Adolescence Essays (Examples)

Adolescence-How Adolescence Viewed Cultures

Adolescence-How Adolescence is viewed by other Cultures

Adolescence refers to a transitional stage that happens through the physical orientations among human beings. Adolescence is categorical of the physical and psychological development in human beings as they grow from childhood to adulthood. The process occurs during the period of puberty and ends when one gets to maturity. For many people, adolescence is a recurrent problem since it occurs with differences in capital and minor considerations. Among some people, adolescence occurs at early stages of growth and development. In other people, adolescence occurs late in the stages of growth and development. The basic factor behind the general occurrence of adolescence is categorical of every factor that takes place in the biological. Many factors of human growth and development are regarded when it comes to management of the necessary growth avenues (Stange et al., 2011).

The information from various…

Early childhood fatherhood can impact the young adolescent male's life for the rest of his life, assigning him a responsibility that he perhaps never considered taking on when he was being sexually active (p. 95). Being sexually active is, for young adolescent boys, about more than sex. It is also about how the media says that "men," or boys who are going to grow to manhood, should behave, and much of the advertising media suggests to young male adolescents that if they do not partake in certain practices, like beer drinking, then they will not achieve happy manhood (ouner, Slater, and Domenech-odriguez, p. 435).

Becoming sexually active as an adolescent is usually about much more than meeting physical needs or curiosity, and it is much less about emotional attachments than it is about peer pressure, trained imagery through the media, and a desire to take on responsibilities as an adult…

However, when this does not work, the therapist has many other options available to them, when and if they are needed.

The research suggested that in complex cases, combination therapies using cognitive-behavioral therapy and SSIs resulted in the best potential for relief from symptoms. The most important discovery during the course of this research is that the factors affecting the individual are the best method for determining the most appropriate treatment strategy.

eferences

Anxiety disorders association of America. (n.d.). Statistics and facts about anxiety disorders. etrievedNovember 10, 2008 from: http://www.adaa.org/AboutADAA/Pressoom/Stats&Facts.asp.

Baker, E., & Lowe, A. (2008). NIMH Funded Study Demonstrates That Treatment Works for Childhood and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders. NIMH Press elease. American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry. 30 October 2008. etrieved November 8m 2008 at http://www.aacap.org/cs/2008_press_releases/nimh_funded_study_demonstrates_that_treatment_works_for_childhood_and_adolescent_anxiety_disorders www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2008/nimh-30.htm"

Connell, T. (2005). Cannabis Use in Adolescence: Self-Medication for Anxiety. Journal of the California Cannabis esearch Medical Group. Winter//Spring 2005. etrieved November…

Adolescents

Brain development in adolescents

Adolescence is the period of psychological and social transition from childhood to adulthood. This period of life is characterized by psychological changes when it comes to self-consciousness, identity and mood. Brain imaging studies conducted recently show that the human brain continues to develop throughout their adolescent years. Although there are some differences between the male and female teenagers when it comes to the course of the neural development, significant brain restructuring takes place in terms of the course of their neural development in both sexes.

The regions of the brain where development is protracted include prefrontal cortex and the temporal parietal cortex. The frontal cortex area is responsible for cognitive abilities like making plans, remembering details, inhibiting inappropriate behaviors and so on. It also plays an important role in understanding others and self-awareness. Since this pre-frontal cortex of the adolescent brains mature, older adolescents aged…

Adolescence

Describe two ways that brain development typically contributes to changes in thinking and behavior as individuals progress through adolescence (448-451). Provide two specific examples of how most adolescents think and reason (pp. 485-493).

Because of the "Dramatic transformations" that occur during adolescence in the prefrontal cortex and the limbic brain regions, feelings of "fear and anger" emerge in the adolescent (p. 448). These fears and angry responses are due to the growth of testosterone (in the amygdale); and the author explains that this change explains the "increased aggressiveness and irritability" that boys experience during this portion of their development (448).

A second way in which the changes in the brain contribute to adolescents behaviors is in cognitive functioning. Because the systems that regulate emotional behavior and sexuality are evolving and growing, cognitive functioning is a work in progress, so to speak. Sleep may be irregular in adolescents, and a…

They seem to do not quite have a well-determined strategy for dealing with adults, which was predictable due to the rashness and irascibility that characterizes this specific age. hat they admitted to use when negotiating with their parents is the argument of evoking the elders' years of youth by reminding them how they felt as teenagers, together with the promise of coming back home at the precise established hour.

Researches done in the area indicate as the main reasons for adolescents' behavior the small stressing events that they must cope with every day: conflicts with close friends, communication problems with peers, the feeling of being left outside. As they tend to be more emotional than their parents and adults, in general, and they experience opposite moods very frequently, one agrees that they feel extremely affected by small and, one could say, meaningless events, because they perceive these events from the…

Adolescence & Adulthood

Adolescents and Adulthood

There are numerous changes in development and challenges that come with the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The adolescents acquire and consolidate the attitudes, competencies, social responsibilities and values that are necessary to make a successful transition into their adulthood life. Late adolescence and the period that comes after is termed as emerging adulthood and it has been noted to be important for setting stage for the continued development through an individual's lifespan as they start making choices and engage in activities which will influence the rest of their lives.as the adolescents move into the period of emerging adulthood he choices they make as well as their challenges shift to include decisions on their vocational training or education, their transition within the labor market, moving out of their parents home and even sometimes they begin thinking about marriage and parenthood. There are several developmental…

Fatoumata appeared to be in the middle adulthood stage, even though she's just a teenager. She exhibited the strongest show of maturity out of the three students. This is not suggesting that her responsibilities were greater than the others. She just seemed to have this mature resolve about her situation that she would break out of it and she wouldn't have it any other way. Fatoumata was extremely determined and focused. Although she didn't have the support from her parents, she had much support from her classmates as well as Stephenson. She was mature enough to appreciate all the things that this country had to offer and didn't take them for granted, but seemed to know that she needed to take advantage of every opportunity that came her way in order to break free from her circumstances.

