CHAPTER EIGHT ADOLESCENCE ter reading this chapter, you should be able to: + Understand the timing of adolescence, sions, its outstanding characteristics, a developmental tasks of this period, « List and briefly explain the physical, emotional, and social changes at this age and the charscrsis tic interests of adolescents in the American culture of today. « Explain why changes in morality occur during ad- olescence and their effects on adolescent attittdes and behavior. + Describe the changes in sex interests, sex behav ior, and sex roles that are characteristic of ‘American adolescents of today + Point out why family relationships tend to deterio- rate in adolescence and when and why this deterioration normally ends + Give reasons why adolescents attempt to improve their personalities and the consequences of these attempts. + Verify that physical hazards are less numerous and less important than psychological hazards. during adolescence and give some examples from each category to illustrate this point + Emphasize that normally all adolescence is not an unhappy age, only the early part of thi: period. its subdivi and theA term adolescence comes from the Latin word adolescere, meaning “to grow” or “to grow to ma- turity.” Primitive peoples —as was true also in earlier civilizations—do not consider puberty and adoles- ‘ence to be distinct periods in the life span; the child js regarded as an adult when capable of reproduction. ‘As itis used today, the term adolescence has a broader meaning, It includes mental, emotional, and sccial maturity as well as physical maturity. This point of view has been expressed by Piaget (121) when he said Psychologically, adolescence is the age when the individual becomes integrated into the society of adults, the age when the child no longer feels that he is below the level of his elders but equal, at least in rights. . . . This integration into adult society has many affective aspects, more or less linked with pu- berty. . . . Italso includes very profound intellectual changes. . . . These intellectual trans- formations typical of the adolescent's thinking enable him not only to achieve his integration into the social relationships of adults, which is, in fact, the most general characteristic of this period of de- velopment. Legally, in the United States today, the individ- ual is regarded as an adult at age eighteen, instead of twenty-one, as formerly. The prolongation of adoles- cence, after the individual has become sexually ma- ture and before being given the rights as well as the responsibilities of adulthood, has resulted in a genera- tion gap between what is popularly regarded as the youth culture and the adult culture. The youth culture emphasizes immediacy and obliviousness to adult responsibilities. It has its own social hierarchy, its own beliefs, its own fashions of appearance, its own values, and its own standards of behavior. The youth culture in the American society of today prides itself on being different from the adult culture. Conformity to the standards of the youth cul- ture has had two profound and serious effects. First, it causes alienation and protest against the adult culture and second, it is a poor preparation for entrance into the adult society marked by adult values. Adolescents who must conform to the standards of the youth cul- ture if they want to be accepted by their peers learn standards of behavior and values which they will have to revise before they are accepted by the adult culture. The sloppy appearance in clothes and hair 222 charter eicHT styles, for example, which is the approved «a, by today’s youth culture, is not acceptable adult culture and must be drastically revised i, olescent, upon reaching legal maturity, wanys ¢° ** come a part of the adult culture (18,82), be. THE ADOLESCENT YEARS. It is customary to regard adolescence as begin when children become sexually mature and engin when they reach the age of legal maturity. However studies of changes in behavior, attitudes, and yay” throughout adolescence have revealed not only tha these changes are more rapid in the early than in the latter part of adolescence but also that the behavior attitudes, and values in the early part of the period are markedly different from those in the latter part. 4s result, it has become a widespread practice to divide adolescence into two subdivisions, early and late ad. olescence. The dividing line between early and late ac lescence is somewhat arbitrarily placed at around seventeen years; the age when the average adoles cent enters the senior year of high school. When ado- lescents become seniors at school, they are usually recognized by their parents as neariy grown up and on the verge of entering the adult world of work, of going to college, or of receiving vocational training ot some kind. Their status in school likewise makes them conscious of the responsibilities they have never before been expected to assume as they take the place as “seniors” in school. Awareness of this ne and formally recognized status, both at home 2 school, motivates most adolescents to behave 9 ? more