Adolescent development: What’s going on in there? May 2009 Janis Whitlock, Cornell University ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Cornell University Family Life Development Center Cornell University Cooperative Extension of New York City New York State Center for School Safety University of Rochester Medical Center Div. of Adolescent Medicine

Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development The tasks and challenges of adolescence In this presentation you will learn to: Identify central tasks, challenges, and opportunities Identify central tasks, challenges, and opportunities

An adolescent is a young person who has undergone puberty but who has not reached full maturity There is no consensus about the age range that defines adolescence. Most people agree that adolescence includes people ages What is an adolescent? Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

The words adolescent and adult ultimately come from forms of the same Latin word, adol scere, meaning "to grow up.“ The first recorded in English in a work written around The common notion of an adolescent as a distinct stage of development, however, has evolved slowly over the past 100 years As a result, the responsibilities, rights, and expectations of adolescents today are radically different than they were 100 years ago Where did they come from, anyway? Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

The sheer number of developmental tasks and challenges confronted The rapidity of brain development The complexity of the external environment What makes adolescence so special? Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Brain integration, it takes time.. Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Safety needs (security, freedom from danger) Belonging and love needs (family, affection, relationships, acceptance by others) Self-esteem needs (competence, respect, recognition) Self-Actualization (self-fulfilment, personal growth realisation of potential) Aesthetic needs (symmetry,order,beauty) Cognitive needs (knowing, understanding, exploring) Physiological needs (hunger, thirst, shelter, etc) Basic requirements: Maslow’s hierarchy of need Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Learn to use one’s body effectively Establish new and more mature relations with age- mates Achieve emotional independence from parents and other adults Prepare for financial independence and professional life Prepare for sustained intimate relationship and/ or family life Develop a set of values and an ethical system as a guide to behavior Identify and incorporate behaviors consistent with social expectations and personal value systems Establish a gender identity But that’s not all, there is so much else to do! Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Rapid physical development in early adolescence can create awkward moments and challenges. Extremities tend to grow first and can get in the way Asynchronistic growth can cause a maturity gap Learn to use one’s body effectively Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Gender expression evolves throughout adolescence and may be characterized by: Exploring gender and sexual identities Periods of confusion about sexual preferences, desires, and preferred peer groups Establish a gender identity Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Establish new and more mature relations with age mates Peer relationships provide powerful opportunities for growth The exclusive feeling focus on peers in early adolescence serves an important function Understanding how to fully be oneself in the context of peer relations is the task of older adolescents Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Develop a set of values and an ethical system to guide behavior Values are critical to decisions about careers, mates, and larger life goals. Values development begins early and become primary in later adolescence. Completion of this task requires integration of many other developmental tasks. Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Personal beliefs have to be squared with family, peer, school, work, and community expectations and values. Youth tend to develop personal belief systems which are largely compatible with external expectations, but not always. Youth with belief systems that differ from their environments will often experience some level of distress or difficulty Identify and incorporate behaviors consistent with social expectations and personal value systems Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Exploring romance is an undeniable and memorable part of adolescence. In early adolescence, much of this experimentation occurs in groups. Older adolescents tend to pair off and spend more time developing intimacy. Prepare for sustained intimate relationships Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

The ability to make autonomous decisions is a pillar of adulthood. Acquiring the skills and confidence needed to do this can feel trying. Adolescent separation is difficult for both parents and youth. Achieve emotional independence from parents and other adults Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Self-sufficiency is one of the primary markers of full adulthood today. Youth need opportunities to develop marketable skills. Helping youth prepare supports healthy youth development. Prepare for financial independence and professional life Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

We exist not as a mass of independent individuals, but rather in the context of a vast web of relationships; and these connections are what allow us to pursue collective action effectively…Every sector has a role to play in a caring society, whether by supporting, facilitating, or directly providing care to youths and those in need. Diane Rauner, 2000 Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development

Understanding Adolescence ACT for Youth Center of Excellence U.S. Teen Demographics ACT for Youth Center of Excellence ACT for Youth publications and presentations on adolescent development ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Development Development Resources for further information Janis Whitlock ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Adolescent Development