Developmental Characteristics

Physical Development

The adolescent body experiences many changes during this period of development. Each child is experiencing puberty at different rates, and some mature faster than others. This can cause kids to become embarrassed because of they may be ahead or behind in terms of physical development. Adolescents may experience: an increase in appetite, girls may experience the first signs of the menstrual period, both boys and girls may develop body odor, increased physical development and not the other forms of development, making the kid appear to be immature, and hormonal changes may cause adolescents to act strangely. These issues need to be addressed with proper education about the physical changes these kids are experiencing.

Character Development

Students during this time are coming into their own and are finding their true identity. This means that adolescents are discovering their values and morals. Students during this time may be concerned about fairness, support regarding moral issues, make rash and ill-advised decisions in order to feel accepted or others. An issue with this development is that many students have varying moral codes that are applied at home, causing them to be confused when moral codes are different among students and authority figures at school. In order for these students to properly develop their character, students need to have a strong support system that encourages them to find themselves, as well as education regarding moral issues so that they can decide what they believe for themselves.

Social Development

This time in an adolescent’s life is extremely unsettling, as many kids are worried about their social status and how others perceive them. Again, these kids are trying to figure out who they are, and have difficulty in feeling accepted, and will look to cling to a group or a few friends for support. Students will shape their identities based on the role models they look up to, and also the groups they are a part of, while also trying to remain independent and figure out things on their own. Some issues with social development include: some kids may be bullied or singled out for not being a part of a group, others may appear to be shy, kids at this age are extremely self-conscious about their social status or appearance, and the social development of adolescents now is different than the social development of adolescents when teachers and parents were adolescents, making it difficult to relate to the kids. Teachers and parents need to be patient with their kids and allow them to make decisions for themselves, while also trying to guide them to accepting proper morals and values.

 

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