1. Running head: ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 1
Analyzing the Holistic Adolescence of Ace
SOWK 610-610 – Dr. Forte
Brianna Tiedeman
December 6, 2015
Salisbury University
2. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 2
Introduction – Demographics and Memberships
Ace Ventura, hereafter referred to as Ace, is a twenty year old Caucasian male in his junior
year of nursing school at Salisbury University. Ace works for Salisbury in several facets
including the Office of Student Activities and Leadership, the Office of Student Affairs, and the
Office of Admissions. He is also a member and the vice president of the Student Nurses
Association, as well as a new inductee of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honors’
society. Ace also identifies as a member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer
(LGBTQ) community. Ace reports that he was baptized as Catholic but denies currently
practicing religion. Ethnically, Ace identifies as being both Irish and Italian but identifies more
with the Italian ethnicity from his father’s side of his family.
Ace grew up in Claymont, Delaware until fourth grade when he moved to Elkton, Maryland,
and currently resides in Salisbury, Maryland as a three-year local. The majority of Ace’s close
friends from his private high school live in Delaware, and he also has two brothers and two
supportive parents. Past memberships from high school and his freshman and sophomore years at
SU include Student Government, Model UN, the Youth and Government Statewide Debate
Program, the Blue Gold football, and SU’s football team. SGA transitioned into college with
high importance and value but Ace recently de-prioritized it for his devotion the nursing program
and other organizations, however he has eventual goals to become a senator later in his lifetime.
Ace also gave up football in order to make time for his studies and work.
Ace’s interview took place in the office of Student Activities and Leadership in a back office
space where we utilized a meeting table and chairs and had minimal interruptions. Ace was
engaged and excited for the conversation. Prior to the interview’s commencement, I informed
Ace that his confidentiality is a priority for this assignment, disclosure was up to his discretion,
3. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 3
and that I was a mandated reporter. Ace reportedly understood all of these notions as nursing
majors are familiar with similar processes.
Physical Development – A Growing Boy
Ace stands at six feet tall and three inches and weighs in around two-hundred and fifteen
pounds. He presents as well groomed, wears mostly scrubs, suits and his medical jacket, or
sweatpants and SU attire, and always has a smile on his face. He does struggle with acne
reportedly but claims it has gotten better since high school. Ace appears to be strong with some
visible muscle tone and he attributes his good health to having played high school and college
football in the past, and now being incredibly health conscious and exercising when he finds
time. He notes that maintaining his health has been one of his biggest challenges up to this point
in his lifetime and struggles with his body image perception as it contributes to his depression:
“Since I was an infant I remember being depressed,” Ace said. “I still struggle with it now
because my weight is a challenge alongside the pressure of school, work, finances, bills, health,
and parent’s expectations.”
According to Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2013), it is expected that young adults are in their
physical prime and in great health. If Buhler’s theory that adolescence ranges from age fifteen to
twenty-five, Ace is in good shape other than being a bit overweight; his high activity levels will
aide him until he reaches the expected gradual decline in health after age thirty. It is also
expected that Ace be health conscious at this time because of cultural standards of men being
raised. Measures that promote health such as running, health foods, and weight control are more
popular and in turn, expected, because diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart
disease are more prevalent (Zastrow, Kirst-Ashman, 2013).
One theory that explains Ace’s development as an adolescent is the secular trend or “the
tendency toward increasing size and earlier achievement of sexual maturity” (Zastrow & Kirst-
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Ashman, 2013, p. 280). This trend notes that people are growing taller and bigger than they did a
century ago and is theorized to be because of better standards of living and better nutrition. The
trend therefore explains Ace’s towering height, deep voice, and visible facial hair (Zastrow &
Kirst-Ashman, 2013).
Cognitive Development – Self Concept and Self Esteem
Ace’s cognitive development can be characterized as having a lack of homeostasis. His self-
esteem is low but his self-concept is high, and these phenomena vary depending on his stress
levels. An adolescent at age twenty is expected, based on achieving identity ideas, to struggle
with “developing a sense of who they are, what they want out of life, and what kind of people
they want to be” (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2013, p. 317). They are also expected to experiment
with roles, courses, part-time jobs, relationships, and sometimes drugs and alcohol.
