The normal feelings and behaviors for each stage of adolescence --early, middle and late--are described in this article by American School Counselor Association.
Themes:
Holidays:
Introduction
Each teenager is an individual with a unique personality and special interests, likes, and dislikes. In general, however, there is a series of developmental tasks that everyone faces during the adolescent years.A teenager's development can be divided into three stages -- early, middle, and late adolescence. The normal feelings and behaviors of adolescents for each stage are described below.Early Adolescence
12-14 yearsMovement Toward Independence- Struggle with sense of identity
- Moodiness
- Improved abilities to use speech to express oneself
- More likely to express feelings by action than by words
- Close friendships gain importance
- Less attention shown to parents, with occasional rudeness
- Realization that parents are not perfect; identification of their faults
- Search for new people to love in addition to parents
- Tendency to return to childish behavior
- Peer group influences interests and clothing styles
- Increasing career interests
- Mostly interested in present and near future
- Greater ability to work
- Girls ahead of boys
- Shyness, blushing, and modesty
- More showing off
- Greater interest in privacy
- Worries about being normal
- Ethics and Self-Direction
- Occasional experimentation with cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol
- Capacity for abstract thought
Middle Adolescence
15-16 yearsMovement Toward Independence- Self-involvement, alternating between unrealistically high expectations and poor self-concept
- Complaints that parents interfere with independence
- Extremely concerned with appearance and with one's own body
- Feelings of strangeness about one's self and body
- Lowered opinion of parents, withdrawal from them
- Effort to make new friends
- Strong emphasis on the new peer group
- Periods of sadness as the psychological loss of the parents takes place
- Examination of inner experiences, which may include writing a diary
- Intellectual interests gain importance
- Some sexual and aggressive energies directed into creative and career interests
- Concerns about sexual attractiveness
- Frequently changing relationships
- Tenderness and fears shown toward opposite sex
- Feelings of love and passion
- Ethics and Self-Description
- More consistent evidence of conscience
- Greater capacity for setting goals
- Interest in moral reasoning
Late Adolescence
17-19 years Movement Toward Independence- Firmer identity
- Ability to delay gratification
- Ability to think ideas through
- Ability to express ideas in words
- More developed sense of humor
- Stable interests
- Greater emotional stability
- Ability to make independent decisions
- Ability to compromise
- Pride in one's work
- Self-reliance
- Greater concern for others
- More defined work habits
- Higher level of concern for the future
- Thoughts about one's role in life
- Concerned with serious relationships
- Clear sexual identity
- Capacities for love
- Capable of useful insight
- Stress on personal dignity and self-esteem
- Ability to set goals and follow through
- Acceptance of social institutions and cultural traditions
- Self-regulation of self esteem