mental and social aspects of an individuals personality.
Define development by Clarke Stewart
According to Clarke Stewart “ Developmental changes are systematic, progressive, permanent and occur over a period of time”.
What is growth?
Growth indicates increase in body dimensions. Growth happens over a period of time and occurs as a stage of maturation.
What are the principles of growth and development
The principles are as follows:-
1) It is a continuous process starting with conception and ending when an individual dies.
2) It is a systematic process. Each individual goes through the same pattern of Development.
3) Development proceeds from general to specific.
4) Each individual passes through the same stage of life. This order of growth and development remains same for all human beings.
5) The growth and development rate varies at different stages of life.
6) Heredity and environment directly influence the development of the individual.
What are the needs of adolescents?
1) NEED TO DEVELOP A DISTINCT IDENTITY:-
Identity means the way a teen feels about himself/herself. There are some important things parents can do to help increase a teens identity. They should help identify areas of interest. Every teenager has a particular area of interest or areas where they excel like athletics, music, school, art, etc. . Parents should also provide praise and encouragement to their adolescent children.
2) NEED TO DEVELOP MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS :-
Adolescents enjoy spending exceedingly more time away from home than they did at younger ages. The adolescents new found peer group is important in order to satisfy their need for companionship and fun, along with emotional support, understanding and intimacy. Although they still need these things from their families and other adults, it’s vital in their development to receive these things from friends as well.
3) NEDD TO GAIN THE CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS TO PREPARE FOR A CAREER AND OTHER ADULTS RESPONSIBILITIES :-
It is necessary to teach the adolescents the real skills that they are interested in. The teaching of skills to adolescents often results in increased achievement and thus, in enhanced self-esteem. In other words, the more skills a teenager acquires, the better he will feel about himself/herself.
4) NEED OF INDEPENDENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY:-
The transition form childhood to adulthood is marked by an increasing need for independence and for personal and group responsibility. Parents should encourage adolescents to work independently.
What are the cognitive changes in adolescents?
1) They become very critical. Adolescents develop analytical ways of perceiving the world around them. And this affects their personal, social and emotional status. Because of the resultant critical ability, they start noticing the drawbacks of parents and all authority figures. This often leads to parent child conflicts.
2) Cognition leads to unique language development. They come up with words and phrases, often termed as slangs, that are very well understood by all peers.
3) Adolescents are self-conscious of their looks. Due to their limited understanding, they feel, they are being watched by all. This makes them stand in front of the mirror for long time. They are concerned of how the imaginary audience will like their looks. As the cognition improves, the imaginary audience and self-consciousness get replaced by more mature reality.
4) Most adolescent have a unique ability to do things differently. This means adolescents are creative. They should be encouraged to develop their creative potential. Creativity improves with cognition. The environment should be flexible friendly for creativity to improve and develop.
5) The adolescents have improved visual imagery due to the growing cognition. Their imagination becomes more positive as they grow. Adolescent at this stage is not scared of failures in dreams, for they now have the ability to deal with negative experiences.
What are some specific issues and concerns of adolescent?
Some specific issues and concerns of adolescent are as follows:-
1) Eating Disorder
2) Depression
3) Substance abuse
i) Alcoholism
ii) Tobacco
iii) Drugs
4) Sex Related Issues
5) Stress and peer pressure
What is peer pressure?
Peer pressure is the influence from the members of one’s peer group.
What is substance abuse?
Substance abuse is a patterned use of a substance in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others.
Name the two most common eating disorders among adolescents?
1) Anorexia nervous a
2) Bulimia nervous.
What do you understand by early and late maturation?
Within the same sex, some grow earlier than others during the period of adolescence. Those who grow early are called Early matures and the process is called Early maturation while late maturers are the ones who grow towards the end of the adolescent years and the process is called Late maturation.
Suggest four ways of helping your friend who is suffering from depression.
1) Counselling
2) Sensitise the family
3) Provide support
4) Keep her occupied constructively
