Running Head: Puberty in Boys and Girls

Puberty in Boys and Girls

Martineze Harper
University of Memphis

Puberty in Boys and Girls

2

From the day we are born, and from the day we reach adulthood through our bodies
change each and every day. We start to grow at fast rates, until we start to develop muscle and
hair and then we are like free souls just running around everywhere. At this time we feel
complete and free. Just when we think life is good our body start to change again. These
changes are not something we experience every day. Growing up children never suspect these
different amounts of changes that normally happens rapidly during childhood. This change,
according to Allen (2012), which happens during adolescence is called puberty. There are a lot
of factors that causes the onset of puberty. In boys and girls there are different emotional, mental
and physical changes that occur during this period, but before we can explain the changes
between boys and girls we must first understand puberty and what it means.
Puberty
To understand puberty we must first know what it means. We must first understand that
instead of puberty you may hear such words as maturation, adolescence, reproductive
development, menarche and adrenarche. As a child, the word puberty meant we were growing
up. Puberty brings about change within the body causing maturity. Its the stage in a young
person life, which is riddled with a numerous physical, mental and emotional changes. This
period can be very stressful for the individual and their families. According to Winsor, MagunJackson, & Muller (2015), puberty is the beginning of adolescence and the most significant
physical changes that occur (25).
Adolescent children always undergo these changes at different time periods in their life.
The time frame in which a child comes to enter puberty all depends on certain things within their
life span. Puberty depends on genetic make-up, diet, and what gender the child is. For girls

Puberty in Boys and Girls

3

according to Allen (2012), these changes often began at age of ten. Boys, according to Allen
(2012), puberty usually starts around the age thirteen (275). Although puberty starts at different
times in boys and girls we need to know what are the signs and symptoms of each gender.
Physical Changes in Girls and Boys
There are major differences between what changes happen between boy and girls.
During puberty, hormones produced by the endocrine gland will cause permanent body changes
and the development of primary sex characteristics for both sexes. For girls, the ovaries begin to
start an important increase production of estrogen and other female hormones. In boys,
testosterone is a build of sexual energy that starts from within the testicles. The adrenal gland is
a hormone that produces a variety of hormones. The gland causes an increase in sweating, body
odor, acne, and armpit and pubic hair according to Perry (2012). This process is called
adrenarche. The children will start to wear deodorant and any other antiperspirant needed.
In girls the development of breast is one of the main signs that puberty is beginning. The
menstrual period or (menarche) usually follows within about two to three years. Before the first
menstrual period, a girl will normally have:

an height increase
increase in hip size
Vaginal fluid secretions
Hair growth in certain body areas.

Puberty is usually complete around the age of 17. Any increases in height after this age is
very uncommon. Although a girl has reached full physical maturity, her educational and
emotional maturity continues to grow (Perry, 2012, p. 276).

Puberty in Boys and Girls

4

In boys the first sign of puberty is enlargement of both testicles between the ages 9-11.
After that boys will experience:

Grow at fast rates, especially height

Hair growth in arm pits, on the face, and in the pubic area
Development of should width
Growth of the sexual organs
Nighttime ejaculations
Voice changes either higher or deeper

These are only the exterior changes that happen during puberty. Internally, a boys body is
starting to develop the tools needed to reproduce. These physical changes are major in both
males and females (Allen, 2012, p. 275). These changes are the beginning of adolescents.
Adolescence
Adolescence is the time between the beginning of sexual maturation (puberty) and
adulthood (Allen, 2012, p. 276). It is a time of mental maturation, which a person begins to
show signs of adult-like behavior. Adolescence is considered to be the period between the ages
of 13 and 19 years of age. The adolescent experiences not only physical growth and change, but
also emotional, social and mental changes and growth.

Emotional Changes
As if the physical changes during puberty were not enough, there are some important
emotional aspects that people know about. These boy and girls doesnt know or understand what
happening with their bodies. These are very stressful times and we need to figure out how to
help our youth figure out these changes and how to deal with them. During some point both

Puberty in Boys and Girls

5

males and females begin to experiment with independence from their parents, but they also
become more vulnerable to pressure from their peers. At completion of puberty most of the
inner and outer conflicts begin to vanish. The most important factors in an adolescence journey
through puberty is peers, family, and school according to Mendle, Harden, Brooke-Gun, &
Graber(2012). If any of these three factors become out of balance it can make for a very
stressful situation for a young adult. This could lead to bouts of mental depression, drug,
criminal activity, and/or more.
Affects of early and late puberty in females
Every female will go through puberty but at different times. When this happens to a
female it can become psychologically damaging to her. Many females who start puberty early
often view their body in a negative way. A girl who goes through puberty tends to be bigger and
fatter than a girl who has not gone through puberty according to Mendle, Harden, Brooke-Gun,
& Graber, (2012). This makes them stand out and is usually not accepted by their classmates.
Instead of having acquaintances their age, you will see them starting to lean toward the older
crowd because they feel they are more mature. Being around older non-peers can lead the
adolescent into unwanted sex and drug experience and maybe even criminal acts.

Effect of early and late puberty in boys

In boys, early maturation of puberty is helpful not harmful. One thing we can say is that
early maturation can be perceived as a head start. We all know that being a great athlete and

Puberty in Boys and Girls

6

having strength are the main attraction for men. With us knowing this a boy with more toned
muscles and physical agility would be a role model to the other boys who have not passed
puberty. Earlier developing boys are often satisfied with their height and body image.
According to Allen (2012), seven grade earlier developers considered themselves better looking,
and in tenth graders they considered themselves better athletes. This is true because they are
having a head start on all the others that are not earlier developers. Being a late developer can
have negative effects. Late developers can become upset when their friends are physically
maturing faster than them. Boys according to Allen (2012), whose bodies are not ready for
exercises such as weightlifting are trying twice as hard to lift weights and exercise in order to be
accepted with the rest of his peers. This can be cause major damage to bones and muscles. Due
to less developed muscles and height, an undeveloped boy will not be as productive in athletics
at first. Eventually, he will mature and catch up and pass those who developed before him.
Conclusion
Physical maturation in adolescent boys and girls behavior is impacted by the reactions of
their peers. Just because a child has matured physically, doesnt mean he or she has reached the
mental and emotional maturation stages yet. Puberty timing whether the child matures early or
late compared their peers has played an important role in whether these changes have positive
negative effects on them. Boy and girls experience puberty at different times; it is up to us as
parents, friends, and teachers to explain what these changes are and how it will affect them.

References:

Puberty in Boys and Girls

7

Mendle, J., Harden, K. P., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Graber, J. A. (2012). Peer relationships and
depressive symptomatology in boys at puberty. Developmental Psychology,
48(2), 429-435.
Perry, M. (2012). Development of puberty in adolescent boys and girls. British Journal of
School Nursing, 7(6), 275-277 3p.
Winsor, D.L., Murrell, V. S., & Magun-Jackson, S. (2015). Lifespan development: An
educational psychology perspective. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.