mature manner. Because boys mature, on the average, | than girls, they have a shorter period of early ade’ cence, although they are regarded as adults he" they reach eighteen, just as girls are. As a result frequently seem more immature for their ase Birls, However, as they are accorded, along with 8" more mature status in the home and school. usually settle down quickly and show a matut) ® behavior which is in marked contrast to that o younger adolescent. Early adolescence extends roughly ‘0 teen to sixteen or seventeen years, and late # yn thi dolers the petiod from then until eighteen, the at el *aturity. Late adolescence is thus a very ee cyeacence i usally refered to a the farly matimes even the “terrible teens.” Al. ey older adolescents are, strictly speaking, “teen. ia they reach twenty years of age, the label agers, which has become popularly associated reer" aracteristic pattern of behavior of young wih Om ts, is rarely applied to older adolescents, In- re usually referred to “young men” and ‘or even “youths’—indicating jaty recognizes a maturity of behavior not tng during the early years of adolescence (101). cHARACTI ERISTICS OF ADOLESCENCE tue of every important period during the life «pan, adolescence has certain characteristics that dis- tinguish it from the periods that preceded it and the Fods that will follow it. What these characteristics will be explained briefly below. Asis ‘Adolescence Is an Important Period While all periods in the life span are important, ome are more important than others because of their immediate effects on attitudes and behavior, ‘whereas others are significant because of their long- tem effects. Adolescence is one of the periods when both the immediate effects and long-term effects are important. Some. periods are important for their physical and some for their psychological effects. ‘Adolescence is important for both. In discussing the physical effects of adoles- cence, Tanner has said (156): For the majority of young persons, the years from twelve to sixteen are the most eventful ones of their lives 50 far as their growth and development is con cemed. Admittedly, during fetal life and the first Year or two after birth developments occurred stilf faster, and a sympathetic environment was probably Gi, more crucial, but the subject himself was not wegascinated, charmed, or horrified spectator that 'ches the developments, or lack of develop~ ‘ments, of adolescence. py ecompanying these rapid and impowtt eical developments, especialy during the early "it period, rapid mental developments OCCU". 1 an Bve ise to the need for mental adjustments Recessity for establishing new attitudes, Values andl interests, Adolescence Is a Transitional Period Transition does not mean a break with or Change from what has gone before but rather a pes sage from one stage of development to another. This ‘means that what has happened before will leave its mark on what happens now and in the future. Chil- dren, when they go from childhood to adulthood, Must “put away childish things” and they must ais” learn new patterns of behavior and attitudes to re place those they have abandoned, However, it is important to realize that what happened earlier has left its mark and will influence these new patterns of behavior and attitudes. As O>- terrieth has explained, “The psychic structure of the adolescent has its roots in childhood and many of its characteristics that are generally considered as typical of adolescence appear and are already present during late childhood” (118). The physical changes that take place during the early years of adolescence affect the individual's behavioral level and lead to reevalua- tions and a shifting adjustment of values: During any transitional period, the individual's status is vague and there is confusion about the roles the individual is expected to play. The adolescent, at this time, is neither a child nor an adult. if adolescents behave like children, they are told to “act their age: ” If they try to act like adults, they are often accused of being “too big for their britches” and are reproved for their attempts to act like adults. On the other hand, the ambiguous status of today’s adolescents is advanta- jg20us in that it gives them time to ty out diferent ife- styles and decide what patterns of behavior, values, and attitudes meet their needs best (58). ‘Adolescence Is a Period of Change The rate of change in attitudes and behavior during adolescence parallels the rate of physical Change. During eatly adolescence, when physical d, changes in attitudes and behavior changes are rapid sre also rapid. As physical changes slow down, so do ‘ititudinal and behavioral changes. There are five almost universal concomitants of the changes that occur during adolescence. The first ie heightened emotionality, the intensity of whicn flepends on the rate at which the physical andl psy- cpTogieal changes are taking place, Because these apouscence 223changes normally occur more rapidly during early adolescence, heightened emotionality is generally more pronounced in early than in late adolescence. Second, the