For Ace, self-concept seems to be strong in the context of school and work, but weak in the
areas of his homosexuality and depression. According to Cooley, the looking-glass self-theory is
when people develop their self-concept in terms of how other people relate to them (Zastrow &
Kirst-Ashman, 2013). It is part of the labeling theory umbrella and notes that self-identity is a
life-long process and being labeled or having trouble relating can traumatize our past but can
also help later in being in control of our lives. With this in mind, it is likely that Ace struggles
with his self-concept often: “Friends don’t understand the stress of the program nor do they
provide a cushion or pillow if I complain because they are tired of hearing about it,” Ace said.
“I’m like an adult in a 20-year-old body – my friends are still enjoying their college experience
and I’m just doing work.” Ace reports that he used to go out on weekends and drink alcohol
heavily as a part of his social life. This is known as Erikson’s Psychosocial Moratorium period or
theory, experimenting with alcohol and drugs in order to find oneself and evaluate the
5. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 5
experience. (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2013). Drinking does not present as a challenge for Ace
nor is it occurring frequently at this time. Today, Ace’s workload is “nonstop, vigorous, and
intense,” he says.
Despite the obstacles most homosexuals and college students face at this age, Ace has a
strong sense of identity in his work, his goals, and his education, and is in the process of coming
out about his sexual orientation which would build his concept greatly while contributing to
overall identity achievement and cognitive development. According to Zastrow and Kirst-
Ashman (2013), coming out is the process of a person’s public acknowledgment that he or she is
gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, or queer (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2013).
Emotional Development - The Importance of Coping Skills
When I first met Ace, the first thing I noticed was his smile; always there, always dependable.
What surprised me during his interview was his disclosure of suffering with depression because
his aura is positive, welcoming, and happy. Ace was bullied in middle and high school for being
different, is still battling the process of coming out to his parents, and is under high stress and
pressure to succeed and be looked up to as a student and a leader. “When you’re in a position
over other students and you’re in charge, people look up to you as a leader and it creates a
pressure that you can’t mess up or slip because once you slip, someone takes your spot,” Ace
explained.
For a college student, many of these commonalities are prevalent and when it gets to be too
much, seeking help from the counseling center or a supportive mentor is acceptable. However,
Ace’s depression remains untreated as his parent’s values contradict with mental health
counseling. Because he has high emotional intelligence and is self-aware of his condition, Ace
does not seek treatment, but uses coping skills and his strengths to push through and self-
6. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 6
manage. Coping skills of his include “keeping myself moving, keeping my mind off of stress,
busywork,” he said. “If an opportunity is presented, I’m the first to jump on it without even
thinking about how much time I have.” Ace’s strengths that help in overcoming his emotional
battles include being independent, self-sufficient, time-management skills, his positive attitude,
and self-awareness. His strengths also stem from having several accomplishments throughout
high school and his undergraduate career so far.
According to Erikson’s Development Stages theory, Ace is just starting the stage of Intimacy
Versus Isolation. This helped me conclude that he is in the isolation portion of this stage and is
struggling with intimacy and close relationships because of his intense schedule. This is
evidenced by having little support from friends and family, not being in a romantic relationship
currently, and the people in his life not failing to understand his current school situation (Zastrow
& Kirst-Ashman, 2013). Ace discussed how he is working to build closer relationships with
people in his life and he reports studying with his fellow nursing majors and attending clinical
hours with them as well because these students can relate to him better.
Family Relationships – The Black Sheep
Ace’s immediate family consists of his parents, mom and dad, and two brothers - one older
and one younger. Ace notes his family system as stressful because “there’s a lot more pressure
on me because I’m the one that has been the most successful,” he reported. “I’m different than
both of my brothers so it’s hard to relate to them.” Ace explained that he has not talked to his
older brother for six months but did not disclose any details about the disconnection or why he is
different from him. He says that he has a good relationship with his younger brother and mentors
him often.
7. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 7
Ace’s parents are “supportive and help out any way they can. They are a lot harder on me
than my brothers because they know I have potential,” he said. Their relationship is currently
strained as he describes having quit football was disappointing to them, and they are not aware of
Ace’s sexuality. Ace explained this strain but did not let it deter from showing how much he
values of each of his parents, claiming them as the most influential people in his life. Ace’s
mother grew up in poverty and her father was an alcoholic. “I feel like if she could do it all on
her own, I could do it all on my own,” he said. Ace strives for independence and success after
observing his mother’s steps up the corporate ladder without a college degree, raising three kids,
and doing anything she has to do for her family. Ace admires this about his mother and claims he
gets his sass from her. Ace’s father came from a divorced family and eventually lost his father to
cancer. He was abused by his stepfather and despite these challenges, “still has a smile on his
face,” Ace said. “He is where I get my smile, my brains, and my personality.”
In terms of separating from his parents and becoming independent and an individual, Ace
appears to have taken the steps to achieve separation. He is financially stable for a college
student, lives in off-campus housing with roommates, stays in Salisbury over summers to work,
and has his own life, separate from his parents. He has not grown away from them in terms of
values or moral attachment and this is shown by leaning on them for support and upholding their
values such as mental health treatment.
Role theory states that roles are culturally established for interpersonal relationships and have
expectations and standards attached to them (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2013). As the middle
child, a normal role this role takes on is the mediator, or someone who keeps everyone together.
Ace is not conforming to this role as tensions within the family system prevent him from doing
so, as well as his individualism and busy schedule taking precedence over these relationships.
8. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 8
Ace does fulfill several roles though and constructing his ecomap is evidence of that. Within his
family specifically, he is a son, a brother, a mentor, and a role-model because of his successes.
Peer Relationships – The College Triangle
In an adolescent of age twenty, it is expected that the individual would be in the intimacy
stage of Erikson’s model, having close relationships without losing one’s identity (Zastrow &
Kirst-Ashman, 2013). It is also expected that a college student at this age has a triangle of
options to choose from, social life, good grades, and sleeping, and students only get to pick two
corners of this triangle. In Ace’s life, he attempts to have all three, but struggles with his social
life the most. Ace did not disclose any details about close friends or sexual partners, but noted
that he did have close friends within the offices he works for on campus as well as his nursing
major peers. He also mentioned friends from his private high school who he gets to see when he
visits home in Claymont, Delaware. He notes that he graduated from a high school class of
seventy-nine people and “everyone knew the new kid so it gave me a chance to open up to a
smaller group of people so it was more personal relationships with my instructors and peers,”
Ace said. He accredits his private high school experience with developing him into who he is
today. He was shy and timid as he was bullied in his prior school, and the private experience
made him outgoing. In terms of his college relationships or current relationships, Ace mentioned
little about close friendships, but rather the hindrance on them from the stresses of nursing school
and his supports not understanding or empathizing with his workload.
Alongside Erikson’s theory of development, Kohlberg also helped in my understanding of
Ace’s moral development in terms of his friendships and triangle corners (social life, school,
sleep). Kohlberg’s stages of moral development note that the third level of morality is post-
conventional, or the time when an adolescent internally controls moral decisions and behavior is
9. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 9
based on principles instead of laws. It is very evident that Ace is aware of who he is, who he
cares about, what he wants, and so on, but he is not quite at stage six of level three because he is
not open about his sexuality. During stage six, Ace will not be interrupted by the thoughts or
feelings of others and their opinions of him. As he rests in stage five, his true morality is being
established and the needs and well-being of others in his life are increasingly valuable to him
(Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2013). This theory helps conclude that although Ace is stressed and
overwhelmed by school work, he still cares deeply about his relationships although he may not
have as much time to dedicate to them. His openness about his sexuality will come with time as
he becomes more comfortable with it.