Erica appeared to be in the adolescent stage. She may have had to…

As Landis states:

Agricultural societies historically have had no adolescent youth problem. Childhood merges directly into adulthood. In our frontier society of a few generations ago, the adolescent group was not recognized as a problem group. Young people took over the responsibilities of adulthood early and were accepted in adult roles by the society When urbanization, developed to the point where the adolescent had no place in the work world problems consequent to delayed maturity brought to focus the adolescent problem. The youth problem emerged much later; in fact, it was not recognized as such in the United States in any real sense until the depression decade of the thirties. (Landis, 1945, p. 26)

It therefore follows that a large number of modern adolescent problems in modern society can be linked to the way in which contemporary culture affects young people in their transition to adulthood. There is a wide…

relationship of Mark, an adolescent boy age 17, and his father. Up until his mid-teens Mark was an underachiever and was overweight. He was relatively unmotivated in school, did not asset himself, and shied from confrontations. These aspects of his life affected his relationship with his peers and family. In his mid-teens several events occurred that resulted in Mark becoming more assertive and developing a more identified sense of self. These events resulted in positive changes but also led to many confrontations and moderate levels of strife with his father. The events and the conflicts with his father are discussed in terms of Mark's biological, psychosocial, cognitive, and moral development along with the concept of psychological distancing.

Mark is a 17-year-old male who lives with his mother, father, and younger brother oger. Mark is a senior in high school. His father is an electrician at an automobile assembly plant with…

Adolescence, and How They Have the Potential to Impact Your Work as an Adolescent and Family Counsellor

Issue Usually Adolescents Face

Adolescence is a somewhat universal period of transition where females experience physical, emotional, psychological, and social changes. Cultures vary as to how they define and deal with the "growing up" period. Only the biological changes of puberty are consistent across cultures. Secondary sexual characteristics, such as breasts, may begin as early as 8 or 9 and continue to develop until about age 14. Menarche begins around this same time with the average age in the U.S. being 12.5 years. Behaviorally, these rapid changes often lead to comparison with peers, self-consciousness, and significant concern over one's physical appearance (Greene, 2005).

Orvaschel, Beeferman, and Kabacoff (1997) found that self-esteem tends to decrease with advancing age, at least through late adolescence. Most likely this is related to changing appearances, increased self-consciousness, and…

Adolescence Living High Risk Acquiring a Sexually Transmitted Disease South Florida

Sexually transmitted diseases represent an important topic when considering the south of Florida and adolescents there. The fact that there are hundreds of cases of STDs being diagnosed on a daily basis in Florida emphasizes the gravity of the issue and the fact that teenagers are exposed to a hostile environment when regarding matters from this perspective. Numbers are not necessarily important when considering the group of individuals affected by STDs, especially considering that some are reluctant to see a doctor concerning their condition and others simply don't know that they have an STD. "Locally in Miami-Dade, 2010 brought another year of increases in all of the reportable STDs." (Saxon Jordhal)

Syphilis and HIV are among the STDs that the authorities in South Florida currently treat with great caution. Large amounts of funds are directed at researching these two…

Adolescence to Adulthood:

Comparative Study of Stephen Dedalus from James Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man" to Felicitas Taylor from Mary Gordon's "The Company of Women"

Stephen Dedalus, the hero in "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce, is very similar to Felicitas Maria Taylor, the heroine in "The Company of Women" by Mary Gordon. The novels they are protagonists in both track their journey from adulthood into adolescence. This paper endeavors to explore the characters of Stephen Dedalus and Felicitas Taylor in terms of how they cope with their teenage years and how their experiences and encounters influence how they turn out as adults.

Prior to undertaking an in-depth look into the nature of these two main characters of their respective books, it is important to provide a summary of the story each character is involved in and, thus, shaped by. "A…

Juvenile Justice

Adolescence -- a Time of Transition

Adolescences and crime: A time of transition in the juvenile justice system

The juvenile justice system in America reflects a fundamentally different conception regarding the adolescent mentality vs. The adult mentality. "ehabilitation and treatment, in addition to community protection, are considered to be primary and viable goals" of the juvenile justice system, in contrast to the adult system where "rehabilitation is not considered a primary goal…which operates under the assumption that criminal sanctions should be proportional to the offense" versus the nature and character of the offender (Juvenile vs. adult justice, 2013, Frontline). The juvenile justice system in many ways views itself as treating the child offender just as much as it is dealing with crime. That is why " the juvenile justice system follows a psychological casework approach, taking into account a detailed assessment of the youth's history in order to…

Adolescent Challenges

Adolescence can be a time of upheaval, stress and extreme challenges. And how should an adolescent respond and react to challenges he or she will face during adolescence? These issues and others related to how adolescents respond to challenges will be covered in this paper.

Challenges can cause Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents

In the peer-reviewed journal Depression and Anxiety, the authors discuss "anxiety sensitivity" and the "negative social, psychological, or physical consequences" that anxiety sensitivity can have on adolescents and others from stressful situations (Zavos, et al., 2012). It is known that persons that struggle with anxiety sensitivity can later in life experience "subsequent depression," Zavos writes (400). The pertinent events that create stress and the resulting anxiety sensitivity are things like "family discord" and the breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, the authors explain.

