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Communication Along with an improvement in thinking abilities in adolescence comes a greater capacity for effective communication. The nature of boys and girls communication becomes increasingly different during adolescence. Boys appear to talk more in terms of competitive conversation comparing knowledge and experiences Girls talk more about themselves, feelings, and relationships

© 2009 Cengage Learning, Inc. Friendships in adolescence More complete friendships begin to develop Adolescents describe friendship using terms like trust, loyalty, intimacy, and commitment Gender differences are apparent: Female friendships reflect more supportive and emotional aspects Male friendships reflect more shared interests

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Major psychological hazards for adolescents Conduct Disorder Involve a constellation of behaviors such as: stealing bullies, threatens, or intimidates others fire setting physically cruel to animals truant from school before the age of 13 running away from home physical assault May be related to factors such as temperament or personality, deficits in moral development, family structure and environment (divorced parents, absent fathers, uncaring and abusive parents), and negative modeling

© 2009 Cengage Learning, Inc. Delinquency A lot of delinquent behavior is related to status in the peer group Delinquent acts are committed both with peers and for peers When deviant behavior occurs at early ages the problem is seen as conduct disorder When the behaviors lead to illegal acts by juveniles the problem is considered delinquency

© 2009 Cengage Learning, Inc. Gangs Seem to be related to the developmental need for young people to associate with peer groups Gangs often play a very important function for young people by providing social support, bonding, and protection from rival gangs Long term studies have found that the most important risk factor for gang membership is growing up in a neighborhood with poverty where there is little attachment to people and social institutions. Why???

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© 2009 Cengage Learning, Inc. Depression In childhood, up to puberty, more boys than girls are depressed In late adolescence the number of girls experiencing depression is twice that of boys Do you know what the most significant factor related to depression in girls is?

© 2009 Cengage Learning, Inc. Body image!!! Research shows that girls interpret their maturing bodies negatively. Why do you think that is?

© 2009 Cengage Learning, Inc. Adolescent Self-Esteem Self-esteem: a global evaluation of one’s self; one’s sense of self- worth; a favorable or unfavorable attitude toward the self Strategies for enhancing self concepts: Encouraging achievement Promoting competencies in specific areas Providing peer and parental support Developing coping skills At what age should parents start working on their child’s self-esteem?

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© 2009 Cengage Learning, Inc. It really depends on the child. As we know, each child is different so we can’t use a cookie cutter approach. Human Service Professionals must find the method that works best for each child. Family intervention and social-skills training have best results reducing recidivism.