ADOLESCENT PAPER

Adolescent Paper
SW 3510
November 11, 2013
Bf 6422
Kimberly Glenn

Running head: Adolescence Paper

Kimberly Glenn
1

Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to
a period ranging from age 11 and 21. Adolescence has three periods early 11-14, middle 14-16,
late 17-21. Adolescence has many psychological and social stages, as well as biological. The
beginning of adolescence is usually marked with the beginning of puberty. It is filled with
constant change, uncertainty, but it can be wonderful and full of expectation. Adolescence grows
taller and stronger and also starts to feel and think more maturely. Everything an adolescent
learned to believe is suddenly challenged. One day you are a cute child that everybody seemed to
adore, and the next day your skin and body are changing. While the physical changes of puberty
are an important indicator of adolescence development, many other kinds of changes also occur
during the early period of adolescent; cognitive, self-concept, social / moral reasoning and the
ability to think abstractly. By the time Adolescents enter the cognitive stage they are able to think
more abstractly and hypothetically. They can define right from wrong, in terms of cop = good
and robber = bad.
During the second phase of adolescence they try to define themselves in terms of career,
sexual and religion They try to figure out where they are heading in life, and how they fit into
society, this stage change their minds and experiment with new looks, majors, and new
experiences .In this stage, although most of the physical changes of puberty have taken place and
most teens are pretty close their adult height; there's plenty of inward construction work still
occurring. Teens are very concerned with their appearance and spend a lot of time grooming or
experimenting with makeup. They also become concerned over their attractiveness toward the
opposite sex or same sex. The middle adolescent's peers are still all-important, and loss of peer
approval is devastating.
The final, stage of adolescence is young adulthood, the sense self-identity and independence

Running head: Adolescence Paper

Kimberly Glenn
1

deepens and the teen develops a sense of self-esteem. The adolescence is often considered a
young adult when he or she goes off to college or otherwise leaves the nest. The teen is able to
take independent decisions and starts relying on herself rather than her parents or friend. In this
paper I will discuss several life events that in my transpired in all three periods of my
adolescence years.
The most startling change during puberty was losing my virginity at the age of 13. Lack of
self-knowledge was the motive for this life changing event. As I continue to embrace sex during
puberty I was full of uncertainties about my sexuality. I develop a sense of identity crisis which
was very challenging. Therefore, I felt the need to find something to cling on to which would
make me feel like I belong somewhere or to something and I found it in sex. As a result, of this
behavior I begin high-risk activity unprotected sex, dating older men, substance abuse,
and other forms of risky behavior this would remain a pervasive and costly problem
to me and my family.
Another major landmark during my adolescence years was teen pregnancy. The significant of
this life changing event was challenging too. One of the first challenges facing the pregnant
actually happens before I gave birth. Somehow, I had to find a way to continue High School and
learn something in the process. There is a pretty dramatic correlation between High School and
being pregnant. After graduation and giving birth to my child, my life would change forever. I
lost focus on my dreams and will have to focus on raising a child at an early age.
Having sex at an early age and teen age pregnancy has its effects. My young adulthood was
altered and perhaps lost. As a young mother I felt that the pregnancy and birth fast-forward my
life from late childhood straight to full-blown adulthood with its attendant responsibilities. I

Running head: Adolescence Paper

Kimberly Glenn
1

grew to resent this, though with neither intent nor deliberation, I wind up resenting my child as
well. Although I loved my child deeply, but the child comes to represent a constant reminder of
what I have missed out on the part of life that was expecting to be the most fun of all.
Today I hold no regrets of having my only child at an early age. As I grew older my maturity
level grew as well. The idea of having a child that was only 17 years younger than I, was
correlating and fun for the most part. I was able to tap into my childhood I lost at an early age,
through his youth. The quality of the relationship between children and their parents is
important to childrens development.
While not everyone grows and matures at the same rate, eventually everyone grows up. There
may be some stumbles and falls along the way, but eventually pre-teens become teens, teens
become young adults, and young adults make the final bound into adulthood,

Running head: Adolescence Paper

Kimberly Glenn
1