In this study, researchers measured stressful life events in 1,500 individuals…

Adolescent Brain

The cross-cultural differences in child and adolescent brain development is a cross-disciplinary study that can be contained under the rubric of medical anthropology, adolescent neuropsychology, or the budding field of cultural neuroscience. The field is brimming with possibilities because of the wide differences observable and measured in the perception of adolescence, the experience of adolescence, and the corresponding biological differences in children and teen brains across different cultures. Choudhury refers to factors such as the cultural contingencies of categories, which will be the foundation of the adolescent experience. Research also reveals differences in experience based on culture and cultural context as well as gender and social norms. Although research in the area of cross-cultural differences in child and adolescent brain development is diverse, one common thread remains: The study of adolescence itself has a cultural context. Adolescence is culturally contingent on the roles, values, and norms of a…

Bipolar in Adolescence

Child Development - Bipolar in Adolescence

The early years of the life of a child is full of development and learning, which plays an integral role in building and shaping the entire personality, characteristics and the health cycle. In other words, the life from birth to adolescence period is the developmental phase of life in which parents, educators and even peers are significant that can help and nurture the child in its growth to reach their full potential (Meggitt, 2006).

This evidently signifies that a child undergoes biological, psychological, cognitive, social and emotional changes in his life that begins from the time of his/her birth and continues until the child reaches his/her adolescence stage. The phase from birth till adolescence is vital due to the reason that it is the key phase of a child's life in which he/she steps forward from dependence to increasing independence (Meggitt,…

A certain amount of disagreement and mutual conflict with peers is expected among adolescents. To disagree with others who have different opinions or preferences is a normal aspect of the emergence of self-awareness and the development of a sense of one's uniqueness and identity. In the same way that differences of opinion and disagreements with adults are a normal part of adolescence, those with peers are a normative part of adolescent development (Cillessen, Antonius, 2002, p. 48)."

Communication, then, is a key building block in the growth experience of children that helps them to grow and experience healthy adolescent relationships that lead to healthy and productive self-constructs of their own identity. Communication, good lines of communication, begins at the family level of experience, and then carries over into the social setting. That Klebold's and Harris' parents were unaware of their behaviors, experiences, and feelings about school, lends insight into the…

In the historical world, there seemed to be fewer choices in life for many, and roles as adults were more stringent -- and defined as adult meaning very structured cultural templates. There must then be a bit of a Catch-22 when it comes to the advances made in gender thinking, family, and actualization since the end of World War II. Improvements in education, lifting of the gender-based glass ceiling at work, in politics, and in academia; goals towards equalization of pay and responsibility; and even more opportunities for both sides to consider jobs and careers that have been essentially gender decided for decades. Too, the process of globalism -- in terms of communication and sharing of ideas -- has changed culture to one in which defined roles are seen as old-fashioned rather archaic paradigms of rural or under-developed society.

The Workplace- Contemporary working age Americans fall into four main generational…

Childhood and Adolescence Development

There are many changes individuals undergo during adolescence -- a period occasioned by rapid developmental growth. This period brings with itself a lot of excitement as teens gain maturity and attain a new level of freedom. However, it also has its own unique challenges. Although intensified peer relationships play a key role in helping teens navigate this period, the choice of friends and by extension peer pressure could either impede or aid a teen's moral and social growth. Some of the social pressures teens face during this stage include but they are not limited to experimentation with drugs and sexual exploration.

Pressures Faced in Adolescence

Sexuality and Dating

When it comes to sexuality and dating, it is important to note that teenage years are characterized by strong sexual impulses. In seeking to explore their sexuality and given their changing relations with the opposite sex, it is…

Children and adolescence can often become plagued with a myriad of health problems. Some revolve around psychosocial issues. ADHD is such a disorder that affects as many as 1 in 20 children or adolescence in the United States with a growing prevalence worldwide. Although this disorder can cause problems for the child or adolescent experiencing symptoms, it can be successfully managed. Treatment protocols involve proper assessment of symptoms and diagnosis, a treatment plan, and effective follow up care. With this kind of approach, children and adolescence who may suffer from ADHD can learn to deal with this disorder.

ADHD is a psychosocial issue present in children and adolescence. Although it is not heavily prevalent, quite a number of children and adolescence have this condition and display its core symptoms. ADHD is characterized by the following main symptoms: hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. There are also three subtypes of ADHD. These are…

His article does an excellent job of discussing in comprehensible terms the recent research which has addressed the current state of knowledge about the relationship between substance abuse amongst teens and mood disorders and provides a breakdown of possible treatment options.

Flaherty, L., & Flaherty, M. (2005). Adolescent psychiatry: he annals of the American society for adolescent psychiatry (Vol. 29). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Analytic Press.

his resource is from a special edition of Adolescent Psychiatry that pertains specifically to issues that arise along with adolescent substance abuse issues. he topics within range from teenagers with Ecstacy addiction to gambling problems. o the practitioner and the interested adult, parent, or educator, the information within this journal provides a fastidious and compelling look into the vast range of issues that may coincide with an adolescent's substance abuse problem. With specific regard to adolescents, depression, and substance abuse, two articles are especially illuminating:…

Adolescence

Adolescent Self-Portrait

Adolescence: A conflicted life period

Adolescence is often considered to be a particularly 'fraught' time during the average individual's life history. Although the construction of adolescence and the age during which someone is considered to be an adolescent may vary from culture to culture, most societies define a certain period of time as 'not childhood' and 'not adulthood.' There are common physiological changes seen in all adolescents such as menstruation in females; lowered voice in males; and increased height and body hair in both genders. Adolescents also begin to experience and experiment with showing sexual desire. However, these changes can cause great anxiety and confusion, as the adolescent struggles with his or her emerging adolescent identity.

