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Adolescence

Adolescence is a transition period from childhood to adulthood, typically spanning approximately from 12 to 18 years of age. Development during adolescence involves attaining physical and sexual maturity, along with increased complexity of thought and social behavior. Understanding adolescent development is critical for the development of policy and practice related to secondary education. This entry discusses the history of the construct of adolescence, developmental contexts and tasks of adolescence, the stages of adolescence, and major domains of adolescent development.

History

The notion of a distinct developmental stage between childhood and adulthood is a relatively new concept. In the late 19th century, theorists such as G. Stanley Hall began promoting the idea of adolescence as a distinct life stage. Prior to this time, there was a sense of youth (roughly the period from one’s midteens through early 20s) as an important and impressionable period of development, but not the modern sense of adolescence as a time of identity exploration and relative lack of adult responsibilities. The increasing availability of public education and decline in child labor contributed to the view that a period of transition from childhood to the assumption of adult roles was necessary.

Throughout much of the 20th century, adolescence was viewed as a period of “storm and stress,” in which adolescents struggled to manage their emotions, had frequent conflicts with parents and other authority figures, and engaged in high-risk behaviors. Despite this popular view, researchers have argued that the notion of adolescence as a time of high drama is largely exaggerated. Although adolescents do report more negative moods and more frequent mood swings than either adults or younger children, the majority of adolescents report feeling happy and confident most of the time.

Researchers operating from the perspective of positive youth development argue that the traditional view of adolescence has been overly negative and focused on deficits (e.g., mental illness, alcohol and drug use). Positive youth development theorists argue that researchers and practitioners should instead focus on adolescents’ strengths and structure environments such that these strengths are tapped and promoted.

Developmental Tasks and Contextual Demands

Developmental tasks are fundamental abilities and achievements that must be acquired for optimal development at a given life stage and appropriate progress toward the next phase of life. Key developmental tasks of adolescence include development of realistic self-perceptions (awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses in various domains), identity development (including development of a vocational identity in preparation for a career), establishing autonomy from parents, engaging in appropriate peer relationships (belonging to a peer group, forming and maintaining friendships), navigating sexuality and romantic relationships, and development of coping skills (such as conflict resolution and decision making).

As in other life stages, one key determinant of individual outcomes is the goodness of fit between the individual’s needs and capabilities and what is required of the individual by the environment. Due to their developmental needs, adolescents often desire greater autonomy and flexibility from their environments than children do. Parents and teachers can promote optimal development for adolescents by allowing autonomy and choice while still acting as a source of emotional support and monitoring adolescents’ behavior and emotional states.

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