ADOLESCENCE

The adolescence period is from thirteen to seventeen. There are many changes and a lot of them
are physical; puberty. During puberty, young people attain an adult-sized body and become
capable of producing offspring. (Berk, 2013, pg 202). The body image is changing dramatically
for both boys and girls. It is stated that primary sexual characteristics, involve the reproductive
organs directly (ovaries, uterus, and vagina in females; penis, scrotum, and testes in males).
Others, called secondary sexual characteristics, are visible on the outside of the body and serve
as additional signs of sexual maturity (for example, breast development in females and the
appearance of underarm and pubic hair in both sexes). (Berk, 2013, pg 203). They will have
questions and a parent would like for the teen to come to them with those questions (at least
some parents will be ready for their child to come to them with those questions).
Around the adolescence stage there are some teens that are not as active as they were when they
were younger. They start to watch more television and play videos instead of getting out and
exercising. It is very important to let our children know early on how important it is to get
exercise. Help them find an outside interest that will help them to move that body and get fresh
air.
Language is a development that teens will master. Adolescents Master syllable stress patterns
of abstract words; comprehends over 40,000 words, including many abstract terms; understands
subtle, non-literal word meanings, as in sarcasm, irony, and proverbs; continues to refine
complex grammatical structures; ability to communicate clearly and in accord with social
expectations in diverse situations improves. (Berk, 2013, pg 395). With their vast
understanding of language, some teens start to write stories, poems, and music.
Teens learn to think differently as they get older. They think logically and hypothetically taking
the time to think things through. They become more responsible and make their own choices
such as wanting to hold a job to have their own income; if they want to continue their education
after graduation. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015, para 3).
Children will go through a period of aggression. As they get older, the aggression should begin
to diminish generally because teen-agers start to see things different in life. While the teen gets
older, if their sense of aggression does not seem to change and may get more aggressive, this is a
red flag. At first try talking to your child; communication may be what the doctor ordered. If
that doesnt work, try getting help through your social environment. There are many resources
such as counseling that can help.
Try to keep up with who your child spends most of their time with. Who are their friends?
Where does your teen hang out? It is very important to know these things in case they are
hanging around bad social influences. Please do not act aggressively with your teen when asking
these questions or you could push them away.

Make sure you talk to you kids no matter how old they are. Look for signs of things such as
depression, suicide, anorexia, bulimia; these are situations that may hinder a teen. Adolescents
need calming and understanding words from their parents or caregivers. The right words mean
the world to anyone.

References:
Berk, L. E., (2013). Child Development Ninth edi. Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River,
NJ.
CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2015). Developmental Milestones
Teenagers. Retrieved from:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolescence2.html
Images References:
www.fifty-five-plus.com
www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au