Females in particular tend to be more anxious about their body image than boys because of the great emphasis placed upon female beauty within the culture as a measure of self-worth…

It produced a net increase in perceived benefits of protective behavior and in self-efficacy among both males and females, and a reduction in perceived barriers to protective behavior among females. Consistent with these changes, it was also associated with a reduction in risky sexual behavior among young men and an increase in contraceptive use among young men and women (Agha, 2002, p. 67+).

Agha also noted that there was more positive change among young women than among young men, a fact that "may reflect a better ability of these adolescent sexual health interventions to address the concerns of women than of men, or a greater receptivity to such interventions among young women than among young men" (2002, p. 67+). Because of the success of this program, however, Agha suggests that means of reaching young men to the same extent are worthy of additional study, and multi-media, educational programs of long…

Adolescents' Emotional Adjustment

Reaction Paper

School Organization and Adolescents' Emotional Adjustment

att's article explores the connection between school organization and adolescents' mental health. There is a commonly held belief that adolescents receive a superior educational and interpersonal experience in private schools and small schools. att cites studies by Coleman and others that have given support to the perceived superiority of private schools. Coleman's findings in support of private schools did not however address mental health, but were instead limited to academic achievement.

att's questions "Are private schools better not only for academic achievement but for mental health? Are small schools associated with broad indicators of emotional well-being?" (2003, p.345) form the basis for her study. att's study addresses these issues by examining three indicators of adolescents' emotional adjustment: depression, suicide attempts and violent dispositions.

att's study analyzed data collected by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent health, which surveyed health-related…

Adolescents & Advertising Media Messages

Examination of a Commercial

The advertisement chosen for examination in this brief study is Britney Spears Pepsi commercial in 2010, which was part of the advertising during the World Cup. The intended audience for the advertisement is the general audience and specifically male and female young people. The ad features Brittney Spears singing, drinking Pepsi, and volley a ball. Brittney appears beautiful and sexy in this commercial and gives the appearance that drinking Pepsi will make everyone athletic and sexy. This ad would be interpreted of course by each gender differently as the male gender would interpret the commercial to mean that drinking Pepsi would ensure that they attract sexy girls and females would view the commercial as appealing to them to drink Pepsi to ensure that they are hot and sexy like Brittney Spears. This ad is not accurate in its portrayal of body…

In fact, even executives in fashion and beauty magazines see an alarming trend of "too thin" to the point of looking emaciated and unhealthy -- certainly not a look that "sells" (Wilson 542).

What is happening is a continual push to be something different, not because there is actually anything wrong with us -- at all. It is because advertising tells us that something is wrong. Advertising is part of the marketing mix that is designed to persuade a consumer to purchase something. Of course, there are many ways of doing this, and the "science" of this media has certainly evolved in the last century. Advertising is subliminal, sophisticated, pervasive, covert, overt, and a seminal part of the contemporary world. However, advertising has become so sophisticated that it sends messages both overt and covert that even if we are not paying attention to the exact product, the images we see…

There are remedies (albeit not easy ones for the individuals involved), as suggested by the research. However, and this is very important, the current public health approaches that the Saudi government has taken, as Mabrey et al. (2010) note, have focused fairly narrowly on medical approaches. This focus includes research that has been conducted on metabolic syndrome (which is caused primarily by being overweight). This is caused by clear-cut factors and has a number of possible poor consequences.

Mabrey et al. (2010) note that metabolic syndrome is on average 10 to 15% higher in the GCC states than in the rest of world and that females are disproportionately affected by metabolic syndrome. These researchers are among those who note that a strictly medical approach to such medical problems is far from sufficient. For while metabolic syndrome itself can be identified and described in purely medical terms, such an approach does…

Adolescence is an especially critical development stage for any individual. At this stage, individuals not only experience biological changes, but also become more aware of gender roles and expectations and experience cognitive development. Family and school become social incubators that trigger changes and psychosocial responses in adolescents. The film The Breakfast Club shows how a group of five adolescents go through critical changes in this stage of their life. This paper will highlight the developmental markers observed in one character depicted the film, Claire. Clare will be used as a case study to explore developmental issues related to gender, biology, and cognition. The paper also highlights various socialization agents (specifically school and family) and how they impact the individual’s self-concept, identity, and social role.

The Breakfast Club features five teenagers detained all day at Shermer High School. Several developmental markers are evident in the film. One of the markers is…

Adolescent Environment

The subject interviewed is a 17-year-old Hispanic male from Cleveland, Ohio. Although his legal name is Harley, this adolescent chooses to call himself by the name "Renegade." Renegade lives in a loft with 12 other boys ranging from the ages of 15 to 27 above a rare book store in a historic and impoverished section of the city. Renegade was either orphaned or abandoned at a young age, and spent many years bouncing around foster homes and group homes as a ward of the state of California. Since leaving the care of the state, Renegade was able to uncover many mysteries about his past that were officially "sealed" regarding his biological family. Renegade was not given any information about his ethnic background as a child, but his mocha-colored skin and dark, striking hair obviously set him apart as an ethnic minority. There were Latino and Mexican boys in…

Student counselors are can organize a student led drug abuse prevention committee and create awareness among the adolescent children. Study results have confirmed the positive value of such student led programs in preventing the malice of drug abuse. It has also been found that multiyear preventive programs have long lasting positive effects that short-term programs. [167]. Programs such as 'Friendly Persuasion', 'Life skills Training', 'Midwestern Prevention Project' which were implemented in schools had a considerable measure of success in reducing drug abuse and in delaying the onset of drinking.[155-158]. Student counselors have to interact with teachers, social workers, health care professionals and other community-based groups to workout and implement student activity programs that can be run by adolescents.

