Adolescence Puberty and Problems

  • adolescence
  • chapter 10
  • what is adolescence?
  • adolescence extends from 13-18 years.
  • around age 13,puberty begins,consisting of:
  • rapid physical growth
  • changes in body proportions
  • sexual maturation
  • personality shifts
  • from 16-18 years,adolescents seek 2 establish a personal identity & independence from their family
  • exploration,experimentation,& self expression r common:
  • new uses of language
  • clothing & musical tastes
  • friendships & intimate/ sexual relationships
  • during 16-18 years,adolescent:
  • test limits & boundaries set by parents (conflicts occurs more frequently between adolescents & parents)
  • discover area of their abilities & weaknesses
  • make mistakes while learning many skills & problem solving strategies
  • adolescence-nutrition
  • although both male & female adolescents have an increased appetite ,they have a tendency 2 skip nutritious meals & instead consume many empty calorie,high fat,unhealthy-type foods
  • because of their body image,many adolescents will engage in fad diets,or diet by eating less or not @ all
  • adolescence- eating disorders
  • anorexia nervosa & bulimia involve:
  • an abnormal obsession with body w8
  • fear of becoming over-w8 & obese
  • distorted view of 1’s body image
  • affects teenage girls more than boys
  • anorexia nervosa adolescents r perfectionist,they often diet & engage in excessive exercise.
  • they can die from the condition
  • bulimia adolescents consume huge amounts of food that r then purged from the body by vomiting or using excessive amounts of laxatives.
  • they often suffer from eroding teeth & throat complications
  • adolescence safety
  • the leading cause of death among us teenagers 2day is death from accidents involving alcohol &/ or drug use while driving
  • suicide is the 2nd leading cause od death:
  • more females attempt suicide
  • males r more successful @ killing themselves
  • gay & lesbian youth r about 6 times more likely than non-gay youth 2 attempt suicide
  • adolescence sex
  • although teen pregnancies have declined,levels r still high as well as 4 sexually transmitted disease
  • the most common of std’s during adolescence include chlamydia,herpes,& venereal disease
  • almost half of all new std’s r contracted among those between 15 & 24 years.
  • 1 in 4 teen girls between 15 & 19 years hs @ least 1 std
  • adolescence-cognitive development
  • piaget referred 2 this period as “formal operations”,where adolescents gain the ability 2 understand people,events,& circumstances with flexible abstract reasoning.
  • 4 example,adolescents use scientific reasoning where they quickly generate hypothesis about something & logically work through alternatives while solving a problem (trial & error).
  • adolescence- distorted thinking
  • pseudostupidity consist of “blowing things out of proportion” & than reacting indecisively (unable 2 make decisions or good decisions)
  • imaginary audience is the belief that they r the center of every1’s attention & as a result they become self-conscious about their appearance & actions.
  • personal invincibility is the belief that bad things will not happen 2 them & as a result they engage in risky behaviors.
  • unprotected sex,drinking & driving
  • apparent hypocrisy is the incongruence between what they say they believe & how they act
  • parenting adolescents
  • parents must learn 2 allow their adolescent children 2 individuate (separate) from the family system:
  • gradually relinquishing control
  • placing increasing amounts of personal responsibility on the adolescent so as 2 help them 2 become self-regulated
  • parents must discover ways 2 help teens learn 2 make good decisions that minimize potential harm 2 themselves & others.
  • open communication becomes key.
  • requires patience & effort
  • what is early adulthood/
  • early adulthood spans from 18-45 years
  • during this time the young adults typically:
  • become more mature in family status
  • become btr @ solving their own problems
  • learn from their mistakes
  • support themselves financially
  • live by themselves or in an intimate relationship
  • parenting young adults
  • during the earlier ages of early adulthood,parents begin 2 support their child’s individuation by sharing power & allowing them 2 make their own decisions
  • re-nested families: occurs when young adult children experience some type of economic or personal crisis or transitional life event (such as job loss or divorce) & then they turn 2 their family 4 support & live in their home.(mostly males)
  • becoming a grandparent
  • 2day,it is not unusual 4 some1 in their late 30’s or early 40’s 2 become a grandparent
  • most grandparents take an active role in raising & providing care 4 their grandchildren
  • however,this depends on proximity: (how far grandparents & grandchildren live from each other)
  • caring 4 aging parents
  • because human life expectancy is longer,caring 4 an aging parent is more common 2day
  • yet not all families desire nor can afford 2 purchase care-giving services 4 elderly members & thus they take on the responsibility themselves
  • more ethnic minority than white families
  • the majority of adult children caregivers r women (most r middle-aged,married,parents themselves,& working full-time)
  • creates stress on marriage & can lead 2 ‘burnout” &/or elderly abuse
  • parenting in single-parent family systems
  • chapter 11
  • what R single-parent family systems?
  • a single-parent family system is created from:
  • divorce,desertion,or separation
  • death of an adult
  • giving birth 2 a child out of wedlock

