Chapter 5:

the challenges
of
middle & late
adolescence
 Challenges during
Pg 56
the
adolescence
3
Attitudes and behavior toward sexuality
and sexual relationships
Puberty drives the adolescent to experience
surges of sexual desires, which often lead
them to experimentation and exploration.
While this is often healthy to engage in,
there is the danger of losing control over
one’s sexual desires which inevitably end up 4
THEIR SEXUALITY SHOULD BE
ABLE TO DRAW THEIR LIMITS
IN TERMS OF SEXUAL
EXPRESSIONS, AND SHOULD BE
RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO SEE
THE FUTURE RESULTS OR
CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR
BEHAVIOR. SEXUAL
RELATIONSHIP IS HEALTHY
WHEN THE ADOLESCENT SEES
THIS AS PART OF A LOVING
RELATIONSHIP AND NOT AS 5
 Academic concerns

The role of a student is the primary role of

an adolescent who is still in school. Although
there are other roles he or she may take,
being a student takes primary importance.
Being responsible is called for when dealing
with academic challenges. BE AWARE 6
 Discipline, openness, perseverance,
diligence, excellence, curiosity,
analytical and critical thinking,
memory, understanding, cooperation
and team work, respecting other
people’s opinions and beliefs, social
interactions, leadership and
followership are some of the more
important skills and values that an
adolescent can also learn while in
school. 7
GROUP
BELONGI
NGNESS
An adolescent wants to belong.
While there is an urge to be
independent and autonomous
from his family and parents,
there is also an urge to seek a
replacement of this support
system, this time in the form of
social groupings such as school 8
AN ADOLESCENT WITH A LOW
SELF-ESTEEM MIGHT BE DRAWN
BELONGI
TOWARDS ORGANIZATIONS
NGNESS
THAT PROMISE CAMARADERIE
IN THE
FORM OF ‘’WALAG IWANAN’’,
‘’ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR
9
AND
NUTRITI
ON
A healthy mind and body is
what every adolescent (and
everybody else) should strive.
However, adolescents, because
of their growing bodies and
brains, are gifted with so much
energy that seems inexhaustible,
resulting in abuse of one’s body 10
AVOID UNHEALTHY FOODS SUCH
BELONGI
AS ITEMS LADEN WITH BAD OILS
AND FAT OFTEN SERVED IN FAST
NGNESS
FOOD CHAINS AND DRINKS THAT
CONTAIN HIGH AMOUNT OF
PROCESSED SUGAR. DRINK
PLENTY OF CLEAN WATER AND 11
 Developing and regaining self-esteem
Adolescents who are creating their self-
identity should be objective and balanced
when viewing themselves. Being objective
means seeing one’s self as having both
strengths and weaknesses or having positive
and negative characteristics. Balancing how
one sees one’s self to avoid over-emphasizing 12
 RELATED TO SELF-ESTEEM IS
ONE’S PERCEPTION OF ONE’S
BODY TYPE. ADOLESCENTS AT
THIS AGE ARE VERY SELF-
CONSCIOUS, AND OFTEN VIEW
THEMSELVES AS
UNATTRACTIVE, LACKING THE
KIND OF PHYSICAL LOOK THAT
IS OFTEN DICTATED BY THE
ADVERTISING AND THE IMAGE
BUSINESSES. 13
 ROLES
ALL HUMAN BEINGSS HAVE ROLES TO
PLAY IN THEIR LIVES. ROLES ARE PART
OF ONE’S IDENTITY, SUCH AS BEING A
SON OR DAUGHTER TO YOUR PARENTS,
BEING A BROTHER OS SISTER TO YOUR
SIBLINGS, BEING A STUDENT IN YOUR
SCHOOL, OR A MEMBER OF YOUR
ORGANIZATION. ALTHOUGH 14
 Although these roles seem
separate and different from each
other, adolescents must learn to
integrate all these roles and it
should be clear that these roles
and it should be clear that these
roles are related to the tasks
expected of them by others. 15
L
POVERT
Y
There are many stories about
school children and adolescent
students who live in far-flung
areas where infrastructure is not
available and of those who do not
have much choice but to walk
when going to school. Some walk
for hours, some cross rivers and 16
Parents
working
abroad
Another social phenomenon
experienced by many Filipino
families today linked to poverty
and parents who leave their
families to work abroad to
support the needs of their
families. STUDIES ARE
SHOWING THE SOCIAL 17
BELONGI
ACCORDING TO PROFESSOR
GARCIA IN A PARTICULAR STUDY
NGNESS
TITLED:’’MIGRATION AND
FILIPINO CHILDREN LEFT
BEHIND: A LITERATURE
REVIEW’’, SEVERAL STUDIES
HOW MIGRATION of parents is
indeed heart-breaking for children, 18
 CAREER CHOICE
THE ADOLESCENT WHO IS CREATING
IDENTITY FOR HIMSELF IS FACED WITH
AN URGENT NEED TO IDENTIFY WHAAT
COURSE TO TAKE IN COLLEGE AND
ESTABLISH A CAREER PATH FOR THE
FUTURE. WHILE MANY PRIVATE SCHOOLS
PROVIDE CAREER COUNSELING AND
GUIDANCE WHICH INVOLVES TESTING 19
 NEED TO KNOW WHAT
THEIR INTERESTS ARE,
WHAT THINGS THEY FIND
EXCITING AND
CHALLENGING, AND WHAT
THEIR SKILLS ARE. IT HAS
OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT IN
PURSUING A CAREER,
LOOK AT WHAT YOU LOVE
TO DO AND ARE 20
 relationships
Maintaining healthy relationships require a
certain level of maturity. An adolescent who is
still in the process of acquiring maturity may
often find maintaining relationships challenging.
At home, a female adolescent who desires
autonomy and independence will encounter more
parental objections. She may not be allowed to
attend social gatherings without chaperones, or 21
 When this happens,
relationships in home are
strained, and the adolescent who
does not see the real purpose of
why her parents are restricting
her will react negatively to such
restrictions.
22
Values and
beliefs
ASK A TYPICAL
ADOLESCENT WHAT HE
BELIEVES IN OR WHAT
VALUES UPHOLDS, AND
OFTEN YOU WILL GET A
SHRUG OF SHOULDERS AS A
REPLY. HOWEVER, IF YOU
ASK SOMETHING 23
Other
challenges
There are many other challenges
facing adolescents, and some
may not even be aware that they
are experiencing them, like
depression. There are telltale
signs of depression and you
should always talk to a parent or
a guardian if you suspect you 24
70THREE FILIPINO
ADOLESCENTS
THREE HEROES
Gregorio del pilar was fondly called by his family
as ‘’goyong’’ and referred to by his fellow
revolutionaries as ‘’boy general’’ for being the
youngest ever to be commissioned by the filipino
revOlationaries to fight the Spanish and
Americans.

26
Edgar jopson was honored for his achievements
such as being one of the ten outstanding young
men of the Philippines.

Efren peÑaflorida (Efren) started an

organization called dynamic teen company to
keep adolescents like him away from trouble
when he was just 16 years old. 27
THANKS FOR
LISTENING!
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