Effects of Physical Development on Adolescents - Research Paper Example

Effects of Physical Development on Adolescents Abstract An adolescent is a young person who is between the onset of puberty and maturity but has not reached full maturity (Schwartz 2008). Adolescence on the other end is that period between puberty and adulthood. Overtime, there has been no defined single event or rather boundary line that denotes the beginning of adolescence. It’s rather thought that, this passage to adulthood is composed of changes that occur gradually. Puberty is that time in which a child’s sexual organs and physical characteristics mature. This begins at the age of eleven or twelve years in the female gender and thirteen or fourteen years in the male gender. These transitions which these young people go through constitute of physical changes which lead to physical development as they transform from childhood to adulthood (Bennett 2006). This paper seeks to investigate the effects of these physical developments on adolescents specifically of the female gender. Effects of Physical Development on Adolescents Description of an adolescent Mary began her adolescence stage barely at the age of twelve years. Before the onset of this stage, Mary was one innocent girl, one whose character was pleasing to everyone who knew her. She was at that time the most obedient and an open person you would ever come across. She was so close with her parents, teachers and peers. She could freely discuss anything with them, be it anything bothering her or anything about life she did not comprehend. Even at this age of twelve years, Mary was a short and slender in size. Her bust was also flat. You could easily mistake her for an eight year old boy! Twist of events took place when she began noticing changes in her body. Her character changed to the complete opposite of what people used to know about her. Physical changes Mary experienced what is referred as adolescent growth spurt. This is the period of rapid growth in height and weight during adolescence and marks the first half of puberty (Elkind 1967). She was now among the tallest members of her grade. She also increased in weight and you could now notice her female physique. The first change that took place was the development of breast buds accompanied by development of breasts. Pubic hair, underarm hair and leg hair which had started development at an earlier age were now almost the adult size. The above changes are visible signs of sexual maturity and do not involve the sex organs directly and are referred to as secondary sex characteristics (Elkind 1967). Another physical change experienced by Mary was menarche which is usually the actual puberty. This is the beginning of menstrual periods (Beal & Crockett 2010). Another expected change is a clear or whitish vaginal discharge. This usually occurs in between the menstrual periods. At this stage, the menstrual cycle has begun to occur but could be irregular in the first months. Over time, these periods became regular and usually occurred monthly, on an average of twenty eight days. The uterus at this stage is fully developed and she is in a position to be sexually productive and thus able to conceive. This is because after menstruation, ovaries begin to produce and release eggs. Once released, this egg travels down the fallopian tube to the womb and once fertilized, it grows and develops in the lining to produce a baby. These sexual characteristics that are associated with development of organs and structures of the body and that directly relate to reproduction are referred to as primary sexual characteristics (Elkind 1967).These physical changes occurring during puberty are brought about by changes in hormonal components. Now, Mary is grown fully and her femininity is recognizable. Her breasts are fully developed and hips have broadened. She has the features of a fully grown up woman at the age of sixteen years. Effects of the changes on relationships At this age and with all the above developments, Mary feels that she is now a grown up and she is able to make decisions on her own without involving her teachers and parents (Bennett 2006). From a little girl who was close with her teachers and parents, Mary is now not willing to share life issues and the changes she is going through. However, she confides with her peers. Mary has also developed a closer relationship with her peers. She is free to share with them about her new developments because in return she will also get to know and learn about their developments. However, she now finds herself in frequent conflicts with her parents and teachers. This is usually normal and expected (Elkind 1967). Despite these, these conflicts need confrontation and resolution. On the positive side of this effect, Mary does not need to depend on her parents to help her in every decision because she is now mature and can make sound decisions on her own. However, there is a need to set a boundary to the extend in which they are independent. Effect of changes on sexuality Mary has also developed sexual desire. This is as a result of unavoidable sexual fantasies and impulses. This could be dangerous because it can result in unnecessary and unwanted pregnancies or worse still be infected with Sexually Transmitted Diseases. This is due to the fact that she does not consult her elders who can advice her on sexual matters and the precautions she should take (Beal & Crocket 2010). She instead follows what her peers are advising her or doing which could be misleading. This sexual desire could also stem from the desire to satisfy non sexual needs which could be to fit in a certain group or to boost self esteem. She is not ready to lose her friends so she has to compromise with what they say or do. Effect on self concept Mary is concerned with her new look. She is now so much into her body physique more than ever before. This is evidenced by the fact that she spends more time in the mirror. Her ego has also changed in the pursuit of identifying which peer group she fits in within her society. She is moody which makes her rebellious because she fills that her opinions need be respected. This should not be a cause for alarm as it is expected with teenagers of her age. The parents just need to understand and accept the changes she is going through (Bennett 2006). Culture of the individual Culture is the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts and all other products of human work and thoughts (Schwartz 2009). This is an individual who believes in existence of culture. Culture dictates various ways of doing certain things. For instance, Mary at her age is expected to assist in household chores unlike her male siblings. Culture also dictates the way one dresses, eats, the language one speaks and the way of worship (Schwartz 2009). Influence of culture in development of adolescence During adolescence, many changes take place influencing the way one dresses, speaks and worships. Mary is seen to change her eating habits in that she is now observed to eat larger amounts of food to fit the cultural requirements of people in her age bracket. Mary is also seen to change her dressing mode from that of the age group she was in to that of the peers in her current age. Her language has now changed and she makes a good choice of her words and avoids some words. In terms of worship, she has changed from her former church group and joined that of adults as the culture dictates. Conclusion Physical development is seen as a vital stage in one’s life which occurs as a result of puberty and adolescence. This physical development causes physical changes which impact on the life of an individual affected and those around him or her. These physical changes have negative or positive effects. Culture is also seen as an important aspect in the development of adolescence. References: Beal, S. J., & Crockett, L. J. (2010). Adolescents’ occupational and educational aspirations and expectations: Links to high school activities and adult educational attainment. Developmental Psychology, 46(1), 258-265. Bennett, M. D., Jr. (2006). Culture and context: A study of neighborhood effects on racial socialization and ethnic identity content in a sample of African American adolescents. Journal of Black Psychology, 32(4), 479-500. Elkind, D. (1967). Egocentrism in adolescence. Child Development, 38(4), 1025-1034. Schwartz, K. D. (2008). Adolescent brain development: An oxymoron no longer. Journal of Youth Ministry, 6(2), 85-93. Read More