divorce is the most common reason.

  • single-parent family systems R composed of:
  • an adult male or female parent
  • & 1 or more children under 18 years of age who typically reside in separate households following a divorce.
  • single-parent family systems
  • account 4 about 32% of all u.s.family types with children
  • more prevalent among african americans
  • single-parent family systems
  • R typically headed by women who have sole custody
  • those headed by men R on the rise
  • many of these include unmarried cohabitating partners
  • divorce
  • divorce is a process rather than an event
  • is experienced by the whole family system rather than the adults al1
  • often the functioning of the parent-child relationship is disrupted because adults become more focused on their own needs rather than on the needs of their children.
  • divorced parents create new rules,roles,& interaction patterns.
  • children often learn 2 sets of patterns because they R now members of 2 single-parent family systems composed of the custodial parent & the non-custodial parent.
  • the non-custodial parent also reorganizes interaction patterns,boundaries,& rules that govern how he or she relates 2 the single-parent family system headed by the custodial parent.
  • these often include visitation rights & major decisions that directly affect children’s welfare.
  • divorce-child outcomes
  • when parents divorce,children go through 3 stages:
  •  initial stage-
  • occurs after parents inform children of their decision 2 separate.
  • it is marked by high levels of stress,a mood of unhappiness,& sometimes aggressive conflicts.
  • transition stage:
  • commences about 1 year after the parents’ separation & lasts 4 up 2 3 years
  • @ this time high emotionalism hs decreased & new family system patterns R established in terms of life style,home structure (rules),& visitation with the non-custodial parent.
  • re-stabilization stage:
  • occurs about 5 years after the separation when the new single-parent family system or step family hs been completely established,is functioning,& all members R familiar with the family’s structure
  • boys have more adverse reactions 2 parental divorce
  • girls react more adversely 2 parents remarriage
  • preschoolers
  • increase aggressiveness
  • negative attention-getting behaviors such as whining or destroying toys
  • regress from toilet training
  • school age children
  • drop in their school performance
  • fight with their siblings & peers
  • lie & steal
  • adolescents
  • drop in their school performance
  • experiment with drugs,sex,& delinquency
  • become depressed
  • increase conflicts with parents
  • divorce-child custody
  • before the 1920’s,child custody was automatically assigned 2 the father;women had no legal rights
  • 2day child custody is awarded 2 either or both parents depending on the what is the “best interests” 4 the welfare of the child.
  • 2day,90% of all divorce child custodies R awarded 2 the mother.
  • divorce-uncivil parents
  • many times divorced parents press their hurtful feelings on their children that is often unhealthy & establishes difficulties with parental loyalty:
  • cut down is when parents make negative or derogatory comments about the other parent
  • messenger is when the parents solicits a child 2 be a messenger as means of communicating with the other parent.
  • i-spy is when parents employ the child 2 find out what the other parent is doing
  • single-parent families headed by fathers
  • 2day,the idea that men R jst as capable as single-parent mothers in caring 4 their children is a new concept.
  • fathers R particularly competent when they have been actively involved in child care since a child’s infancy & when they willingly accept child custody after divorce.
  • single-parent fathers tend 2 share household tasks with children rather than secure help from outside & expect daughters 2 help more than sons
  • single-parent mothers tend 2 perform all these tasks themselves rather than expect children 2 cooperate that causes role strain.