COUNSELING LESSON 1

TEENAGERS AND THEIR PROBLEMS

By Michael Wambua

EVERLASTING GOSPEL HERALDS April 2013

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TEENAGERS AND THEIR PROBLEMS

(COUNSELING LESSON 1) TEENS AGE Simply means the period of onset of adolescence (puberty) mainly for both boys and girls thirteen years to later adolescence or youth at the age of nineteen years.
Middle Adolescence

TEENAGE

Onset Adolescence Puberty

Latter Adolescence

WHAT IS ADOLESCENCE? The period in human development that occurs between the beginning of puberty and adulthood. Is a transitional period between childhood and adult. Therefore an adolescent is neither a child nor an adult. The terms adolescent and teenage are synonymous PERIOD OF ADOLESCENCE: Adolescence is often divided into three periods 1. Early adolescence or pubescence or preadolescence This begins from around age ten to fifteen years. Growth is remarkable in both sexes. Peer influence and pressure is dominant and urge of independence from authority e.g. parents is more profound. 2. Middle adolescence Begins from age sixteen to eighteen years. This period is characterized by; There are fewer physical changes but sexual urges remain intense and difficult to control in the face of peer pressure. Therefore guidance and counseling is crucial if we are to overcome the peer influence. Peers now become of greater significance as adolescence seek to break away from parental influence values and controls. Teenagers often do not want to accompany their parents to church and vacations or shopping trips. Communication at home may be minimal but day dreaming is common. There is a great desire to be accepted and to indentify with the current teenage language (Sheng) heroes, styles of dress and forms of entertainment. Dating and other relationship with opposite sex become of extreme importance and breakups are very painful due to the strong emotional attachments that characterize these relationships. 3. Late adolescence This period begins from nineteen years. The person is neither adolescence nor an adult. The young person in this period is faced with task of moving comfortably into adult society assuming adult responsibilities, shifting to an independent status and formulating a distinct life style. Planning for future including the challenge of choosing a mate and moving into a career occupies constables time and energy Three crucial questions of late adolescence i. Whom am I? Question of identity. ii. How do I relate for others-? The question of interrelationship iii. What should I believe? The question of ideology.
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As attempt to answer these questions many young adults struggle with feeling of inner emptiness, confusion, interpersonal, tension and anxiety. CHANGES THAT COMES WITH ADOLESCENT As adolescence physical and emotional changes occur in boys and girls to prepare their bodies for parenthood. It is a stage accomplished by the development of the reproductive system and the secondary sexual characteristic. These changes are triggered off and maintained by a sharp increase in the level of sex hormones. In girls estrogen (female sex hormone) increases rather sharply leading to menstrual cycle and production of ova. In boys there is a sharp increase in the production of testosterone leading to maturity of male sex organs and the production of sperms. CHANGES IN GIRLS Physical changes include; o Gradual development of breast o Broadening of hips; the hips grow faster than the shoulders o Start of menstruation Emotional changes include; o Increased awareness and interest in ones own body o Increased sexual interest o Moodiness o Shyness o Antisocial behavior CHANGES IN BOYS Physical changes include; o They grow heavier, more muscular, taller and their shoulders broaden o Hair appears on the chin, upper lips, chest, armpits and in the pubic area o The voices deepens ( breaks) o The testes produce sperms they might have wet dreams usually happens at night, when the boy is asleep and semen containing sperms is discharged. This is a natural way of getting rid of excess sperms. Emotional changes include; o Increased awareness and interest in ones own body. o Increased sexual interest o Moodiness o Adventures/ discoveries o Antisocial behavior RECOMMENDATIONS I would like to urge all parents teachers and guidance to take this serious responsibility of giving our young people guidance and counseling on the issues affecting the teenage life, failure to doing so we are in peril of loosing our young people unto the abuse of moral corruption. Parent makes sure that your child is among the E.G.H troops or any other Christian foundation which deals with guidance and counseling. May God Bless You!

Written by, MICHAEL WAMBUA (Church in Meru) April 2013

EVERLASTING GOSPEL HERALDS

P.O. Box 59461-00200 NAIROBI, KENYA everlastinggospelheralds@gmail.com
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