Introduction
Human beings go through three stages from child hood to elderly. The physical as well as psychological changes at every stage are very different and fascinating. At each stage of growth, development is physical, mental and psychological.
Getting to understand these stages of development makes us better parents and relate properly in our daily lives. Physical growth is a result of rapid cell division motivated by hormones secreted by the brain. At each stage of development one is likely to experience changes in sleeping habits as well as feeding patterns. Other changes would be observed in language use, social development as well as emotional development. To understand human growth and development properly, all these features are carefully put into consideration.
Major stages of development include infancy/childhood, puberty/adolescence and adult hood. This paper carefully looks the adolescence stage (Papalia and Fieldman, 2003).
Adolescence Stage
The stage occurs between the age of twelve to twenty years. Adolescence is marked with the beginning of puberty and goes up to adulthood. Puberty is a period in human life when reproductive system fully matures and young people are able to give birth to offspring. The stage initiates puberty. At this stage also teenagers experience increased secretion of sex hormones.
The teenager goes through numerous and crucial biological changes like flow of menstrual cycle, broadening of hips and breast development in girls; boys would deepen their voices, broaden their shoulders and grow beards. Both sexes would experience increased growth of hairs on their bodies especially the boys.
This stage is also marked by a lot of change in hormones. In fact, change of behavior observed at this stage in both sexes is a consequence of presence of testosterone in males and estrogen in females.
It is a transitionary stage to adulthood. The stage lays the foundation to prepare the person for responsibilities and roles of adulthood. The stage prepares the body for the adult role of procreation and building of a family.
Main Features of Physical Development at Adolescence Stage
The teenager shoots up in growth and the body features including reproductive organs become elaborate. The voice changes in both sexes; males develop deeper voices. Secondary qualities of this stage include beards in males and breasts in females; girls begin menstruating usually at the age of eleven and fourteen.
Main Features of Social Development at Adolescence Stage
Adolescents begin to show signs of conflict between role diffusion and ego identity. This is resolved by adolescents developing their sense of identity and trying different activities to resolve role diffusion (Craig and Lecroy, 2000).
At this stage also adolescents are more likely to be influenced by their peers.
Major problems during adolescence
Problems at adolescence stage are numerous and are related to their relationship with peers as they look for their identity. Most of these problems affect both their survival in the stage as well as their entire life physically and psychologically.
Adolescents experience problems like eating disorders most often in girls, drug abuse, anorexia nervosa, suicide or attempted suicide, rebelliousness and early pregnancies.
Conclusion
This is an important stage of human growth and development because it prepares teenagers for their adult responsibilities of procreation and parenthood. The stage also helps teenagers discover their identity and hence be able to choose their life long carriers and occupation.
Parenting at this stage should play a key role of support and guidance so that adolescents at this stage can transit to responsible adulthood.
Reference List
- Craig B.A. and Lecroy W. (2000). Human Behavior in Social Environment Texas: Barnes & Noble.
- Papalia D.E. and Fieldman R. D. (2003). Human Development Oxford: MC Graw Hill College.