The final topic! Adolescence. Looking back, I have written 12 articles based on 2 modules in my studies. It is fruitful to read, reflect, and pen down these thoughts. I hope it has been useful for you.
Adolescence was 10 years ago for me! Yes, getting older, but my biological (body), social (based on responsibilities), and psychological age (adaptive capabilities) will still be young. Maybe my social age is a bit older. It has to be right since I am taking care of children. I cannot be a child myself.
This stage should not be viewed as rebellion, but rather as evaluation. As a point in time where a child has grown and is now considering his or her place in the world. Adults should not dismiss their enthusiasm as rebellion but understand that they are searching for their identities. Who knows, being negative and cynical about their dreams might crush them. Or in the case of Taka from One Ok Rock, force him to be even stronger.
Adolescence will be evaluated based on the 3 processes, physical, cognitive and socio-emotional. I wonder about those Kpop artists, who debut at a very young age, around this stage. Their identity to the world at large is an entertainer. Do they get to be themselves, other than as an artist who creates?
I shall begin with Physical and Cognitive Development. Puberty is a normative age-graded event, that happens to everybody. No matter which part of the world, everyone goes through it. Hormonal changes leading to puberty might be described as discontinuity, but it is continuity. The body starts all these changes since birth, it is not an abrupt stage of development.
I remember for myself, my voice changed at sec 2. I started to notice it a little bit, but it was confirmed when a friend told me that my voice has changed. It was a strange time.
In the brains of adolescence, the amygdale is the part that handles emotions while the prefrontal cortex handles decision-making. In teenagers, they are more prone to intuitive decisions than rational ones, as the prefrontal cortex develops slower than the amygdale. So essentially, we have a bunch of individuals who are rash because of this. I remember being so irrational, even during my late teens. It takes a while for an individual to “settle down”. As adults, our roles must be to nurture them. Allow them room to breathe, but also be firm in certain aspects.
Moving on to Cognitive Development with Piaget’s theory. At this stage, adolescents should be in the formal operational stage. If A=B, B=C, then what is A=? The formal operational person should know that it is C. Teenagers are now able to imagine the future, so they can be idealistic in creating the world they want to. Greta Thunberg is one such example. She is a young environmental activist, despite being only in her teens. Do not despise the youth. Many great artists create their best works in their early years, especially between the 20s to 30s.
It is interesting to note that during this thinking stage, assimilation dominates rather than accommodation. New information is incorporated into existing knowledge, then later on a balance is achieved when they accommodate or adjust to new information.
Adolescent Egocentrism happens also, and it involves an Imaginary Audience and Personal Fable. Egocentrism here is different from the pre-operational stage that children go through. I shall talk about Imaginary Audience first. Teenagers always believe that people are looking at them, that they are the centre of the stage. Hence, if there are any blemishes on the face, these teenagers are reluctant to go out. As for Personal Fable, teenagers believe nobody can understand how they feel, they are so unique, and also invincible. Nothing bad can happen to them, despite the evidence that may say so.
Information Processing involves Decision Making and Critical Thinking. Adolescents can choose from options when making decisions, as compared to children. But as their prefrontal cortex is not fully developed, their decisions may not always be wise. And of course, teenagers are more competent in their critical thinking. Looking back, my transition from Primary to Secondary school was not pleasant. I remember feeling constant fear and low in confidence. This goes back to how I was brought up, in a very sheltered environment. Where negative situations or emotions are brushed under the carpet. That period I only had one job, to study. Now I have more responsibilities, but somehow I like my age now. My 20s are a thousand times better than my 10s, and it’s going to get even better.
Next, I will move on to Socioemotional Development in Adolescence. Self-esteem and identity are what adolescents have to understand and grow in. Self-esteem is an overall or global evaluation of self, while self-concept is domain-specific. I might feel good about being myself, but I do know my strengths and weaknesses.
Identity is the fifth stage in Erikson’s theory, Identity vs Identity Confusion. The child is no longer just finding out what he or she can do, nor is it about taking charge, or finding out they can master a task. This is now about the individual, who will he or she be when they grow up? I can relate to this, I remember struggling and understanding who I want to be, but even after I know it, things happened and I realized that not everything is meant for me. It is more than a matter of having faith, but also about action. I remember being so passionate about drawing and writing, but not putting in the effort, so I ended up with mediocre results. Thankfully, during Lasalle, I proved to myself that I can do it if I wanted to.
This is a dangerous stage, individuals who fail here will develop identity confusion, where they isolate themselves from others or lose their identity in the crowd. I think this is important that teenagers be brave enough to be who they want to be, not who their families or friends or pop idols want them to be. This is a journey everyone must go through on their own. It is challenging, but after all, only you know who you are meant to be. Not even God can help you.
