Changes that occur during adolescence

1. Adolescence Influence on Behaviour
The changes that occur during adolescence can
cause adolescents to behave in an unacceptable
way.
 They may become rebellious to authority, for
example, towards their parents or teachers. Since
they think they are adults, they want to be
independent. They want to do things their own
way.
 They may start having sexual relationships
because of hormonal changes in their bodies.
 They may become secretive and may also want
some privacy. For example, they may no longer
want to be seen or supervised when bathing
because they do not want some of their body
parts to be seen.
 They may start to question certain rules and
values because they do not see the sense in
them. They ask a lot of ‘why’ questions. They may
want to change certain family rules to suit their
needs.
The changes can also cause adolescents to
behave in an acceptable way. For example,
 They may assume responsibility as
young adults, for example, they can do
their assignments without or with little
supervision.
 They tend to assume new roles that will
show their new status.
 They start to help with family chores like
cleaning the house. This gives them a
sense of competence and maturity.
 They start to work through complicated
problems and dilemmas on their own and
they also think carefully about
consequences. This enhances their
decision making skills.