esmauro.com Blog

Adolescence is a period of life where puberty and hormone affects behavior and physical appearance. The search for personality takes place on this period. The exploration for Independence and meaning of existences are questioned. Many physical changes happen to our bodies at this time such as changes to voice and growth of facial and pubic hair.

Peers play a big part on adolescence years. Adolescents spend more time in school and with peers then with other groups. Teens become more aggressive and self-centered, this is normal since personality it’s forming and ideas are being developed. A healthy Family relationship is important in the development of a teenager’s personality; a good communicative relationship could be very healthy in the transition from childhood to young adult hood.
As a parent of a 9 year old I am in the beginning of this journey, I feel it is my job to get as much information on this issue and take an early start on this unprecedented event.

How children come to see themselves in relation to others begins with the parent-child relationship, which is essential for early attachment and adaptation. Children can have multiple attachments to parents, grandparents, and other caregivers, all of which create the early foundation for learning to relate to others. Upon entering the school system, peer relationships become essential to children and act to further modify and shape their view of self and the manner in which they relate to others. In adolescence, relationships expand to include intimacy and romance but remain heavily influenced by the nature of previously observed and experienced relationships (Wolfe, 2006, p 30).

A close relationship with the family and open communication is especially important during adolescence as children experience many physical and mental changes. Research shows that teens that have positive relationship with the parents are less likely to smoke, drink and be aggressive.

Most children between the ages of 12 and 14 find themselves much more drawn to their friends than to their family. They are making the transition, at some point during these years, from a known and familiar way of life to a new and strange one: from primary to secondary school, from junior or middle to senior school. In general, parents find that they have very much less to do with school life on a day-to-day basis than previously – perhaps especially if they were used to meeting children in the playground, going into school with them, and chatting to teachers. Now they feel almost left out: they don’t have a “sense” of the school or of the nature of their children’s daily experiences any more (Waddell, 2005. p 29).

Most teens at the age of 14 – 16 feel invincible and that nothing bad could happen to them. This will cause them to engage in risk behaviors. Most teens experiment with alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and sexual intercourse increases during this point.

Self-esteem evolves through adolescence, children become self aware and in search of self identity. Most of the social interactions build on their perception of them self’s. Friendships and intimacy is more common than in younger years, they learn to become more social that will prepare them for a grown up world.

Levels of self-esteem have a big influence on how we form and maintain relationships with others. This includes important relationships, such as with partners and close family and friends, as well as those with acquaintances, such as people we work with for a short while or meet up with while we are at school or college. How we see ourselves will affect how we view others. If we think that people are judging us, we are likely to act in a defensive way. This could mean that we become aggressive or perhaps very passive. If we fear rejection, we may be tempted to avoid forming close relationships all together. Our behaviour will then undoubtedly affect how others behave towards us (Plummer 2005. p 178).