Identity is multi-faceted, it consists of the following:
Vocational/career identity (Career/work path)
Political identity (Conservative, liberal, or moderate)
Religious identity (Spiritual beliefs)
Relationship identity (Single, married, divorced, etc)
Achievement/Intellectual identity (Extent to how a person is motivated to achieve and is intellectual)
Sexual identity (Heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual)
Gender identity (Feminine, masculine, androgynous)
Cultural/ethnic identity (Ethnic group person is on, part of the world or country person is from, how intensely a person identifies with cultural heritage)
Interest identity (Things person likes to do, like sports, music, hobbies, etc)
Personality identity (Introverted, extraverted, anxious or calm, friendly or hostile, etc)
Physical identity (Body image).
In identity development, there are crisis and commitment. A crisis is when the individual chooses alternatives, commitment is a personal investment about what they are going to do. These 2 factors are taken into account when considering the identity statuses. I shall try to put myself into one of these statuses.
Identity Diffusion happens when individuals did not face a crisis and are not making a commitment. They seem indecisive, but also show little interest in occupational and ideological matters. These people are the ones who blindly follow what others do, and they have things done nicely for them. They do not need to think much about their future.
Identity Foreclosure is when individuals made commitments, but have not gone through a crisis. This usually happens when parents have set such commitments for them, so they do not have the opportunity to seek for alternatives. Hence, they do not need to go through a crisis. I imagine this is for children from rich families. They have an inheritance, or a business to take over. Or maybe the family members are all doctors, so it is likely the child has to be a doctor.
Identity Moratorium is when individuals are in a crisis, but commitments are either absent or vaguely defined. They are quite lost here.
Identity Achievement is when individuals have gone through a crisis and have made a commitment. They went through what life has to offer them and they are now ready to build their life, to be a contributive member to society.
For myself, I believe I have through all, except Foreclosure. Growing up, I am a happy-go-lucky person, with no cares in the world. That was in my Diffusion stage. Then I faced a crisis and had to stand by myself. Then in 2013 I went through Identity Moratorium, felt disappointed in myself about my lack of discipline in drawing and writing, so it was a big wake up call. I want to sign on to the police, but it failed. I worked hard in my part-time job in MOB and went through the army. I am now at the Identity Achievement stage, knowing that my gifts and talents are not my own, but God’s. I can bring light to the people around me, regardless of age.
A common pattern for individuals with positive identities is the “MAMA” cycles of Moratorium-achievement-moratorium-achievement, it can be repeated throughout life. That is why people go through mid-career changes. I might do so in the future! So exciting.
Families are so important in the adolescent’s life. Democratic parents encourage adolescents to participate in family decision-making, will build identity achievement in them. Autocratic parents who control the adolescent’s behaviour without allowing them to express opinions will build identity foreclosure. Permissive parents who give little guidance to adolescents, and allow them to make their own decisions, will promote identity diffusion.
This goes back to early childhood. Do not be negative or stifle their growth. Allow them to make mistakes, but ensure you are always there for them. You do not need to be an early childhood educator to get this fact. Think about yourself. How do you feel when you get criticized? Does it help you grow? I am not talking about empty praise, but encouragement. We all need someone to say you can do it, you will make it. Not someone cynical at every step you take.
My family is not well-educated, so it was difficult for me, being the first to pursue a Diploma. My late teens were quite a struggle, honestly. I didn’t enjoy studying in early childhood, I was confused as to who I wanted to be. Then life happened, I met God. I had a Heavenly father who could speak to me and guide me. Though I stumble so often, I thank God for being my Father. In a sense, He was my parent, and He still is.
Maybe that is why I needed to go through wave after wave of challenges. God wants to build my identity because I seemed lost about who I wanted to be. I was given too much freedom, that I got confused about where to go. Looking back, it was a fruitful and meaningful journey.
The family is important in providing Individuality and Connectedness.
Individuality is about self-assertion (have and communicate a point of view) and separateness (use of communication patterns to express how one is different from others). Connectedness is about mutuality (Sensitivity to and respect for others’ views) and permeability (Openness to others’ views). I can already imagine people who lack connectedness. These people are so common.
Wow, so families provide a secure base for adolescents to explore the social worlds of adolescence, leading them to be able to consider the needs of others. It seems that the reason why people are so selfish is that they were not secure with their families when they were younger. They were too busy making others like them. Good families will show their children how to consider the needs of others, by being considerate of the needs of others themselves! This is not rocket science. But the fact that I am so amazed by it shows that sometimes it is the obvious things that go undetected. Maybe families already have pre-conceived notions that their teenagers will be wild and rebellious, that they set strict rules, causing them to have identity issues.
