Adolescence is one of the most complex developmental periods in individuals’ life. Researchers emphasize its critical transitional character – the changes which a person experiences during this time provoke inevitable conflicts with both other people and oneself (Ehrlich et al. 2015). Throughout the first phase of adolescence (12-15 years), the relationships which a child previously had with the world and self are breaking, and the new processes of self-cognition and self-identification begin (Ehrlich et al. 2015). These processes ultimately lead to the formation of the worldview that lays the foundation for one’s independent adult life. For this reason, the importance of adolescence cannot be underestimated.
The term “worldview” can be defined as a complex of ideas about the world and its own place in it; a set of perceptions which one holds and which largely regulate his or her daily activities. Three major constructs of the individual’s worldview can be distinguished, i.e., the perception of self, the perception of others, and the general perception of the world. These individual ideas are formed under the influence of personal experiences of events, communication, and so on. In its turn, the worldview determines the way in which a person sees reality and affects his or her choices and behavior.
Sense of Individuality and Identity
One of the primary needs of every adolescent is the development of a sense of individuality. It is closely associated with one of the major needs of every human being – the need for self-expression. Teenagers are especially sensitive towards mastering the means of self-expression, and it is possible to say that the emerging sense of individuality runs the given process.
With the sense of individuality, the need for support and acceptance of one’s distinctiveness by others occurs. Ironically, teens seek individuality by pursuing peers’ approval and adhering to certain groups. For this reason, peers and “friendship clusters” frequently become more important than parents and other adults. As it is stated by Clark (2011), a cluster is “a family with a set of respected and controlled expectations, loyalties, and values” (61). It is bound by common interests and particular social narratives that create psycho-emotional cohesiveness among the included individuals. The belonging to a cluster is essential for a personality as it provides a sense of security and support needed for the sound development of individuality.
Each person participates in various interpersonal relationships and, in different social circles, he or she plays distinct roles. It is possible to say that these circles represent significant others whose judgments and opinions become decisive in the formation of individual self-esteem. A teenager’s self-assessment implies looking at him/herself within a particular hierarchical system of relationships, and the level of self-esteem largely depends on how other people included in this hierarchy react to him or her.
For instance, the sense of inclusion in the group and peer approval contribute to the development of positive self-esteem that can manifest itself in socially active behavior, confidence, and ability to have deep and meaningful relationships. On the contrary, the lack of cluster relationships in adolescence may result in low self-esteem and the consequent sense of inferiority, passivity, and social isolation. It means that self-assessment as a vital component of self-identity and may substantially impact the course of life. Thus, it is important to prevent the problems which a teenager may have in the assessment of self and developing of a sense of individuality to prevent the emotional isolation of the individual during adolescence and later developmental stages.
The family represents an important cluster, as well. For instance, Schachter and Ventura (2008) regard teenagers’ relationships with parents as a “developmental niche” in the formation of their self-identity (451). The family is a micro-social system in which children interact with adults, the significant others. The parental feedbacks related to the teenager’s self may have a similar influence on his or her psychological development as peer approval. Along with this, through interactions within the family, children receive information on cultural and social values held by parents.
Parental practices contribute to the adolescent’s identification with parents. Schachter and Ventura (2008) even call those adults who communicate with their adolescent children actively “identity agents” (454). Relationships between teenagers and parents can be regarded as an initial, basic phase of the individual identity formation, and, for this reason, the mode and tone of the parent-child relations are very important. The lack of parental support, emotional neglect, or exposure to domestic violence or excessively strict regulations may be detrimental to the health of a growing person and contribute to the development of psychological isolation in him or her.
Emotional Deficits and Coping Mechanisms
Teenagers cope with the sense of abandonment and loneliness in different ways, and one of them is the engagement in sexual relationships with peers. Communication is one of the basic functions of sex. In this way, teenagers may compensate for the lack of emotional and intellectual exchange by promiscuous behavior or experiments with sex. Social and peers pressures may also push teenagers to engage in early intimate relationships. In this situation, they may have an idealized notion of sex or associate it with the achievement of a better social status – they may expert with sex to increase the sense of self-worth and socially-imposed expectations.
A more constructive mechanism of coping with loneliness is the development of personal interests. According to Taffel (2005), individuals’ true aspirations and desires challenge them to go beyond the dominant culture, as well as behavioral norms and values embedded in it and pass through the difficult periods in life. As in the case with the early engagement in sex, the externally imposed principles of behavior may also affect the teenagers’ preferences in other spheres of life from fashion to the choice of profession. However, it is observed that when a child is truly passionate about something, his or her accomplishments define him or her in a constructive way, while the imposed interests may frequently have a destructive impact on personality (Taffel 2005).
Conclusion: Efficient Prevention and Intervention Methods
The findings of the literature review reveal that parent-adolescent and peer relationships are crucial in the process of identity formation. Thus, first of all, parents should strive to develop meaningful, trustful, and friendly relations with their children. It is important for the parents to be aware of adolescents’ primary needs and acknowledge their independence. By allowing them to act autonomously yet paying sufficient amount of attention to them, parents may help teenagers to become more socially responsible and mature.
Secondly, the inner emptiness caused by the emotional deficits may be filled when a child finds true passions and strives to reach accomplishment in the sphere of his or her interest. Parents may largely support children in search of true interests as well by being attentive to their inclinations, reducing control over their activities, and encouraging to act out with anything they want to do. In this way, supportive attitudes of parents and fostering of passion can allow mitigating crises in parent-teenager relationships and the overall process of individuals’ self-identity formation.
References
Clark, Chap. 2011. Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Ehrlich, Katherine B., Jessica M. Richards, C. W. Lejuez, and Jude Cassidy. 2015. “When Parents and Adolescents Disagree About Disagreeing: Observed Parent-Adolescent Communication Predicts Informant Discrepancies About Conflict.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 26 (3): 380-89. Web.
Schachter, Elli P., and Jonathan J. Ventura. 2008. “Identity Agents: Parents as Active and Reflective Participants in Their Children’s Identity Formation.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 18 (3): 449-76. Web.
Taffel, Ron. 2005. Breaking Through to Teens: Psychotherapy for the New Adolescence. New York: Guilford Press.