LESSON 4:

THE CHALLENGES OF
MIDDLE AND LATE
ADOLESCENCE

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
LESSON 4:
Successful people are
always looking for
opportunities to help
others.
Unsuccessful people are
always asking; “What’s in
it for me?”- Brian Tracy
THE PASSAGE TO
ADULTHOOD:
CHALLENGES OF LATE
ADOLESCENCE

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Physical development
• Most girls have completed the
physical changes related to puberty by
age 15.
Boys are still maturing and gaining
strength, muscle mass, and height and
are completing the development of
sexual traits.
 2. Emotional development

1.May stress over school and test scores.

2.Is self-involved (may have high
expectations and low-self concept.)
3.Seeks privacy and time alone.
4.Is concerned about physical and sexual
attractiveness.
 2. Emotional development

5.May complain that parents prevent him or

her from doing things independently.
6.Starts to want both physical and emotional
intimacy in relationships.
7.The experience of intimate partnerships.
 3. Social development
1. Shifts in relationship with parents from
dependency and subordination to one that
reflects the adolescent’s increasing maturity
and responsibilities in the family and the
community.
2. Is more and more aware of social
behaviors of friends.
 3. Social development
3. Seeks friends that share the same beliefs, values
and interests.
4. Friends become more important.
5. Starts to have more intellectual interests.
6. Explores romantic and sexual behaviors with
others.
7.May be influenced by peers to try risky
behaviors. (alcohol, vape, sex etc.)
 4. Mental development

1. Becomes better able to set goals and think in

terms of the future.
2. Has a better understanding of complex problems
and issues.
3. Starts to develop moral ideals and to select role
models.
 SLOGA
N
1. Read the essay “Being Happy”
2. Choose a phrase, sentence, or paragraph that
strikes you.
3. Make a slogan or personal declaration on how
you can be committed to your self-development.
4. Explain your thoughts and feelings about it.
Include specific ways in which you will develop
yourself further.
LESSON 4:
CHALLENGES OF
ADOLESCENCE
PERSONALITY

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
1

Issues with Body Image

During the transition from
childhood to adulthood, while
their bodies are morphing into
new shapes and sizes, teens are
struggling to come to terms with
their bodies and get comfortable
inside their own skins.
The
cherubic child is gone and they are
left looking at a stranger in the
Eating Disorders (including
anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating etc)
typically start just before and
during adolescence, and 95% of
people with eating disorders are
between 12-25 yrs. Old. Eating
disorders can affect a teen’s
health, mood, relationships and
day today functioning.
Eating Disorders affect women
more than men, but more young
men are more prone to something
called muscle dysmorphia, where
they become unhealthily obsessed
with being bigger and more
muscular.
2
An unmet need for
Community and Identity
Many teenagers are struggling to
find a place in society, wanting to
be recognized by their peers and
accepted for what they are. This is
one of the most important tasks of
their lives at this juncture and they
are faced with a lot of anxiety and
insecurity as they work around
this
When teens get the
message that they
don’ fit in and don’t
belong here, it can
lead to feelings of
isolation, disconnect
and depression.
3

Time- Management stress

Stress- Increases at school and the
older they get,the number of
projects to be done, tests to cope
with, and social drama increases,
not to mention sports and other
extracurricular activities.
 On the social front, a new and
tantalizing horizons opens up-
dating, partying, and hanging out
with friends. Meanwhile, they are
constantly distracted by electronic
media. A teenager learning to
juggle all of these expectations is
under a lot of stress.
4

Social and Parental Pressure

Oftentimes, parents live through
their children and expect their kids
to achieve everything they wanted
but did not have. Expecting the
teenager to get good grades, have
great friends, excel in
extracurricular activities, and be
well-behaved, responsible for
themselves and sometimes for their
younger siblings is a lot of pressure
Added to this is peer pressure.
To be accepted among peers
and to become “popular,”
teens feel pressured to
conform in their tastes,
behaviors and appearance.
5
Mental and Physical
Health Issues
POOR NUTRITION
The eating habits of teens
are poor and unmonitored.
They are urged towars
eating disorders, either
starving themselves or
bringing on unhealthy, fatty,
high-calorie junk food.
LACK OF SLEEP
In an effort to do and be it all,
the teen sacrifices sleep. They
require about nine hours of
sleep but on average, teens get
roughly seven hours. This
means that every day, they are
running at a deficit.
Depression and anxiety
Hormonal changes, added
to the chaos and strain of
scheduling, prioritizing,
achieving and fulfiling
expectations, put a teen
under considerable
emotional pressure.
This is reflected in mood
swings, aggression,
depression, anxiety and
sometimes even a
complete breakdown.
6
Lack of Positive Role
Models and Heroes
Often the biggest bullies,
richest spoiled brats, and
the most self-destructive
kids are held up as the most
enviable and popular.
The media glorifies these
people, and bad behavior is
applauded in movies, sports
and music. Where ever they go,
our children are fed on a diet of
lousy role models and are
imbibing the depraved values
of those “heroes”portrayed in
the media.
7

Drugs and Alcohol

Both alcohol and marijuana can
damage a teenager’s
developing brain. It’s so
important to talk to them to
find out what is happening in
their school and peer group,
discover what they’re exposed
to, and educate kids about the
dangers.
8
On-screen violence and
Unhealthy Social Media
When used responsibly,
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
and other social platforms can
be great ways for teens to
connect with the world, but
when used irresponsibly, they
are problematic.
Violent video games promote
aggression and violence. Going
online exposes teens to bad
characters, mean people,
unhealthy images, porn,
violence and sexual content.
9

BULLYING
But now bullying happens online,
too. Many don’t know that bullying
can be direct or indirect, which
includes gossip and rumor-
spreading. Many kids don’t even
know what cyberbullying is or fully
understand the potentially
damaging effect of their online
behaviors.
10
Risky Sexual Activity
and Behavior
Out of 20 million new
STD diagnoses each
year, more than half of
those affected are
between the ages of 15
and 24.