This document discusses several key topics regarding adolescent development: 1) It explores the development of identity and self-esteem in adolescents, and how factors like gender, socioeconomic status, and race can influence this. 2) Adolescent mental health issues like depression and suicide are examined, noting their prevalence among this age group. 3) Relationships with family, peers, and romantic partners are covered, along with social influences and challenges during this life stage. 4) Sexual development milestones, orientations, and health issues are overviewed.

1. Adolescence (Part 3)

2. Social & Personality Development Self-Concept Identity is the important issue Able to distinguish between one’s self and others & take others’ views into account Self-Esteem Knowing one’s self & liking one’s self are two different things Liking one’s self is self-esteem Liking one’s self involves seeing one’s self with all your faults and accepting it

3. Gender Differences in Self-Esteem Factors Determining Self-Esteem Gender is important in early adolescence Girls’ self-esteem is lower Girls tend to be more concerned about the appearances & social & academic success Boys’ attitude is more casual Boys are vulnerable to gender stereotypes Boys have problems with sports, rejection by girls, & not measuring up

4. SES & Race in Self-Esteem Higher SES Have Higher Self-Esteem Possibly due to status factors Race & Ethnicity Play a Role Prejudice played a major role before Today, social movements within a group help build self-esteem Today, more are focusing on aspects of the self in which they excel Taking ethnicity & gender into account together produces different results than separately

5. Identity Formation Identity v. Identity Confusion Stage where adolescents seek to find what makes them unique & distinct They adopt different roles Confusion comes by failing to organize around a central, unified core identity A good, stable sense of identity is the foundation for future development & choices, esp. marriage Social Pressures Career or occupation The future us now up to them Reliance on friends & peers for information Psychological Moratorium Period when adolescents take time off from coming adult responsibilities to explore different roles & possibilities

6. Marcia’s Identity Development Identity Achievement Gone through a period of crisis & developed relatively firm commitments Identity Foreclosure Never gone through an identity crisis but has become committed to certain goals Identity Moratorium Currently going through an identity crisis Identity Confusion Never had a crisis, is not in one now, & has not formed or established goals

7. Identity, Race, & Ethnicity Cultural Assimilation Model Individual cultural identities should be assimilated into a unified culture Pluralistic Society Model Society is made up of diverse, coequal cultural groups that should preserve their individual features Bicultural Identity Draw on the cultural identity while integrating into the dominant culture Identity Formation & Racial & Ethnic Groups Identity formation is more difficult with racial & ethnic groups There are contradictory social values A society should be color-blind but opportunities differ for races & ethnic groups

8. Depression Who is Depressed? 25% report feeling sad or hopeless for 2 or more weeks in a row so they stop doing normal activities Girls experience depression more often than boys Girls’ coping skills different than boys’ Girls are more apt to turn inward, boys turning outward African Americans have higher rates of depression than Whites Not supported by studies Changes in the environment & social factors related to much depression

9. Suicide Why? 3 rd major cause of death among 15 – 24 age group 12.2 suicides per 100,000 adolescents Girls attempt; boys complete Increase in suicides in the last 30 years Causes: Depression is a major cause (social & family problems, perfectionism, anxiety over the future, & alcohol & drug abuse

10. Relationships Changing Family Relationships Seeking autonomy: control over one’s life Parents become frustrated over the increasing autonomy Autonomy slowly grows during adolescence Changes the relationship with the parents The degree of autonomy varies with the number of children & the culture

11. Family Changes Generation Gap The divide between parents & children in attitudes, values, aspirations, & worldview The actual “gap” is very narrow On social, political, & religious issues parents & adolescents tend to agree Most adolescents & their parents get along quite well There’s a deep love, affection, & respect for parents Most relationships are more positive than negative

12. Parent/Child Relations Conflicts with Parents Most get along with parents most of the time There are differences in taste in music, friends, relationships, etc. The conflict is greater in early adolescence than later Problems are due to differing definitions of, & rationales for, appropriate & inappropriate conduct Parents begin to realize that the children are growing up There’s less conflict in “traditional” pre-industrial cultures