rapid changes that accompany sex- ual maturing make young adolescents unsure of themselves, of their capacities, and of their interests. They have strong feelings of instability which are often intensified by the ambiguous treatment they re~ ceive from parents and teachers. Third, changes in their bodies, their interests, and in the roles the social group expects them to play create new problems. To young adolescents, these may seem more numerous and less easily solved than any they have had to face before. Until they have solved their problems to their satisfaction, they will be preoccupied with them and with themselves. Fourth, as interests and behavior patterns change, so do values. What was important to them as children seems less important to them now that they are near-adults. For example, most adolescents no longer think that a large number of friends is a more important indication of popularity than friends of the type that are admired and respected by their peers. They now recognize quality as more important than quantity. Fifth, most adolescents are ambivalent about changes. While they want and demand indepen- dence, they often dread the responsibilities that go with independence and question their ability to cope with these responsibilities. ‘Adolescence Is a Problem Age While every age has its problems, those of ado- lescence are often especially difficult for boys and girls to cope with. There are two reasons for this. First, throughout childhood, their problems were met and solved, in part at least, by parents and teachers. As a result, many adolescents are inexperienced in coping with problems alone. Second, because adolescents want to feel that they are independent, they demand the right of coping with their own problems, rebuffing attempts on the part of parents and teachers to help them. Because of their inability to cope with prob- lems alone as well as they believe they can, many ad- olescents find that the solutions do not always come up to their expectations. As Anna Freud has ex- plained, “Many failures, often with tragic conse- ‘quences in these respects, are due not to the individ- uai’s incapacity as such but merely to the fact that 224 — crarrer cIGHT such demands are made on him ata time in life wp all his energies are engaged otherwise, namely, jn yo” ing to solve the major problem created for him) ine mal sexual growth and development” (50), ” °Y ‘Adolescence Is a Time of Search for Identity Throughout the gang age of late childhoog conformity to group standards is far more importa, to older children than individuality. As was poinied out earlier, in dress, speech, and behavior older chi dren want to be as nearly’ like their gang-mates a, possible. Any deviation from the group standard is likely to be a threat to group belonging (17) In the early years of adolescence, conformity io the group is still important to boys and girls. Grady. ally, they begin to crave identity and are no longer satisfied to be like their peers in every respect, as they were earlier. However, the ambiguous status of the adoles cent in the American culture of today presents 2 di- emma that greatly contributes to the adolescent ‘identity crisis” of the problem of ego-identty. As Erikson has explained (42): The identity the adolescent seeks to clarify is who he is, what his role in society is to be. Is he a child or is he an adult? Does he have it in him to be someday a husband and father? ... . Can he ie self-confident in spite of the fact that his race or re- ligious or national background makes him a per some people look down upon? Overall, will he a success or a failure? Erikson has further explained how this sea1 obesity that plagues most to be a source of ‘ent years. In most eight and with ef- he eating of “junk ding to the . AS was 8 explained abpearance ant ae few are satisfied with “be are « 010 moe concerned about what © reason f ofthe for concern com Adol eo aac tiveness plays in oxi nlobaehita people at ae even more than children vn hat than they ate ho are tractive mee favora ly also aware of no, whe ae less atractve. They «ve im choice fo 1M important role attractiveness plas feel that then ossershiP- Consequently, when they iohenne ae {ess attractive than they had hoped plete, ton heir srowth was complete or nearly com- improve rare concerned about what they can do to “Tape eit looks. Few adolescents escape being cma conscious” tothe point where they spend pro- Portionally more time and thou Prove their looks th csr si Tamarack Un me ado cede justified they can do EMOTIONALITY DURING ADOLESCENCE Traditionally, adolescence has been thought of as 2 period of “storm and stress"—a time of heightened emotional tension resulting from the physical and glandular changes that are taking place. While it is true that growth continues through the early years of adolescence, it does so at a progressively slower rate. What growth is taking place is primarily a completion of the pattern already set at puberty. It is necessary therefore, to look for other explanations of the emo- tional tension so characteristic of this age. The