In families, we need to talk about Autonomy and Attachment, and Parent-Adolescent Conflict. For autonomy and attachment, teenagers desire to have their way, causing some parents to tighten their hold over them. Teenagers will insist on spending time with their peers and believe that they are responsible for themselves, not their families. We must remember that at some point, a child will turn to peers as a support group more than the family. This is not because teenagers dislike the family, but because of the importance of friendship.
An adult needs to relinquish control over a certain area, but still guide them. Teenagers are not developed in their prefrontal cortex, so a parent’s input is still priceless. The attachment a teenager has with the family will affect them greatly. If there is a secure attachment, there is a less likely the child will turn to bad company, and likewise, if there is a bad family background, the child will turn to bad company, because at least someone out there “understands” them. This can also relate to egocentrism in adolescence, where a personal fable is involved.
Parent-Adolescent Conflict can occur. This can occur due to biological changes during puberty, cognitive changes involving increased idealism and logical reasoning, social changes focusing on independence and identity, maturational changes in parents, and expectations that are violated by parents and adolescents. The last point is interesting. It is not just a teenager, but it can be the family. Parents have to find the right balance between enforcing boundaries and giving them freedom. They should also allow adolescents to grow at their own pace, not to expect them to be complete and mature adults overnight.
Adolescents will develop well when parents show them warmth and respect, demonstrate sustained interest in their lives, recognize and adapt to their cognitive and socio-emotional development, and communicate expectations for high standards of conduct and achievement, and display constructive ways of dealing with problems and conflicts.
Next, moving on to Peers. Children love peers because they want to have fun and have people liking them. But for adolescents, they desire a smaller group and hence they form cliques. If during this period they have no friends, they may experience loneliness and a reduced sense of self-worth. That is why bad attention is better than no attention. Some kids will sway to bad behaviour, even if they know it is wrong. Another phenomenon is gathering in crowds. While cliques are smaller, crowds are large. They are associated with their self-esteem.
When they are not managed well, adolescents can go into juvenile delinquency, eating disorders, teenage pregnancy, depression and suicide. Delinquents are adolescents with a negative identity, and they reinforce that identity by hanging out with peers. There have been instances of gunfights caused by mostly males. Family background, or hanging out with bad company may have caused this. That is why families have to maintain a balance. Don’t hold on too loosely or too tight.
Youths are also prone to violence. There are 4 recommendations for reducing violence in youths.
1. Recommit to raising children safely and effectively. (Engaging in parenting practices that produce healthy, well-adjusted children)
2. Make prevention a reality. (Too often lip service is given to prevention strategies without investing in them at the necessary levels to make them effective)
3. “Give greater support to our schools, which are struggling to educate an increasingly diverse and at-risk student population.”
4. “Forge effective partnership among families, schools, social service systems, public safety, churches, and other agencies to create the socializing experiences that will give all of our youths a chance to develop along positive lines.”
For depression, there is a higher rate among girls than boys. Some factors that contribute to this are that
1. females tend to ruminate in their depressed mood and amplify it
2. females’ self-images, especially their body images, are more negative than males
3. females face more discrimination than males do
4. puberty occurs earlier for girls than for boys, and as a result, girls experience a piling up of changes and life experiences in the middle schools years, which can increase depression.
But there are efforts to change all that, albeit in a small manner. From Joy Dryfoos, there are 3 successful programs.
1. Intensive individualized attention (In successful programs, high-risk children are attached to a responsible adult, who gives the children attention and deals with their specific needs)
2. Community-wide multi-agency collaborative approaches (The basic philosophy is that several different programs and services have to be in place)
3. Early identification and intervention (Reaching children and their families before children develop problems, or at the beginning of their problems, is a successful strategy)
Finally, I just want to share about virtues. In my centre, we teach virtues, hoping to nurture children to become contributive individuals to society. However, who can say? We can label a child as a “good boy” or “bad boy”, but who knows what they will become? I don’t know whether it is because of us teachers, or the genetics, or the circumstances or friends. But I do know that everyone plays a part. It takes a village to raise a child, and that is so true. I can’t say that one person shaped me to be who I am, but it has to be the collective efforts of everybody. Even random strangers.
But ultimately, all these have to be orchestrated by God. From birth to adolescence, the one thing that remains constant is God. To Whom, I am eternally grateful. Thank You.
References
Kong, G. S. (2020). SWK104 Human Growth and Life-Span Development (Birth to Adolescence) Study Guide (5CU). Singapore.
Santrock, J. W. (2019). Life-span Development (17th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
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