4) by providing a positive developmental environment at school the student counselor optimizes the chances of a student succeeding in his overall development. As Pittman states, "Adolescents who are merely problem-free are…

This research considered this by looking at a key constituent of low self-control which is the risk seeking tendency in order to decide its constancy and change throughout early childhood, its influences on changes in criminal behavior, and its receptiveness to a complete delinquency lessening program. These matters were looked at with information from the Children at isk (CA) program, an arbitrarily allocated interference that looked at early youth. The examination exposed considerable reliability in risk seeking, but there was proof of change as well, and these alterations were connected with contemporary alterations in delinquency. isk seeking alterations were not a consequence of contribution in the CA program, in spite of that program's achievement at dropping some appearance of delinquency (Hay, Meldrum, Forrest and Ciaravolo, 2010).

Part II: Assessment of the main strengths of the reading with particular emphasis on its utility for understanding adolescent development or social work intervention.…

This term seems to have been coined in the 1990s when researchers were attempting to describe a constellation of behaviors observed in persons using the Internet to such an extent that it began to cause other aspects of their lives to become dysfunctional. The DSM-IV disorder most similar to the pattern of behaviors observed with overuse of video games is pathological gambling. Presumably, the more colloquial term addiction was derived from the similarities to gambling addiction. For this report, this pattern of heavy video game playing is referred to as "video game overuse." (Khan, 2007) Kahn additionally relates that: "Symptoms of time usage and social dysfunction/disruption appear in patterns similar to that of other addictive disorders. It is not clear whether withdrawal symptoms are associated with video game overuse; some excessive users do not exhibit "cravings" for the games if they are unavailable, while other users insist they cannot reduce…

On the other hand, 'resistance for liberation' may have the obverse effect causing children (in this case adolescents) to take these self-same disabling elements and use them for their growth and success.

Poverty may be a social construct but it need not tarnish an individual for life. Ultimately, the individual decides what to do with his or her life, and the same circumstances that can turn one into a drug-doped self-destructed convict can turn another into a bastion of society.

eferences

Ayers. W. A kind and just parents. The children of juvenile court

Leadbetter, B.., & Niobe, W. (2007). Urban girls revisited: Building strengths. NY Univ. Press. NY.

Lichter, D., Shannahan, M., & Gardner, E. (2002). Helping others: The effects of childhood poverty and family instability on prosocial behavior, Youth and Society, 34, 89-119

Martin, D., Martin, M., Gell, ., Davis, C., & Guerreri, K. (2008). Adolescence, 43, 608-711.

Niobe.…

There is also a strong peer-association element to inhalant abuse which is why identification of at-risk behaviors, preventative counseling, and education are among the most effective means of prevention (NIDA, 2010; Wu, Pilowsky, & Schlenger, 2004).

Interventions

By the time pre-teens and adolescents begin experimenting with alcohol, tobacco products, chemical inhalants, and recreational drugs, it is much more difficult to intervene effectively than it is before those behaviors first emerge (Wu, Pilowsky, & Schlenger, 2004). Since inhalant abuse is one of the first forms of substance abuse available to children, the most effective approach to prevention and intervention is educational programs targeting elementary school children. By socializing younger children to recognize the dangers associated with inhalants, it is possible to reduce the likelihood that they will participate in that behavior by the time they reach the age of 12, which is when most participants begin experimenting with it for the…

To specifically teach the biology of puberty, students can fill in diagrams of the body and brain, identifying the areas associated with the hormones the human body releases in during puberty and the areas of the body affected most by these hormones (Puberty, 2007, Discovery.com). Understanding the physical reasons for hair growth and the male change of vocal tone can make these changes seem less frightening when students experience them personally.

Also, trusting adults can be difficult for students at this age. Parents may be worried about what their child is learning in class on this subject. To bridge the difference between adult and child attitudes, and create dialogue, teachers can create supportive assignments such as asking students to brainstorm questions they have about the opposite sex and the experience of puberty, and then assigning students the task of interviewing a parent or trusted adult of the opposite sex to…

This was equivalent to those youth utilizing ongoing, long-term services (Pollio, Thompson, Tobias, eid and Spitznagel, 2006).

Critique

There are several significant limitations that must be considered when looking at the results of this study. First, there was lack of a control group which limits the conclusions that can be drawn concerning causal assertions about the effectiveness of services. It is thought that future research on service use for this population needs to include a comparison condition of other troubled youth, perhaps runaway/homeless youth not seeking crisis services. Features of the sampling strategy limited the generalization of the findings. Since the sample included only service-using youth, it is not generalizable to the entire runaway/homeless population. The authors believed that the youth in this sample were representative of the population of service-using runaway/homeless youth from Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, and Kansas. However, other research has suggested that this population is not representative…

Studying a sample of 153 top commercial Web sites directed at children under 13, the CME found that COPPA has spurred changes in Web sites' data collection practices. Web sites had limited the amount and type of information (e.g., name, postal address, phone number, age) collected from children, and there was a three-fold increase in the posting of privacy policy information explaining sites' data collection practices. A few sites found innovative solutions (e.g., anonymous registration) that allowed children to interact with site content without revealing personal information. Overall, however, the Center found that many sites were not doing their best to comply with the provisions: Most (66%) did not place links to privacy policies in "clear and prominent" places, and only some sites (38%) obtained parental consent in accordance with key provisions. Further, researchers pointed out that in trying to discourage children under 13 from entering personal information, some sites…

There are multiple stages of development that all children go through. The depth and breadth of these developmental changes ebb and flow greatly as growing children move from one stage of development to the next. Overall, there are several major developmental stages in the life of a child. There are the toddler years, the prepubescent years and the adolescent/teenage years. The brief literature review that follows in this report shall focus on the last of those. To be complete with this analysis, adolescence is not the end of human development given that many suggest that development extends into the 20's and 30's. Even so, the adolescent years of development are hailed by many as being the most pivotal, at least in some regards. While many would debate the above, it is clear that the adolescent years are among the most important.