Other System Relationships
An additional social system that Ace highly regards in his life is history and the current status
of our country. Ace reported that history is one of his favorite subjects but is also one of the
biggest challenges he and his generation face. “The direction our country is going concerns me,”
Ace said. “Politics bring out the worst in people these days, when in reality it should bring out
the best and I’m worried about my generation because we have so much potential but we are
looked down upon by the people in charge.” Ace notes that his goal of being a senator someday
stems from his passion for making changes, making a difference, and helping people. Politics
and the current status of our nation interest him because of the accomplishments he has made in
Student Government, the Student Nurses Association, and several other organizations, and in
turn, wanting to see and execute those and more accomplishments on a larger scale.
Another part of history that affected Ace was the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011. Ace
was six years old at the time of this tragedy and the events were “an eye opener to the reality of
violence,” he said. He notes that he enjoys learning about history and the attempts that we made
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because “the solutions we thought would clean up our mistakes are biting us in the ass.” Ace
claims to be a very realistic person and feels that religion is our country’s downfall as our
policies are too strongly controlled by faith.
During adolescence, it is expected that these persons execute their new reasoning skills they
likely are developing, and Ace seems to use his towards history, the reasoning of the world, and
the political spectrum of his life. It is also true during this time that adolescents like to argue for
the sake of arguing as they have these new skills, vocabulary, and opinions and observations of
the world. But Ace’s consistent mantra of making a difference seems to negate the notion that he
would argue for fun, but rather argue for a cause. Not a behavioral theory, but the Political
Realism theory explains Ace’s identification as a realist and his concern for society on
congressional levels. The theory is explained as “ascertaining facts and giving them meaning
through reason” and the reasons are supported by roots in human nature, objectivity, and
rationale (Morgenthau, 1978). This theory explains Ace’s perspective, and for an adolescent, this
is an advanced theory to support.
Multicultural Considerations – Importance of Intersectionality
As mentioned prior, Ace is a Caucasian white male with Irish and Italian ethnicity. He is
supported by his parents, steady in the middle class but strives to be financially and
professionally independent. These social classes do not prompt relevant hazards in his life,
though the independence he is developing is a strength he uses often to cope and to push through
challenges. The social class that is hazardous to his development is his homosexuality. Hazard
does not derive from his orientation, but rather the stigma attached to it. He has developed
strengths such as confidence to keep himself from self-doubt and negativity, but is not
exclusively homosexual to some of the most important people in his life – his parents. The
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stigma also becomes hazardous in retrospect as Ace was severely bullied high school,
encouraging the transfer to a private, smaller institution. The discrimination he faces and the
notion of burying his true self behind an aura of omitting his orientation will affect Ace’s
development and ultimately his future. The bullying he endured may lead to self-esteem issues
and worsening depression. And his identity-comfortability will suffer and possibly hinder his
confidence. Through his accomplishments, motivation, and future goals, it is likely Ace will
succeed in overcoming this challenge. As an observer of his attitude and personality, Ace’s
positive attitude will carry him through his adolescent years and beyond until he is comfortable
with his true self.
Collin’s intersectionality theory helped me to understand Ace’s systems and how they
interrelate to form his strengths and weaknesses (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2013). For example,
Ace lives with a mix of sections of non-discriminatory and discriminatory elements – he is
homosexual but he is happy and positive, middle class and supported but suffers from mental
health conditions, and a male nursing student, but also driven and successful in his program. This
theory notes that sections of our lives that may bring forth challenges do not act independently of
one another but rather are intertwined and overlapped.