13. Relations with Peers Social Comparison Comparing & evaluating opinions, abilities, & physical changes of others Reference Group Groups of people with whom you compare yourself Clique Group of from 2 – 12 whose members have frequent social interactions Crowd Larger than a clique made up of those who share particular characteristics but who may not interact with each other

14. Gender/Race Relations Gender Relations Sex cleavage: Boys hang out with boys & girls with girls in preadolescence With puberty, hormonal changes bring more interest in the opposite sex & boys’ & girls’ cliques begin to converge Later on, more time is spent with members of the opposite sex Race Relations Even with desegregation races & ethnicities tend to interact very little May be ethnic & racial segregation in classrooms with less minorities in certain classrooms Lack of contact among students may produce prejudice, both perceived & real Adolescents who have interacted with other races or ethnicities tend to have friends of different races & ethnicities

15. Popularity Controversial Adolescents Those liked by some peers & disliked by others Rejected Adolescents Those actively disliked & whose peers may react to them in an obviously negative manner Neglected Adolescents Those receiving relatively little attention from peers in either positive or negative interactions

16. Peer Relations Peer Pressure Influence of one’s peers to conform to their behavior & attitudes Adolescents are highly susceptible to the influence of peers What to wear, who do date, movies to see, what group to belong to Conformity to peers due to pressure to conform & seek an identity Ultimately, conform less to peers & parents & develop their own autonomy

17. Delinquency Undersocialized Delinquents Adolescents raised with little discipline or with harsh, uncaring parental supervision Not socialized appropriately & not taught standards of conduct to regulate behavior Socialized Delinquents Adolescents who know & subscribe to the norms of society & who are fairly normal psychologically Adhere to social norms Behavior Patterns 16% of all arrests for serious crimes involve a person under 18 years Undersocialized delinquents most likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder as a child & seen as less intelligent May also have psychological disorders Socialized delinquents are fairly normal psychologically Most engage in petty crimes & stop at adulthood Very influenced by peers & crimes occur in groups

18. Dating Functions of Dating A way to establish intimacy with another person Provides entertainment Prestige (trophy) Can assist in developing a sense of self Dating in early & middle adolescence isn’t useful in furthering intimacy True intimacy comes during later adolescence when dating becomes more serious Gays & lesbians may date the opposite sex to fit in Culture influences dating patterns

19. Sexual Relations Masturbation Sexual self-stimulation By age 15, 80% of boys & 20% of girls report masturbating Can still produce guilt feelings Now viewed as normal & harmless Sexual Intercourse About 50% of adolescents begin intercourse between 15 & 18 years 10% are postponing sex Double-standard Permissible for males, not for females For many girls, it is okay with affection

20. Pregnancy Statistics Teen pregnancies have dropped 30% in the last 10 years 43 of 1000 births is a teen Pledges in sex classes are useless Teen pregnancies in the U.S. are still 2 – 10 X higher than most other industrialized countries Caring for the child generally goes to the mother with little or no help from the father

21. Sexual Orientation Heterosexuality Sexual attraction & behavior with members of the opposite sex Homosexuality Sexual attraction & behavior with members of the same sex Gay: male homosexuals Lesbian: female homosexuals Bisexuality Sexual attraction & behavior with members of either sex Gender Identity The gender a person believes he or she is psychologically

22. Sexual Orientation Statistics 20% - 25% of male adolescents & 10% of females experiment with homosexuality 4% - 10% are exclusively homosexual throughout life Sexual orientation & gender identity are not related The extent to which men & women enact traditional “masculine” & “feminine” behavior is not related to either sexual orientation or gender identity Determinates of Sexual Orientation Determining factors are not clear Genetic & biological factors are important There are differences in brain structures Family & peer environment plays a role It develops from a complex interplay of genetics, physiological, psychological, & environmental factors Many adolescent homosexuals are it risk for depression & suicide