Analysis

Regardless of the development or life stage that…

Increased vocabulary levels leads to increases in reading comprehension. Students with higher levels of vocabulary can also express themselves in more unique and complex formats, essentially increasing their ability to comment on the reading material in a way that better correlates with their exact emotions or experiences associated with that reading material.

Writing summaries for reading material is another method of using writing exercises to increase literacy levels. Teachers should implement lessons were students write hierarchal summaries that help organize the structure of reading material in a shape that is more familiar and understandable to students (Meltzer, Cook, & Clark, 2011). Writing summaries force students to internalize the material and reassert it in a different way. This further engages them with the texts, as they are forced to put the material in their own words.

Thirdly, using student-generated content to expose weaknesses in understanding can play a key role. Having…

Self-esteem must be combined with other components of emotional distress, such as the factors which affect perceptions of the self and of other peers. Factors should include competence, confidence, and acceptance, among others.

Behaviors that are considered to be negative by society may not be the factors that most strongly affect self-perceptions and self-esteem, however. As noted by Mosley (1995), factors which are interpreted and internalized as negative will have a significant impact on self-esteem, even if they are not socially irresponsible. Mosley's example is that adolescent receipt of welfare is associated with lower levels of perceived self-worth. Mosley notes the importance of self-esteem on the mental health and ability of children and adolescents, as noted in previous research (Wilson & Portes, 1975 as cited in Mosley, 1995). Rosenberg and Pearlin (1978) found little relationship between social class and self-esteem, while other researchers have found conclusive links between income/class and…

This study can apply to just about any overweight adolescent, and it is important because that is a growing segment of America's overweight population. The researchers concluded this is a "sensitive population," and that is true. Many studies have shown that this can be the time lifelong eating habits develop, including eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Thus, discovering what works and motivates adolescents when they are dieting can lead to reduced numbers of young people suffering from these diseases as well as obesity.

A chose this article because I have had friends with eating disorders, and friends who are overweight from a young age. I think it is important to find ways to educated adolescents so the obesity problem lessens, and they develop healthy eating habits early in their lives.

eferences

L. Shepherd, D. Neumark-Aztainer, K. Beyer, et al. "Should Adolescent Obesity Prevention Programs Focus on Calories?" Nutrition…

(Reading for the 21st Century: Adolescent Literacy Teaching and Learning Strategies," 2004)

2. Alphabetic Principle-related Skills: This includes: "phonemic awareness, the ability to manipulate the sounds of oral language and phonics and the relationship of letters to sound." (Ibid) Strategies includes instruction" that focuses on high-frequency, sound- spelling relationships." (Ibid)

3. Fluency: This is the ability to read "quickly, accurately and with appropriate expression." (Ibid) Strategies include: "guided oral reading and repeated reading" (Ibid) for improving fluency and comprehension.

4. Vocabulary: The size of the learner's vocabulary is that which leads to "large variations in reading ability." (Ibid) Strategies include "direct [and] explicit instruction and learning from context while reading" (Ibid) for increasing vocabulary among students.

5. Reading Comprehension: This is the most "apparent deficit in students' reading abilities at the secondary level." (Ibid) Strategies include the following:

a) Comprehensive monitoring;

b) Cooperative learning;

Graphic organizations;

d) Story structure;

e)…

Unfortunately, for those individuals who did not use direct coping strategies but instead used the kind of coping that distances one's thoughts, emotions, and physical presence from the stressor (e.g., denial and wishful thinking) or disengages completely (e.g., escape and emotional numbing) to cope with discrimination stress tended to have lower self-esteem.

Consequences/Effects of Low Self-Esteem

A number of studies have shown that low self-esteem is predictive of negative outcomes. Parker et al. (2005) found that girls and adolescents with low self-worth reported the greatest jealousy of friends and that a reputation for being jealous of friends was associated with aggressive behavior and other peer adjustment difficulties, including loneliness.

Donnellan et al. (2005) found a link between low self-esteem and externalizing problems such as aggression, antisocial behavior, and delinquency. The authors cited osenberg (1965), who suggested that low self-esteem weakens ties to society and weaker ties to society decrease conformity…

Substance Abuse and Suicide isk Among Adolescents

Adolescents are at high risk for suicidal ideations, behaviors, attempts, and suicide.

Adolescent needs for independence, identity formation, and peer acceptance increase risk-taking behavior.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among people aged 15-24.

Suicide is the main reason for referrals for child and adolescent emergency psychiatric services.

There has been a steady increase in adolescent drug abuse in the United States since 1960.

Substance abuse has been proposed as a risk factor for suicidal behavior.

The study examined whether there was an association between drug abuse and suicidal behavior and whether drug abuse was specifically a risk factor for suicide.

