EDUC 505 ADVANCE EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Prof. Majerah B. Salik EdD.

Adolescent Development

Needs and problems of adolescents with special reference to Indian

conditions
Measure for Solution

Adolescence
From a Latin word adolescere “to grow up, to mature.”
 Adolescence is a developmental period during which dependent children grow
into independent adults. This period usually begins at about age 10 years and lasts until
the late teens or early 20s. During adolescence, children undergo
striking physical, intellectual , and emotional growth.

Biological development

Puberty
A period of several years in which rapid physical growth and psychological
changes occur, culminating in sexual maturity. The average age of onset of puberty is at
11 for girls and 12 for boys.
Growth Spurt
The adolescent growth spurt is a rapid increase in the individual's height and
weight during puberty.

Reproduction-related changes

Primary Sex Characteristics

The changes that mark the beginning of puberty for girls and boys.
Secondary Sex Characteristics
Other external changes that make adolescent look like mature men and women.

Intellectual and Behavioral Development

In early adolescence, children begin to develop the capacity for abstract, logical
thought. This increased sophistication leads to an enhanced awareness of self and the
ability to reflect on one’s own being. The adolescent also has a preoccupation with
physical appearance and attractiveness and a heightened sensitivity to differences from
peers.

Emotional Development in Adolescents

 During adolescence, the regions of the brain that control emotions develop and
mature. This phase is characterized by seemingly spontaneous outbursts that can be
challenging for parents and teachers who often receive the brunt. Adolescents gradually
learn to suppress inappropriate thoughts and actions and replace them with goal-oriented
behaviors.
The emotional aspect of growth is most trying, often taxing the patience of
parents, teachers, and clinicians. Emotional lability is a direct result of neurologic
development during this period, as the parts of the brain that control emotions mature.
Frustration may also arise from growth in multiple domains.

Social and Psychological Development

The family is the center of social life for children. During adolescence, the peer
group begins to replace the family as the child’s primary social focus. Peer groups are
often established because of distinctions in dress, appearance, attitudes, hobbies,
interests, and other characteristics that may seem profound or trivial to outsiders.
Initially, peer groups are usually same-sex but typically become mixed later in
adolescence. These groups assume an importance to adolescents because they provide
validation for the adolescent’s tentative choices and support in stressful situations.

Sexuality and Gender

As adolescents navigate their sexuality , they may also begin to question their gender
identity.
Sex refers to a person's biologic status: male, female, or intersex.
Sexual orientation refers to the sex to which a person is sexually attracted (if
any).
Gender identity is the subjective sense of knowing to which gender one belongs;
ie, whether people regard themselves as male, female, transgender, or another
identifying term (eg, genderqueer, nonbinary, agender).
Gender expression is the objective, public expression of gender identity and
includes everything that people say and do to indicate to themselves and to others
the degree to which they are the gender that they identify with.
Needs and problems of adolescents with special reference to Indian
Conditions
Empowering adolescent girls and boys in India
India has the largest adolescent population in the world, 253 million,
and every fifth person is between 10 to 19 years. India stands to benefit
socially, politically and economically if this large number of adolescents
are safe, healthy, educated and equipped with information and life skills to
support the country’s continued development.
About 43 percent of girls drop out before completing secondary education
due to household responsibilities, marriage, child labour, limited
relevance of education for employment and employability, distance to
school and/or lack of sanitation facilities at the school. Menstruation
disrupts the lives of girls in ways that are unimaginable in many countries.
At least 42 percent of girls in India use cloth rather than disposable
sanitary napkins.
Child marriage, a deeply rooted social norm, provides glaring evidence of
widespread gender inequality and discrimination. Estimates suggest that
each year, at least 1.5 million girls under 18 get married in India, which
makes it home to the largest number of child brides in the world - alone
accounting for a third of the global total.
Girls who become pregnant as adolescents are at a higher risk of maternal
and newborn disease and death. About nine per cent of adolescent girls
aged 15-19 years old in rural areas, and five per cent in urban areas, have
begun childbearing.
Critical game changers in leveraging the potential of adolescents in India
include postponing marriage, improving the health and nutritional status of
adolescent girls, generating better education, skill development, work and
citizenship opportunities for adolescent girls and boys.

Measure for Solution

 UNICEF in collaboration with the Government of India, also seeks to
build India’s 253 million adolescents as active participants, rather than passive
beneficiaries, in the process of their empowerment. They are the leaders of today,
not tomorrow.
The aim is to develop their skills and bring their voices more prominently
in the public domain so that they can influence policies and programmes
concerning them now and in the future.
The aim is to institutionalise adolescent participation through formal
platforms at the block, district, state and national level and through informal
platforms such as youth-led networks. To stregnthen adolescent participation an
equal number of girls and boys must participate. Engaging peer support leaders is
key to adolescent participation and skilling. The focus is also on ensuring
adolescents have opportunities to develop employable skills, both in school and
out of school.

Prepared by:
LAILAH M. MATO
1 MAED B