THE CHALLENGES OF

MIDDLE AND LATE

ADOLESCENCE
Adolescents face different challenges as they mature and experience
life. Below is a list of common challenges normal adolescents
encounter. These may vary from individuals to individuals and are
not in-depth nor is definitive.
1. Attitude and Behavior/Feelings toward Sexuality
and Sexual Relations
Due to puberty, adolescents experience a surge of sexual desires which
leads to experimentation and exploration. While it is generally positive
and healthy to engage in such activities, it can be dangerous and
misleading if left unchecked. There is the constant danger of losing
control over one’s sexual urges, resulting in regrets and feelings of
guilt.
2. Academic Concerns
Being a student is the primary role of an adolescent that goes to
school. Adolescents may feel problematic about their studies, this can
be countered by their attitude. Being responsible is called for in
studying. Discipline, openness, perseverance, diligence, excellence,
curiosity, analytical and critical thinking, memory, understanding,
cooperation and teamwork, respect of others, social interaction,
leadership, and followership are some of the more important skills.
Grades are critical in achieving one’s dreams and goals. While it does
not necessarily predict job performance, it is critical and important
because it is a measure of what the student was able to achieve and
exhibit in certain situations and requirements.
3. Group Belongingness

Adolescents exhibit a strong need for affiliation. While there

is a desire and need for independence, there is also an urge to
seek a replacement support system and that is manifested
through the desire and tendency to seek out friends and affiliation.
An adolescent with low self-esteem may be carried by the
group’s collective decision and not be able to stand up for himself.
On the other end, an adolescent who has a very strong belief
in himself and his personality may be considered an outcast
by the group due to the tendency to push and dictate the
group’s activities and decisions.
4. Health and Nutrition

As a part of an adolescent’s development, they tend to have more

energy and it may be difficult to expand them. It is because of this that
the adolescent may not feel physical exhaustion. Because of this, they
tend to do things in excess
and not take care of themselves due to feeling very energetic. It is then
a challenge for the adolescent to take care of themselves despite their
reserves of energy.
 5. Developing or Regaining Self-Esteem
Adolescents should be able to acknowledge their strengths and
weaknesses. They should be objective and balanced when trying to
assess what their traits are. Being objective means acknowledging that
individuals have positive and negative characteristics. This also means
duly accepting whatever skills an individual has and not trying to
degrade oneself.

Individuals who grew up in an environment wherein they are “not

valued” and criticized tend to lose self-esteem. This is due to the
underlying meaning “you are not good enough for me.” This is
significantly true if the criticism comes from an important person like
a parent, a relative, and/or a friend.
6. Roles
The adolescent is expected to be able to handle their increasingly
difficult and more mature roles. However, since they are still
developing, they may find it hard to fulfill whatever responsibilities
are attached and associated with each role. An adolescent should be
able to balance roles such as being a student, the eldest child, a friend,
a class officer/leader, and whatever other roles are to be entrusted to
him or her. It is also expected that the adolescent would be able to
exhibit the values that come with his or her roles and responsibilities.
 7. Material Poverty
As the child matures, he or she becomes more aware of the
issues his environment, more specifically his family has. Because
of this, adolescents become more conscious about the current
state of finances and resources he or she has and can utilize.
Material poverty or the lack of resources and finances can pose
a challenge since the family/individual is not able to meet the
survival needs. In this case, if the survival needs are not
fulfilled, other areas of life such as studying may be affected
8. Parents Working Abroad
In society today, it is widely accepted that a parent
(sometimes both parents) would go to another country to
better provide for their family. In this setting, relationships
with parents may be hard to establish and sometimes
families may even fall apart, resulting in a broken family.
Since the parent/s is/are not physically with the child, the
child may have a hard time building a relationship. This
results in the child longing for a parental figure.
9. Career Choice
As adolescents become more aware of the numerous jobs and
opportunities there are, they tend to be more confused as to
what they would want for their course, school, and career.
The challenge for adolescents is that they should be able to
think of their preference in terms of course and career while
acknowledging that they also have skills, parental opinion,
and instructions, as well as other factors which may not
necessarily align with their chosen course.
 10. Relationships

Maintaining a healthy relationship demands a certain level of

maturity. An adolescent who is still developing may find it
hard to maintain relationships and as a result, this becomes a
challenge

Relationship with:
Parents/Families
Friends
Boyfriend/Girlfriend
11. Values and Belief