The data collection process was a literature review conducted by two people independtly examining peer reviewed articles for relevancy and other factors, such as language, leaving 17 articles for examination. The results were then extracted and presented in a table along…

Psychiatric Disorders

There is a high correlation between youth with substance abuse problems and youth with mental illness. Often, the substance abuse is a means of self-medicating. There are a lot of potential underlying factors for this high comorbidity, but it is important to recognize that the comorbidity exists, and it has implications for treatment. Proper psychiatric care is often required in concert with addiction treatment interventions, in order to ensure that youth facing these issues are able to overcome their addictions.

Psychiatric Disorders

There are a number of psychiatric disorders that can occur with substance abuse during adolescence. For example, among those with an alcohol use disorder, 37% had comorbidity with a mental disorder. The odds are particularly high for multiple addictive disorders, such as drug use disorders. Some of the most common comorbidities with substance abuse disorders are antisocial personality disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders (egier et al.,…

bevy of information about diabetes and the many different considerations for treatment that pertain to it. In this regard I found it quite comprehensive. It provides a good deal of detail about treating this condition from administering insulin to the different ways the human body can change: and the ways those changes inherently affect treatment. The article is loosely structured around a case study of an adolescent diabetes patient who is incurring difficulty with managing type 1 diabetes. Her story is used as a framework for the author's explanation of treatment concerns pertaining to adolescents which involves physical attributes, hormonal ones, and even social ones. The author explores the different types of diabetes and a number of different options for managing this condition. The focus of the way the majority of the information is presented, however, is within a context that applies to adolescents.

I learned a substantial amount of…

strength"-Oprah infrey:

The coming-of-age struggles of to Kill a Mockingbird and Romeo and Juliet

Although written in radically different styles (one is written from the perspective of an Elizabethan playwright, one is written in the voice of the child), at radically different eras, and in completely different media (one is a play, the other is a drama), both illiam Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird can be classified as coming-of-age dramas. In Romeo and Juliet, the teenage protagonists gain a sadder and more sophisticated understanding of the conflict-ridden world in which they live as a result of their love for one another. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the young narrator Scout comes to better understand the evils of the simmering racial tensions which exists within polite Southern society. Through the emotional struggles they personally undergo and witness both characters attain new levels of maturity they…

Adolescent Obesity and Drug Abuse -- Literature eview

Discipline I

The work of Brownson, et al. (2010) states that childhood obesity "…is a serious public health problem." In fact, "obesity rates have increased threefold among U.S. children and adolescents. Approximately 16% of children and adolescents aged 2 to 29 years are obese." (Brownson, et al., 2010) isk factors include hypertension and high cholesterol as well as increased risk of cardiovascular disease and incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. (Brownson, et al., 2010, paraphrased) Health professionals identify overweight and obesity through use of the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by measuring the proportion of weight to height. (Eisenberg, adunovich, and Brennan, 2007, paraphrased) The criteria used for categorizing BMI for children are both age and sex-specific and often referred to as BMI-for-age. BMI-for-age weight status categories and the corresponding percentiles are listed in Appendix 'A' following this study.…

Adolescent Substance Abuse

Substance abuse, commonly referred to as drug abuse and alcohol abuse, has recently gained popularity amid the youth of America. This has been confirmed by SAMHSA (2003) whose survey indicated that around 2.2 million teenagers were convicted of being involved in substance abuse in 2003. Teenage is called the golden period of a person's life as this is full of excitement and energy. People are willing to experience all the good and bad things in life, and for some natural reason, bad things tend to be more attractive. Therefore, the inclination of youth towards excessive usage of drugs and alcohol is not surprising. However, the teenage period does not last long. If people continue the same activity as adults, this can ruin a person's social, academic life, putting a stop to his professional career. This makes it a critical problem that should be resolved as a priority.…

Adolescents at isk of Suicide

Today, alarming numbers of young people are contemplating taking their own lives, and many follow through on their suicide ideations to actually kill themselves or to make an attempt. In sum, suicide represents the second-leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 34 years and is the third-leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 14 years (Suicide facts at a glance, 2015). To gain some additional insights into these issues, this case study provides a description of hypothetical 14-year-old runaway Caucasian adolescent, "Jane," who as referred from a homeless shelter with suicide ideations to determine what screening and testing should be performed, a discussion concerning current recommended treatment protocol, drugs and non-pharmacological interventions, and a description of expected treatment outcomes including a corresponding time frame and follow-up plan. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning adolescents such as…

Adolescent Literacy Plan of Action

Successful academic learning and student performance are founded on literacy (Meltzer & Ziemba, 2006). Listening, reading, observational, writing, presentation, speaking and critical thinking skills are used by literate students to learn, communicate what they have learned and even transfer the knowledge gained to other scenarios (Meltzer & Ziemba, 2006). A literacy leadership team and the school principal must lead continual improvement as a goal for students to develop literacy. When an entire school community collectively holds expertise in literacy, it becomes the most beneficial to students (Irvin, Meltzer & Dukes, 2007). In addition to expertise, schools must do what's necessary to enhance their ability to minimize the gap existing between practice and knowledge. All school aspects, like assessments, curriculum, resource allocation, policies and structures, professional development of teachers, instruction and culture of the school, are impacted by the existence of systemic literacy development efforts (Irvin,…

Adolescents with poor problem-solving skills are at greater risk of suicide, according to an article in the Journal of Clinical Psychology (Grover, et al., 2009). The authors concentrate on the problem of "chronic stress" in adolescents, saying it involves "deprivation or disadvantage" that is ongoing and those dynamics create a "continuous stream of threats and challenges" for the adolescent. The therapy in this research? Counselors, therapists, parents and teachers all need to help adolescents learn "well-developed problem-solving abilities" in order to "buffer the negative impact of both episodic and chronic stress…" (Grover, p. 1286).

