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MY ADOLESCENT YEARS
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My Adolescent Years
Shalonda Wright
April 09, 2013
Wayne State University, School of Social Work
MY ADOLESCENT YEARS
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Introduction
Life is about going through many transformation and discoveries. Adolescence is a
pivotal period in an individual’s life. Psychology Today, states that adolescence is a
developmental transition between childhood and adulthood. An adolescence stage typically starts
during ages twelve to thirteen and ends between eighteen and twenty one. However, according to
Human Behavior in the Social Environment adolescence is typically defined as the period of
growth beginning at ten and twelve and ending at twenty one and twenty two (Ashford and
Lecroy, 2010, 422). During the adolescence period puberty begins as well as other hormonal
changes. Also during adolescence many young adults are exposed with many issues as peer
pressure, issues with self image and self identity, issues with family and exposure to sex and
drugs.
Adolescence can also be a time of both disorientation and discovery. Adolescent
represents a journey of discovery establishing one’s identity and place in the world (Ashford and
Lecroy, 2010, 422). Through Adolescences one is able to reflect on the past and anticipate the
future to gain a sense of who they are and where they a headed in life. There are three periods of
adolescence: early, middle and end. As someone going through my final years of adolescence I
have learned a lot about myself and where I hope to go in life. This paper will utilize several
behavior theories to support my behavior throughout my adolescence years. The purpose of this
paper is to examine events and issues that I have experienced during adolescence from a
multidimensional perspective including biological dimension, psychological dimension, and
social dimension.
Biological Dimension
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When gaining an understanding of adolescence behavior it is essential to obtain
biological knowledge Human behavior and capabilities are biologically structured from human
growth and development. Through human behaviors and capabilities you are able to gain an
understanding of an individual going through the stages of adolescence. Several biological
factors contribute to human growth and development and essentially to human behavior and
capabilities those are genes, hormones, the behavior and performance of the brain and both organ
and cell systems. There are several biological milestones that occur during the adolescence stage.
Growth, spurt, puberty and myelinization all take place during adolescence. Adolescence is also
where potential health concerns begin to develop.
Like many others I reached puberty during my adolescences years. Puberty is the time in
which a child's sexual and physical characteristics mature due to hormonal changes. Many
factors play into the onset of puberty. Exactly when a person goes through puberty is determined
by several factors such as gene, nutrition, culture and gender. Puberty is supported by the
ecological systems theory because many factors determine when the onset of puberty. The
Ecological system theory acknowledges that the human beings can only be understood by
examining the systems that they are exist in (Ashford and Lecroy, 2010). The Ecological system
theory gives a holistic perspective. The Ecological System Theory also broad and accepts the
fact that many factors play a role in the onset of events, such as puberty, and these events then
effects it causing factors. In relations to puberty, it onsets is affected by genetics, culture and
nutrition. Once a person goes through puberty they then affect their culture, family and eating
decisions. Thus puberty is effected by the environment and the environment by puberty.
Puberty began for me during the early stage of adolescence approximately when I was ten
years old. Puberty was introduced with the onset of my menstrual cycle (Center, 2010).
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Menstrual cycle is the indication for puberty in woman and nocturnal emission and facial hair is
for guys. Ashford and Lecroy states, that menstruation is the recurring shedding of the uterine
lining which results to bleeding for up to two weeks after the releasing of an unfertilized egg
from the ovaries (2010). I began my menstrual cycle before any of my friends or any other fifth
grader in my school. Initially, I was scared it was something that I never experienced before.
Going through my menstrual cycle had many symptoms that were reflected in my behavior.
During the time near my cycle I would become moody, happy one minute angry the next,
fatigue, and sometimes even sadden or depressed. Through my adolescence years I was able to
more control or adapt to my mood changes. Other than mood changes menstruation caused
dysmenorrheal which is cramping in the abdomen that occurs before or during menstruation.
Dysmenorrheal for me was excruciating; I had to be medicated and often times I would miss
school because the pain was so severe. While puberty and menstruation were biological issues
that I faced during adolescence other face issues such as nutritional issues, concerns with weight,
acne and headaches. However those issues did not impact my adolescence years.
Psychological Dimension
When understanding the behavior and events of adolescence you will also need a
psychological perspective that provides proper information. Biological and social characteristics
are correlated through psychological factors that are used to achieve a certain task. Adolescence
behaviors and capabilities are structured through psychological factors such as concentration,
emotion and attitudes and cognitive processing. There are several psychological events and
stages that transpire during the adolescent years. Issues with self esteem and self image,
egocentrism, and psychological hazards such a delinquency, self harming and other conduct
behavior are all relevant during adolescence.
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Like many others adolescence is the stage where my cognitive had became very firm.
According to Psychologist Jean Piaget, during adolescence, formal operations, the last
intellectual stage is reached. Formal operations is typically starts during the ages eleven and
twelve. During the formal operational period abstract thoughts are developed and one is able to
think of possibilities and form hypothesis. During my middle adolescence years, middle school
days, my formal operation skill took place. For me I was always curious to thing possibilities of
things happing. I would often daydream and develop my own theories for real life events.
