Adolescent Developmental Problems
Introduction
Adolescence is a phase when children go through several changes as they journey from
childhood to maturity. It is also a vulnerable time for children since they may experience
several problems of adolescence, such as unhealthy behaviours, which may lead to significant
problems later in life.
1. Physical changes
Physical changes happen due to changes in the adolescent’s hormone levels. These manifest
in their secondary sexual characteristics.
- Development of full breasts in girls can be awkward in the beginning. This leads to
self awareness about their figure
- Change of voice and appearance of facial hair in boys
- Acne, particularly on the face which makes them feel awkward
- Muscle gain particularly in boys, sometimes leads to excessive body weight
- growth of pubic hair in both gender
- Body odour
- Menarche/Menstruation among girls
- Wet dream in boys
2. Substance Use and Abuse
Substance abuse is one of the biggest problems that many adolescents are faced with.
Factors influencing this include:
Peer pressure is one of the significant factors that drive adolescents to take up smoking and
drinking or to do drugs.
The tendency to take risk.
Adult role models who smoke or use drug.
Poor self-esteem and the need to ‘belong’
Easy access to substances like cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, may increase the temptation to try
illicit substances.
3. Emotional changes and problems
Hormones affect adolescent not only physically but also emotionally.
Adolescence is the age between adulthood and childhood. Adolescents are often confused
about their role and are torn between their responsibilities as growing adults and their desires
as children.
They tend to feel overly emotional (blame it on the hormones). Just about anything and
everything can make them happy, excited, mad or angry.
Adolescent girls are vulnerable to crying.
Mood swings are common among teenage boys and girls.
Bodily changes result in self-consciousness.
Children who hit puberty early may even feel weird.
Feelings of inferiority or superiority may arise at this time.
Adolescence is the age when sexual feelings arise in youngsters. Feelings and thoughts about
sex can trigger a sense of guilt.
4. Identity formation
- The period of adolescence is characterised by identity versus role confusion,
according to Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. It is the time when
they develop and exercise their independence which can give rise to questioning the
parents’ rules and standing up for what they believe is right.
- Surge of testosterone in boys can push them to get into physical confrontations. They
would also want to listen to loud music.
- As a part of their new-found independence, adolescents may also want to try new
things and take risks, resulting in careless behaviour.
- Their sense of fashion – dressing, hair styles also change as part of desire to ‘belong’
- In the course of their identity formation, they become aggressive/violent, tell lie in
order to avoid confrontation with adults (mostly parents)
5. Educational challenges
Adolescent stage is characterised by role conflict. This makes them to find academics
challenging due to their struggle for independence during a critical time of brain
development. Adolescents often want to be independent. Their brain is changing in a way that
allows them to go from concrete to abstract thinking, which can often cause them to make
poor academic choices, because as they develop their set of values, they may not give priority
to academics.
Factors influencing this include:
- pressure to juggle school work with extra curricula activities and house chores
- distractions at school
- peer pressure
6. Eating disorders:
Eating disorders often develop during adolescence and this could lead to long-term health
outcomes.
Factors influencing eating disorder:
unhealthy dieting techniques
hormonal changes – especially in girls
Abuse which may be physical, emotional or sexual
Psychological influences – Media (advertisement) Mental illness such as depression,
anxiety.
Addiction (alcohol which suppresses appetite)
Availability
7. Unsafe sexual activity
The development of secondary sexual characteristics during adolescence gives rise to
new feelings in teenagers and pushes them to experiment with their bodies.
Without proper guidance, teenagers may become sexually active before they are
ready. This could result in unwanted pregnancies.
Unwanted pregnancy is the biggest risk that adolescent girls face.
Unprotected sex can also lead to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV.
8. Health Challenges
Adolescents are vulnerable emotionally and physically.
Unhealthy eating habits predispose them to health challenges
Consciousness about their body can lead to eating disorders, especially in girls,
subjecting them to conditions like bulimia, anorexia.
Stress can also lead to loss of appetite and sleeplessness in young children.
Unhealthy eating habits and a less active lifestyle could also lead to obesity with its
attendant health consequences.
9. Addiction to Internet
Adolescents addicted to the internet tend to have fewer friends and can lead to solitary
lives as they are always happy browsing the internet for hours.
The unfortunate thing about this is that it can affect their academic performance
negatively and subsequently their life attainment.
10.
Summary of Factors responsible for adolescent developmental problems
Genetic - hormones
Personal e.g. substance abuse, Quest for material.
Environmental, e.g. poverty, family instability, poor parenting styles, material quest, peer
influence, role modelling