Conclusion

Earlier in this paper it was asserted that up to 20% of adolescents in the U.S. will encounter some form of depression due to stress. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests that the best treatment for severely depressed youths is a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication; that formula works better than either…

Farris (1990) cites Glasser's Control Theory as a foundation for developing activities to motivate adolescent learners. Briefly this theory asserts humans have five basic needs: the need for survival, belonging, power, freedom and fun. Effective teachers recognize and respond to students' needs and a critical part of that response lies in helping students accept and maintain that essential control.

Farris (1990) proposes possible classroom responses designed to meet these needs. To satisfy the need to belong a teacher should create a classroom with an accepting atmosphere, create a sense of ownership, recognize student's attempts to be accepted, praise students' performance, teach using groups, and discipline or reprimand in private whenever possible to avoid humiliating students. The need for freedom can be addressed by involving students in rule making, providing opportunities for free expression, encouraging creativity in assignments, and possibly consider eliminating assigned seating. The need for power can be addressed…

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Hong Kong

The prevalence of mental health problems in people with disabilities is estimated at between thirty and fifty percent, in Hong Kong (Vasa & oy, 2013). Anxiety disorders are the most common mental problems occurring during adolescent and childhood, at least one in ten people having anxiety disorders. In addition, anxiety disorders are the most common manifestations of psychological distress among people with autism. People with autism are much likely to be anxious than their non-autistic peers. Oftentimes, they are described as highly anxious. The co-morbidity of separation anxiety is frequent in people with autism. Similarly, epidemiological studies indicate that approximately eighty percent of people with autism have separation anxieties. This study concentrates on discussing the treatment method or way of Autism and Separation Anxiety Disorder among children and adolescents in Hong Kong.

isk factors owing autism

Young people with autism are more prone…

Leadership Training for Adolescents

The focus of this work is the examination of whether early youth leadership training for adolescents could be a vehicle to address these problems among youth in rural communities. This study is quantitative in nature and investigates the existence of current leadership training programs at primary and high schools. The effect of newly developed leadership training programs and their effect on selected study participants will be examined. The sampling in this study will involve various age groups between 12 and 18 years of age.

Research questions in this study include those stated as follows:

(1) What is the relationship between early leadership training and problem solving skills among rural youth?

(2) What is the relationship between early leadership training and self-esteem among youth?

(3) What is the relationship between early leadership training and enhancing leadership skills among rural youth?

Significance of the Study

The significance of…

Nowadays, adolescent problem behavior is conceptualized as 2 empirically derived syndromes: externalizing problems (including delinquency and aggression) and internalizing problems (including depression, anxiety, and withdrawal) (Achenbach, 1991a, 1991b). Little is known about the structure of internalizing problem behavior. Accordingly, the first aim of this study is to examine the structure of externalizing and internalizing problem behavior during adolescence. (eitz, Dekovic, & Meijer, 2005, ¶ 2).

At the end of their study, eitz, Dekovic, and Meijer (2005) recount that prior research primarily focused on externalizing problems, the structure of a limited range of problem behavior, and basically found support for a 1-factor structure. Their study, eitz, Dekovic, and Meijer assert, extended previoius research as it explored externalizing, as well as internalizing problems, examining whether both types of behaviors belonged to one single factor of general problem behavior (1-factor model), or whether the two types behavior ought to be deemed two separate…

Sexual Activity in Adolescence

The scholarly literature on adolescence and health reflects the fact that some young people make risky decisions regarding sexual activities -- and the use of drugs also plays a role in their behavior. In this paper, those issues and others related to adolescent behaviors -- including the earlier initiation of sexual activities -- will be presented through in-depth analysis.

Adolescent Sexual Activities and Psychosocial Adjustments

There has been an assumption in the literature for some time that when adolescents delay their first sexual experience, they adjust better psychosocially as young adults a bit later in their lives. Another assumption has been that instances where young adults have their first sexual intercourse experience between 16 and 18 years of age "…are linked to lower adjustment in many life domains" (Haase, 2012, 199).

However, a peer-reviewed research article in the journal European Psychologist challenges those notions with empirical…

The influence of social disconnectedness upon adolescent suicide is also manifested in one study which found that adolescents who moved frequently were significantly more at risk of attempted suicide (Qin, Mortensen, & Pedersen 2009). It should be noted that this risk factor was "attenuated, but still significant, after controlling for the child's own psychiatric morbidity and loss of a mother or father, as well as parental psychiatric history," indicating that some adolescents may be inherently more vulnerable to this type of environmental stressor (in other words, some adolescents may be more socially adept at coping with the inevitable social problems that occur with frequent moving) (Qin, Mortensen, & Pedersen 2009: 628). isk of suicide has genetic and epigenetic components, but social difficulties as a risk factor cannot and should not be ignored. The association of frequent with moving suggests that positive peer relationships can act as a counterbalance to risk…

Third, increased cognitive demands in school challenge the adolescent. Fourth, the adolescent must develop more mature verbal communication skills. Fifth, the teenager will develop an ego separate from the parents, whereas in childhood the ego remained closely linked to that of the parents. Sixth, the adolescent formulates clearer career goals. The seventh task of adolescent development comprises the psychological detachment from the parents, often entailing interpersonal conflicts and difficulties relating to authority figures. Eighth, the adolescent develops stronger relationships with peers that help him or her formulate a sense of self. The ninth task of adolescence relates to the development of the sexual self: the teenager also comes to terms with gender issues. Tenth, the adolescent develops a personal system of values that may remain with the individual throughout the lifetime. The eleventh and final state regards controlling immature impulses and becoming a more mature manager of instincts and behaviors.