During adolescence I also developed a sense of self. I was developing a sense of who I
was or who I thought I was and what I believed I wanted from life. During this journey of self
concept I was able to reflect on the things that I wanted for myself and out of life and this great
me a great sense of who I was. One of the major forms of self identification I had to deal with
was issues with self esteem. Most of my adolescence years I had a high self esteem but like
many preteen and teens I would deal with lows. These lows were from when I did not reach a
goal. For example, my senior year in high school I was determined to make cheerleading captain.
I had been cheering for eight years and had been a part of the high school team for four years.
However, the team did not vote me as captain and I was devastated and took everything personal
and felt like it was my fault and my self-esteem was shatter.
Similar to self esteem, I dealt with egocentrism. Egocentrism is a “… type of thought that
is characterized by preoccupation with one’s behavior, feeling, or thoughts in self-conscious
manner” (Ashford and Lecroy, 2010, p.441). Throughout adolescence many of my action was
hinder by the thoughts that others were judging me or observing me. I was always being
“watched” , when I walked, ate in the school cafeteria, my every move was being judged. It was
not till I recently that I let go of this imaginary audience.
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Many of the cognitive issues I dealt with during my adolescence years corresponds with
Erik Erikson’s theory on stages of psychosocial development. Erikson believed during the
adolescence stage one deals with identify versus identity confusion. This stage preteens and teens
have mixed feeling about where they fit into society and who they are. Many experiment with
different activities and lifestyles to find which is best for them. Through this stage of find
oneself, identity achievement, one gains a sense of who they are and where they are going.
During adolescence some are exposed to many psychological hazards such as self harming,
delinquency and behavior issues. However, I never dealt with any of those issues.
Social Dimension
Finally, Sociological viewpoint provides additional knowledge on understanding the
adolescence. Sociological perspective emphasizes the connection between adolescence and the
environment. Sociological Dimension gives importance on the influence of environment on
human behavior. During adolescence one faces peer pressure, issues with family, exposure to
drugs and sex.
Issues with my family were one of the first things that occurred during my adolescence
years. I think the problem took place once my mother realized that I was not a little girl anymore
and I was on my way to becoming a woman. I was moving towards becoming more independent
and I do not believe my mother was accepting of that. The more my mother tried to hold on to
me being a little girl the more I pushed away. When I was fifteen I was actually put out of my
mother’s house and sent to stay with my older sister for a few weeks because my mother tried to
use her authoritative position to control what was out of her reach. When parents try to hold on
to their control firmly and are authoritarian in the way that they make decision they are likely to
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cause their child to have trouble with autonomy (Ashford and Lecroy, 2010). This definitely
occurred with my mother and me.
Many of the behaviors and habits that I picked up during my adolescence years were
influenced by my environment. My influences were consistent with Albert Bandura’s Social
Learning Theory. Bandura’s social learning theory stated that people are influenced and learn
from one another other. That learning comes from observation of others attitudes and behaviors
and the outcomes of actions. My influences were my sisters, my mother, peers and the media.
The major influences came from my sisters, who were all older than me. I look at them for what
to do and what not to do. Watching the things that they did and the outcome of their actions
influenced my behavior. Another major influence on me was my peers. My peers played a big
impact on my adolescence years. Not only did I learn through observation I was often fell victim
to peer pressure. According to American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, peers
play an important role in social and emotional development in adolescence lives. Peer influence
can positive and supportive as well as negative (Psychiatry, 2012). Peers “… can encourage each
other to skip classes, steal, cheat, use drugs or alcohol, or become involve in other risky
behaviors” (Psychiatry, 2012, p. 3). The peer pressure that I faced was with my boyfriend of the
time who would often encourage me to skip school. Due to the fact that I wanted to be accepted
and liked by him so much I skipped school one and got in trouble and regretted it deeply. Falling
to negative peer pressure is one of the social risks that adolescence takes. One of the other risks
that adolescents face is exposure to sex. This was a major risk for me myself as an adolescent
and in result I was pregnant at a young age and became a teen mom. There are other risks that
preteen and teens face such as exposure to drugs. Fortunately I was never pressured into doing
drugs.
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Conclusion
During adolescence many experience issues that impact them on a multidimensional
perspective including biological dimension, psychological dimension, and social dimension.
These events could be issues as peer pressure, issues with self image and self identity, issues
with family and exposure to sex and drugs. Adolescence is where one transition from childhood
and adulthood. Thus, they began to learn who they are and what their purpose in life is. Many
theories can explain the behaviors of adolescence and the stages that they will face. Ultimately,
Adolescence is a time for confusion and discovery.
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Reference
Ashford, J. B. (2010). Human Behaviro in the Social Environment . Belmont: Cengage Learning .
Center, U. o. (2010, November 2). Puberty and Adolescence . Retrieved from University of Maryland
Medical Center : http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001950.htm
Psychiatry, A. A. (2012). Peer Pressure. Retrieved from American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry : http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/peer_pressure
Psychology Today. (2013, March 26). Adolescence . Retrieved from Pyshcology Today:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/adolescence