Adolescent is still developing their meaning in life, in

conjunction with this, it is a challenge for the adolescent to
think what their values and beliefs are. They should
understand that belief is not necessarily their religious belief
and preference but rather it encompasses a wider meaning.
The adolescents are challenged to think of a principle that
will guide the life they will lead.
COPING WITH STRESS IN MIDDLE
AND LATE ADOLESCENCE
Defining Stress
A reaction of the mind and body to a
stimulus that disturbs the well-being,
state of calm, or equilibrium of a person.
Small and sporadic amounts of stress can
be helpful and beneficial to individuals,
while excessive amounts of stress
sustained over a lengthy period of time
can be destructive to both physical and
mental health.
 Stress as Stimulus, Response and Relational

Stress can come from any event or thought that makes you
feel frustrated, angry or nervous. The manner in which
stress affects us depends on how we choose to think about
stress, and how we respond to it. But do you think that stress
is always something negative? Actually, stress can either be
negative or positive.
There are two kinds of stress : eustress and distress.
Eustress refers to a positive and healthy response of the body
from a stressor. It produces good feelings to one’s well-being.
Example, a student who studied so hard for the examination
then took and got an outstanding grade in it, he may feel
happiness and enjoyment. On the other hand, distress refers
to a negative reaction of the body towards a given stressor.
Stressors are the things that make a person stressed. It
may alter the mood and emotions and can cause problems
in health, and even affect the way a person thinks. For
example, when a student failed in his subject he may
experience sadness and disappointment.
Stressors
1.School Demands and Expectations
Quizzes and tests, home works and projects, oral recitation, quarterly
and final exams, and grades most especially, epitomize the kind of
stressors adolescents have when it comes to studying.

2. Selecting a School, College Course, or Career

A high school student who just graduated face more demanding
challenges and the first of these are the entrance exams to whatever
school or university, and the course that they will choose.
3. Separation Anxiety High school graduation, to some, means a
temporary ending or separation from some of their friends. There is
a possible situation that they may go to other place to study or to
move to other schools.

4. College Life
The idea of being by themselves in a new school in college and
meeting and adjusting to new people is another cause of stress. The
unfamiliarity of a new environment can bring stress to adolescents
as they set their foot in college.
5. Romantic Relationships or the Lack of it
Adolescents tend to feel awkward when they are not in a special
relationship with someone. Somehow, having an intimate
relationship is a status symbol that says one is good looking,
interesting, and attractive.

6. Family Demands and Expectations

For some, family ties can be a stressor. Since the adolescent is
still learning and yearning for independence and autonomy,
parents may not be ready to relinquish control over their
“baby”. This where conflicts set in.
7. Health Concerns
Health problems may run a gamut of varieties, such as
unwanted pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted
diseases, unhealthy lifestyles such as poor eating and
sleeping habits that often lead to a lifetime disease, and so
on.
8. Demands of Social Life
Forming groups or joining one makes an adolescent feel safe
and secure because to be a part of one social group is an
affirmation that they are acceptable to others.
9. Bullying
Being bullied in school can be very stressful and may cause
emotional and psychological trauma to the individual
experiencing it.
Coping with Stress
Coping is very important mechanism in dealing with stress. It can be
problem-focused, when remedies or solutions are thought of to change the
situation to lessen the stress, or emotion-focused, when the objective is to
lessen the emotional impact caused by the stressful situation. Coping can be a
combination of both problem-focused and emotion-focused:
● Conduct creative imagery of the problem
● Seek group or social support
● Get into relaxation activities
● Create a situation where you can feel more relaxed
● Learn to manage your time
● Eat properly
In additional, you may also do the following:
● Seek spiritual growth through prayer and meditation
● Have a worthwhile hobby
● Watch movie with friends
● Have a nice, quiet walk
● Assess your stressors and then adjust to the expectations
● Believe in yourself
Objective: To identify situations that develop eustress and distress Procedure:
1. Read the following situations. 2. Draw a happy face if you consider the
situation as a source of eustress, and a sad face if it causes distress. 3. After
doing this activity, find a pair and compare your answers.

1. Attending a birthday party _______ 8. Watching a blockbuster

movie_______
2. Joining a fun run with friends _______ 9. Getting a birthday surprise _______
3. Arguing with a classmate _______ 10. Choosing a gift for a
friend_______
4. Losing a cellphone _______ 11. Losing a contest
_______
5. Going to a tourist destination _______ 12. Winning a volleyball game
_______
6. Courting a lady _______ 13. Scolded by your
mother_______
7. Getting a failing mark _______ 14. Caught cheating _______
 IN YOUR JOURNAL

Reflect on your present situation.

1. Which situations bring eustress to you? Distress?
2. Did you have some situations with different answers with
your partner?
What could be the reason/s why you have different answers?
3. What are your other sources of eustress and distress?