Behavior Patterns – Moratorium Cessation
Ace reports going out on weekends and drinking socially with his friends during his senior
year of high school and freshman and sophomore years of college. In today’s society, though
legalities are a concern, this is not considered socially unaccepted behavior. Ace denies his
drinking occasionally ever being a problem and formed close bonds and memories during those
years. In terms of holistic development being affected by Ace’s drinking and going out, he has
social intelligence evidenced by his work with SafeRide, an organization under the office of
12. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 12
Student Activities, that provides safe transportation to those students who go downtown or to the
bars on the weekends. “I am saving lives by working for SafeRide,” Ace said. “I truly believe
that.” Alcohol use was not detrimental to Ace’s adolescence and he appears educated and
rational about his choices when that was a part of his life. Currently, Ace reports spending his
time either studying, preparing for clinical, or working, ultimately not having time to drink or go
out as often as before.
Bandura’s social learning theory explains how Ace adapted to observed behavior and his own
behavior, and in turn, developed social intelligence and more time management skills. The
theory declares that social behavior is learned similarly to moral behavior – through observation
and consequence. Adolescents especially respond in the moment to social situations based on
consequence and situational factors (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2013). Therefore, Ace is aware
that he does not have time to drink, and if he does, his work and success will be negatively
impacted.
Conclusion - Bio-Psycho-Social and Intervention
Biologically, Ace is tall, barely overweight, and dealing with pubescent features such as slight
acne, facial hair, and a deepened voice. Psychologically, Ace upholds strong emotional and
social intelligence but suffers from depression. Though it is undiagnosed, Ace exhibits some but
not all of the symptoms associated with the disorder such as pervasive sadness, hopelessness,
fatigue, and withdrawal from others (Sheafor & Horejsi, 1988). Socially, Ace is an average
nursing student struggling with his workload and relying on those in his cohort to get through. as
well as on himself as an individual. He spends most of his time studying or working, but values
the relationships he holds within each organization of his life. The most impactful organizations
and systems that shape Ace’s development are his passion for government and making a
13. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 13
difference, his middle-child role as the glue of the family and a mentor to his younger brother,
his transition to private school to alleviate bullying, having motivational and supportive parents,
and displaying a work ethic that supports his presence in so many organizations whilst upholding
success and positive networks.
Ace is challenged by his unrevealed sexual identity, the pressures of school and his high
standards of goals and graduation , and his untreated depression. However, strengths and
resiliencies aide Ace in overcoming these obstacles such as independence, drive, positivity, and
“keeping busy” he says. It is also seemingly true that open-mindedness is a strength Ace
possesses though he did not attest to this, but his notion that he jumps on opportunities no matter
what evidences that he wants to obtain a wide range of knowledge and perspective in order to see
his challenges and other’s challenges and tackle them, rather than view them as problems or
impossible barriers. If or when Ace feels downtrodden by his stress and work, isolated due to his
depression or friend’s misunderstanding of him, or just in a bind, he turns to his mom primarily,
and his work and exercise secondarily. My observations conclude that Ace will navigate through
the rest of his undergraduate career and his adolescence utilizing the aforementioned strengths
and coping skills, as well as by building his confidence through more and more
accomplishments, and possibly through the disclosure of his sexuality to his parents.
It is noted that Ace upholds his parents’ beliefs by not wanting to pursue any type of
counseling intervention or medication for his depression. However, it would be encouraged by
my social work opinion to seek support as his challenges are heavily weighted. From a person-
centered approach, it is respected that his values differ from treatment, therefore I would suggest
to him a therapeutic approach he could do on his own. Vision Boards or Collages are a form of
art therapy that help those who make them see gradual changes. For example, if Ace wanted to
14. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 14
come out to his parents, he could collage images of how he thinks they see him now versus how
he thinks they would see him if he were open with them. The collage process resembles change;
the first collage may shine as negative, but the second and third collages may shape into a more
positive perspective, giving him the confidence and positive vision he needs to take the next step.
17. ADOLESCENT ANALYSIS 17
References
Morgenthau, H (1978). Six principles of political realism. Politics Among Nations (5), 4-15.
Retrieved December 2, 2015, from https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/morg6.htm
Sheafor, B. & Horejsi, C. (1988). Techniques and guidelines for social work practice (10th ed.).
Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Zastrow, C. H. & Kirst-Ashman, K.K. (2013). Understanding human behavior and the social
environment (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
