PSYC 290 LIFE SPAN PSYCHOLOGY
Dissuasion 1
I agree with the notion that early maturation might make girls susceptible to premature sexual activity and unwanted pregnancies. The age at which younger girls are experiencing puberty is seemingly changing. Rice (2018), states that like a century ago, young girls used to experience their first period at the age of 16, but this has greatly changed in modern times, and young girls are experiencing their first period as early as at 13 years. Puberty represents physical changes to young girls, which include the development of breasts as early as eight years. Puberty represents a period when the pituitary glands in the body produce hormones that directs the body to release progesterone and estrogen, which are sex hormones that makes the young girls develop high sexual drive. The high sexual drive makes young girls engage in sexual activities at an early stage. Some of the girls may engage in unprotected sex, and as a result, they are likely to become pregnant. Early and unwanted pregnancies may cause mental disorders to young girls like stress and depression.
When girls mature early, they are more likely to experience more problems when compared to young boys who mature in the early years. Such girls begin to think themselves as being sexually attractive, and they are likely to associate themselves with peers of older ages and specifically those with questionable behaviors like drug abuse and unhealthy sexual behaviors (Shakour, Salehi & Yamani, 2017). Consequently, young girls may adopt these risky behaviors and risk their future lives. Similarly, when boys mature at early stages, they are likely to become more anxious, and they want to test new things, and they are likely to end up abusing substances like tobacco. When boys experience early maturity, they are likely to develop high self-esteem and become popular.
References
Shakour, M., Salehi, K., & Yamani, N. (2018). Reproductive health need assessment of adolescent boys and girls during puberty: a qualitative study. International Journal of Pediatrics, 6(9), 8195-8205.
Rice, C. (2018). The spectacle of the child-woman: Troubling girls and the science of early puberty. Feminist Studies, 44(3), 535-566.
Discussion 2
Adolescence is a stage in life that can make or break the lives of many teenagers due to the many challenges faced during this stage. One of the critical challenges that teenagers face in adolescence is stress, and resilience plays a crucial role in handling stress, and that is why some teenagers handle stress better than others. Goldstein & Brooks (2014), stated that one of the factors that contribute to teen’s resilience is the level of connectedness to a family. If the teenager is closely connected to the family members, they are likely to help the teenager in managing stress. Therefore family members need to know what is going on in their kid’s lives to assist them where possible. Another factor is the level of connection to peers. Teenagers who are close connections with their fellow teenagers have higher resilience in handling adolescence stress because they are able to share their problems and get quality solutions from different peers.
A common stressor in teenagers in physical body changes. When teenagers are approaching adolescence, they experience some changes in their bodies like changes in voice for boys and growth of beards for boys and development of breasts for girls, and such changes may cause stress to the teenagers. Erik Erikson talks of teenagers experiencing a crisis during adolescence, a crisis that helps them in revealing their true identity. During adolescence, teenagers are struggling to balance between self-identity and coping with the adolescence. Erikson also added that when teenagers survive in adolescence, they are able to know their identity, and they consequently develop a trait of confidence in themselves (Gestsdottir & Lerner, 2008). As adolescents try to find their identity, culture plays a crucial role during this stage. For instance, if the teenager is developing in a culture that teaches teenagers to be independent, the teenager is likely to develop into an independent adult. Similarly, peers have more influence during adolescence. Peers are close to families, and where families offer low support during adolescence, peers can provide additional support during adolescence. A close relationship between family members and teenagers helps in handling stress during adolescence.
References
Goldstein, S., & Brooks, R.B. (2014). Handbook of resilience in children. New York, NY: Springer.
Gestsdottir, S., & Lerner, R. M. (2008). Positive development in adolescence: the development and role of intentional self-regulation. Human Development, 51(3), 202–224. https://doi.org/10.1159/000135757