explanations are to be found in the social surround the adolescent of today. Ad- can be attributed mainly to the fact that boys and girls come under social pressures ‘and face new conditions for which they received little if any preparation during childhood (136); No all adolescents, by any means, go through a period of exaggerated storm and stress. True, most a em do experience emationa instability rom Hine hich is logical consequence of the nec o> conditions that st colescent emotionality to time, tty of making adjustments t0 new POMS of behav- jor and to new ‘social expectations. For example, problems related © roMaNCe PE ‘very real at this time. While the romance is moving along smooth, ado- fescents are happy, but they become desponden’ hhen things begin t© 8° wrong, Similarly, wit yor ing insight, adotescents Bewin © tend of their school omy about their Future 229 ADOLESCENCEee or While adolescent emotions are often intense, seg Walled, and seemingly irrational, there is gen. erally an improvement in emotional behavior with Fach passing year. Fourteen-year-olds, Gesell et a have reported, are often initable, are easily excited, and “explode” emotionally instead of trying to con, Wl their feelings. Sixteen-year-olds, by contrast, say they “don’t believe in worrying.” Thus the storm and sires of this period lessens as early adolescence diaws to a close (53), Emotional Patterns in Adolescence The emotional patterns of adolescence, while similar to those of childhood (see Box 5-4), differ in the stimuli that give rise to the emotions and, even more important, in the degree of control the individ. uals exercise over the expression of their emotions. For example, being treated “like a child” or being treated “unfairly” is more likely to make the adoles- cent angry than anything else. Instead of having temper tantrums, however, adolescents express their anger by sulking, refusing to speak, or loudly criticizing those who angered them. Adolescents also become envious of those with more material possessions. While they may not complain and feel sorry for themselves, as children do, they are likely to take a part-time job to earn money for the material possessions they crave or even drop out of school to get these things. Emotional Maturity Boys and girls are said to have achieved emo- tional maturity if, by the end of adolescence, they do not “blow up” emotionally when others are present, but wait for a convenient time and place to let off emotional steam in a socially acceptable manner, An. ‘ther important indication of emotional maturity is that the individual assesses a situation critically before responding to it emotionally instead of reacting to it unthinkingly as would a child or an immature per. son. This results in adolescents ignoring many stimuli that would have caused emotional outbursts when they were younger. Finally, emotionally mature ado. lescents are siable in their emotional responses and they do not swing from one emotion or mood to an- other, as they did earlier. To achieve emotional maturity, adolescents ‘must learn to get a perspective on situations which otherwise would lead 10 emotional reactions. They 230 © cHarrer eicHT can do this best by discussing their problem, athers, Their willingness to disclose their n> i feelings, and personal problems is influ. by how secure they feel in their social telationgg partly by how much they like the “target pero ‘% person to whom they are willing to make te. Sure, and by how much the target person sw disclose to them. lo In addition, if adolescents ar to achieve uy, tional maturity, they mus lear to use emesis > thas to clear thelr systems of pent-up emo. energy. This they can do by strenuous physica ise in play or work, by laughing orby crying at all ofthese provide an outlet for pentup emoyi® energy that accompanies control over emo expressions, social atitudes toward crying are ur vorable, as they are toward laughing, unles: ve laughter is held in check and occurs only when social group approves. SOCIAL CHANGES DURING ADOLESCENCE One of the most difficult developmental tasks of ado lescence relates to social adjustments. These ad ments must be made to members of the opposite «x in a relationship that never existed before and ts adults outside the family and school environmen To achieve the goal of adult patterns of soc ization, the adolescent must make many new adjust ‘ments, the most important—and, in many respects the most difficult—of which are those to the in Creased influence of the peer group, changes in soci behavior, new social groupings, new values in tien ship selection, new values in social acceptance 3nd fejection, and new values in the selection of leaders (56). Increased Peer-Group Influence Because adolescents spend. most of their ti® autside the home with members ofthe peers!" uttlestandable that peers would havea gr! fluence on adolescent attitudes, speech, interes s Pearance, and behavior than the family has. Mos te olescents, for example, discover that if they ee Same type of clothes as popular group me “ (96, wear, their chances of acceptance are enhanced