The major developmental changes during childhood and adolescence are iThey begin with puberty and reach their peak in adolescenceTherefore, most of what we present below can be applied to both stages, although with different behavioral and emotional expressions.
If we ask adults about adolescence and its risks, most associate it with sexual promiscuity, going out at night, family conflict, drug and/or alcohol use, apathy towards studies, and antisocial behavior. But, What is adolescence like? Is it as problematic as people think, or is it a normal stage of life? Is it a phenomenon that occurs in all cultures?We will try to give the best possible answer, thinking especially of parents and educators.
A comprehensive view of pubertal and adolescent development
Puberty marks the beginning of a series of significant changes that will affect various aspects physical, cognitive, emotional, and social of the person. These are relatively rapid changes to which the individual must adapt, not without experiencing certain behavioral adjustments, in their intra-family relationships and in which it had been maintaining until now with his colleagues.
Although these changes, especially the physical ones, are universal, behavioral and social changes can vary widely between cultures. This is easily understood if we consider that they involve... neurobiological, endocrine, social and family factors.
We will not understand adolescence and its changes if we do not take into account that It is imperative to consider all intervening factors, since ultimately adolescence is the result of the interaction between all of these factors, regardless of the weight that each one acquires at specific developmental moments.
Adolescence and the identity process
Identity-related difficulties are the first to appear. Parents and educators can anticipate that this process is beginning when we observe that the child, who has been developing emotionally until now, starts to manage their emotions with difficulty. giving rise to what we call lability emotional; They lose self-confidence enabling cavoidance behaviors; They tend to blame others for their own mistakes, and their assertiveness decreases. which results in there being many more influenceable through messages and slogans from peer groups.
Until puberty begins, children don't typically ask themselves major questions about identity, except in cases where some specific aspect of their identity conflicts with the demands of their environment. We have an example of this. in transsexuality or gender dysphoriaThe child will experience these identity problems with varying degrees of distress, depending on the demands of their family, school, and social environment. As the reference points that provided their identity change due to pubertal changes and new demands from family and peers, a new identity is established. diffuse identity characterized by:
- Family values are in crisis.
- Psychological, cognitive, and emotional instability related to biological changes.
- There appears a certain tendency towards myth-making, fueled by fantasy and a greater tendency towards idealization.
- Emotions are expressed with more exaggeration and theatricality.
- Social relationships become more selective. This is the stage where a very intense bond is established with a peer of the same sex, becoming quite exclusive in relation to other peers.
As one gets older, it is said that the adolescent must go from a diffuse identity to one of crystallized typeUltimately, it's about giving a coherent sense of personality, choosing an appropriate activity, and internalizing values that serve as points of reference and something to strive for. It's very important in an adolescent's life to achieve a satisfactory sexual orientation or identity, since the parameters that underpin a previously vague identity can no longer be sustained. This is the result of the consolidation of physical and neurobiological changes, the emergence of new interests, the establishment of new styles in social interaction and the need to use new communication codes, and the establishment of a new type of relationship with family, friends, and the adult world.
Some authors such as James MarciaThey define several stages in the evolution of identity throughout adolescence, from the identity From diffuse to crystallized: Diffuse identity, identity in moratorium, mortgaged identity, and the achievement of an identity.
The most important thing for adults who have to live with a teenager is to know that all the changes happen slowly on rather fragile ground, during which emotional support, guidance, and knowing how to balance tolerance with firmness. Parents and educators are required to be absolutely consistent. Let us always keep in mind that this fragile environment we are talking about is made up of moments of bewilderment, uncertainty, anxiety/depression, fears, anger and setbacks, frustrations and grievances, sometimes difficult for adults to process.
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