Stages of Adolescence

Adolescence, these years from puberty to adulthood, may be roughly divided into three stages: early
adolescence, generally ages eleven to fourteen; middle adolescence, ages fifteen to seventeen; and late
adolescence, ages eighteen to twenty-one. In addition to physiological growth, seven key intellectual,
psychological and social developmental tasks are squeezed into these years. The fundamental purpose of
these tasks is to form ones own identity and to prepare for adulthood.

Physical Development
Puberty is defined as the biological changes of adolescence. By mid-adolescence, if not sooner, most
youngsters physiological growth is complete; they are at or close to their adult height and weight, and are
now physically capable of having babies.

Intellectual Development
Most boys and girls enter adolescence still perceiving the world around them in concrete terms: Things
are either right or wrong, awesome or awful. They rarely set their sights beyond the present, which
explains younger teens inability to consider the long-term consequences of their actions.

By late adolescence, many youngsters have come to appreciate subtleties of situations and ideas, and to
project into the future. Their capacity to solve complex problems and to sense what others are thinking
has sharpened considerably. But because they are still relatively inexperienced in life, even older teens
apply these newfound skills erratically and therefore may act without thinking.

Emotional Development
If teenagers can be said to have a reason for being (besides sleeping in on weekends and cleaning out the
refrigerator), it would have to be asserting their independence. This demands that they distance
themselves from Mom and Dad. The march toward autonomy can take myriad forms: less overt affection,
more time spent with friends, contentious behavior, pushing the limitsthe list goes on and on. Yet
adolescents frequently feel conflicted about leaving the safety and security of home. They may yo-yo
back and forth between craving your attention, only to spin away again.

Social Development
Until now, a childs life has revolved mainly around the family. Adolescence has the effect of a stone
dropped in water, as her social circle ripples outward to include friendships with members of the same
sex, the opposite sex, different social and ethnic groups, and other adults, like a favorite teacher or coach.
Eventually teenagers develop the capacity for falling in love and forming romantic relationships.
Not all teenagers enter and exit adolescence at the same age or display these same behaviors. Whats
more, throughout much of adolescence, a youngster can be farther along in some areas of development
than in others. For example, a fifteen-year-old girl may physically resemble a young adult but she may
still act very much like a child since it isnt until late adolescence that intellectual, emotional and social
development begin to catch up with physical development.

Is it any wonder that teenagers sometimes feel confused and conflicted, especially given the limbo that
society imposes on them for six to ten years, or longer? Prior to World War II, only about one in four
youngsters finished high school. It was commonplace for young people still in their teens to be working
full-time and married with children. Today close to three in four youngsters receive high-school diplomas,
with two in five graduates going on to college. As more and more teens have extended their education,
says Dr. Joseph Rauh, a specialist in adolescent medicine since the 1950s, the age range of adolescence
has been stretched into the twenties.

Reflect back on your own teenage years, and perhaps youll recall the frustration of longing to strike out
on your ownbut still being financially dependent on Mom and Dad. Or striving to be your own person
yet at the same time wanting desperately to fit in among your peers.

Adolescence can be a confusing time for parents, too. For one thing, they must contend with their
childrens often paradoxical behavior. How is it that the same son given to arias about saving the rain
forest has to be nagged repeatedly to sort the recycling? Or that in the course of an hour your daughter
can accuse you of treating her like a baby, then act wounded that you would expect her to clear the table
after dinner?

But beyond learning to anticipate the shifting currents of adolescent emotion, mothers and fathers may be
struggling with some conflicting emotions of their own. The pride you feel as you watch your youngster
become independent can be countered by a sense of displacement. As much as you may accept
intellectually that withdrawing from ones parents is an integral part of growing up, it hurts when the
child who used to beg to join you on errands now rarely consents to being seen in public with you, and
then only if the destination is a minimum of one area code away.

Its comforting to know that feeling a sense of loss is a normal responseone that is probably shared by
half the moms and dads standing next to you at soccer practice. For pediatricians, offering guidance and
advice to parents makes up a considerable and rewarding part of each day.

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/Stages-of-Adolescence.aspx